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Naturally Keep Mosquitoes Away
Martha Stewart
Posted July 24, 2025
By Martha Stewart
Question: Can you suggest some natural methods for controlling
mosquitoes?
Answer: The best way to reduce the number of these bugs around
your home is to prevent them from breeding. Females lay eggs - up to
200 at a time - in stagnant water. Within a couple of weeks, the
eggs will transform into full-grown adults.
Check your property frequently for standing water, especially
after a storm. Overturn or remove buckets, birdbaths, children's
toys - anything that holds water. Be sure gutters and downspouts are
clear, and keep swimming pools clean and properly chlorinated to
deter mosquitoes.
If you have a pond or other still body of water on your property,
treat it with a product that contains Bacillus thuringiensis var.
israeliensis, or Bti, a bacteria that is harmful to newly hatched
insects. Bti is sold as pellets or disks that float in water; one
application lasts about a month. Plants and animals are unaffected
by Bti, so you may use it in water gardens and birdbaths.
Don't use Bti, or any repellent, in salt marshes or other
wetlands, as the insects there play a key role in the wetlands'
ecosystem.
Since mosquitoes can fly up to 20 miles from where they hatch,
they will likely still find their way to your backyard. If reapplied
continually, repellent sprays containing plant oils can be effective
alternatives to products that use chemicals, such as DEET.
Citronella oil, which is extracted from citronella grass and is
commonly found in candles, can also discourage mosquitoes. However,
the candles' effectiveness depends on wind direction and how close
people are sitting to them.
Concentrated garlic spray (available at garden centers) has
become popular in recent years, as it has proved adept at repelling
mosquitoes over a large area, such as a garden or backyard.
Like repellent sprays and citronella, garlic acts on mosquitoes'
sensory capabilities, overwhelming them so the bugs can't smell the
carbon dioxide and lactic acid that attracts them to humans. Apply
the spray to plants, trees and lawns, and reapply periodically
throughout the summer. Its strong smell dissipates in an hour or so,
but the product will continue to work.
Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, Letters Department,
Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10036, or
mslletters@marthastewart.com. For more information, visit
www.marthastewart.com.
New York Times Syndicate
© 2007 The Topeka Capital-Journal. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
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