Tips for a Mosquito-Free Garden

Your Shoo for Good wrap will keep you protected from mosquitoes but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to make our outdoor spaces inhospitable to pests. They can bite your dog, after all, and transmit canine heartworm. Or they could attack friends who visit (and forget to bring their wraps). Here are some tips:

Get rid of standing water

This is Rule Number One. Mosquitoes only need a thimbleful of standing water to thrive. Water can be in the usual places—saucers under flowerpots, bird baths, forgotten watering cans—but it can also collect on upturned leaves, in clogged pipes or rain gutters, in spots of the lawn with poor drainage, and in certain light fixtures or decorative accents. Get rid of it, and they can't breed.

Build a bat house

I almost went down this route. When my regular searches for standing water didn't solve the problem, a gardener friend suggested I set up a bat house. I passed, but you might consider it. Bats eat mosquitoes.

Plant mosquito-repellent plants

A garden designer friend gave me a list of plants that she heard could keep mosquitoes at bay. I had plenty of basil, garlic, lavender,  sage, rosemary, and geraniums in my garden already, though, and mosquitoes still buzz around. I suppose I could try planting some citronella or having a pot of it on my outdoor dining table. They might work for you.

Dealing with them 

It's hard to rid a garden of mosquitoes. So you deal with them. You try bug sprays (which work but are unpleasant on many levels), zappers (mixed reviews), citronella candles (hm), lavender and other essential oils. Avon Skin So Soft lotion is said to be a good, healthy option, as are Bounce dryer sheets. 

Me? I bring my Shoo for Good wrap out into the garden with me. And, when we're sitting outside to relax or to have dinner, I might set up a fan on the ground to blow them away from our ankles.