The Gardening Mistake That'll Have A Yard Swarming With Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a common backyard complaint, and these insects can drive you away from even the most comfortable, well-planned garden spaces. Not only are mosquitoes annoying, but they can potentially transmit viral diseases, including West Nile virus, chikungunya, Zika, and more. Therefore, it is important to do what you can to make sure your garden is not attractive to these insects. One commonly overlooked mistake could involve your own garden planters and standing water.

Certain plants are known to attract mosquitoes to yards and gardens, including tall grasses and dense bushes they can hide in. In fact, if your yard is full of mosquitoes, you might consider whether certain plants are to blame. However, the problem may go beyond the types of plants, and instead involve standing water associated with the containers they're grown in. This is especially the case with planters that have saucers underneath them, as they tend to collect residual water that drains from plant soil and can become favored places for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. The more access to standing water mosquitoes have, the more success they will have breeding and increasing their numbers in your outdoor spaces.

There are several ways to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard, but you should also consider ways to deter them from calling your garden home. It's important to act immediately to help counteract the potential mosquito-producing effects of your planters. (For perspective, it takes just five days for a mosquito to go from an egg in standing water to a full-fledged adult!) First, if you do have planters with saucers, you must empty them before mosquitoes have a chance to lay their eggs in the water and within the 5-day timeframe before the eggs have a chance to hatch. Try setting a reminder to empty saucers once a day.

You can also fill the planter saucers with sand or small rocks to discourage mosquitoes from laying their eggs there. Yet another option is to swap planter types entirely by choosing those without saucers that can retain stagnant water, especially if your plants are outdoors and don't necessarily need saucers anyway. On top of this, you might consider planting mosquito repellant plants that actually work for some extra reassurance. Don't forget to make sure there are no other sources of standing water, including watering cans, barrels, buckets, and furniture. Eliminating all standing water in your garden can help reduce mosquito populations while also making outdoor living more enjoyable again.