How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Indoors

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By Altari
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Rid your home of these annoying invaders

When the rains begin, even the most well sealed homes come under attack from small swarms of mosquitoes. These annoying, airborne pests not only leave itchy welts in their wake, they can make your home uncomfortable and unpleasing for you, your family and your guests. Rid your home of mosquitoes by following a few simple steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Lemon scented cleaners
Lemon herbs
No pest strips
Fruity wine
Green tea

Step 1

Secure the perimeter. Make sure there are no holes or gaps in your screens. Check outdoor water faucets and crawlspaces for leaks or drips and repair them promptly. Empty any containers of standing water and overturn them as a preventative measure. For severe outdoor infestations that have moved indoors, consider spraying your yard with mosquito repellent. You can do-it-yourself or hire a service to spray regularly.
Step 2

Check the water vapors. Mosquitoes love moist environments, so any place that can breed condensation will attract them. You can identify a condensation problem by tell-tale mold spots in corners or accumulations of moisture on window frames. The most common sources are shower steam and improperly sealed dryer vents.
Step 3

Keep everything sealed. Never leave anything that has a high sugar content laying around the house. Open cans of soda, peeled oranges or bowls of grapes can become an attraction for mosquitoes and other airborne pests like gnats.
Step 4

Avoid sweet smelling air fresheners or cleaning products. Instead of freshening the air with a fruity spray, burn citronella candles. Clean floors, furniture and other hard surfaces with lemon scented cleaners. If you prefer to avoid harsh chemicals, you can rub hard surfaces with lemon-scented herbs like lemon balm or lemon basil.
Step 5

Place bounce dryer sheets inconspicuously around your home and in windows. The chemicals in these work to repel a wide variety of pests, from mosquitoes to wasps to mice.
Step 6

Hang no pest strips in the corners. These strips attract many flying insects and can help to cut down on the number of mosquitoes in your home.
Step 7

Lay strategic traps. A shallow, wide bowl of an extremely fruity wine will draw mosquitoes, gnats and small flies without allowing an escape. As the wine will quickly become acidic, change it at least every other day.
Step 8

Protect yourself. Drink well brewed, unsweetened green tea instead of pop or fruit juices. Certain chemicals in green tea are excreted through the pores and act as a natural mosquito repellent. Cutting down on sugar intake will also make you less attractive to mosquitoes.

Comments

susanhorton72 said

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on 10/15/2009 Oh, I'm running to the garage and grabbing those dryer sheets right now! :) I don't have a screen yet and if I open my window, I have to keep the lights off to keep from attracting more misquitos, but they swarm in front of my monitor and I keep clapping at them! hahaha I found your article just in time. You are my savior of the day!

JoyNmyHeart said

on 10/10/2009 Very helpful information on getting rid of mosquitoes. When I was in New Orleans, my brother in law got out his hand vac and vacuumed them right up! LOL!