Retail mosquito sprays wear off quickly, giving the mosquitoes a chance to rebuild. They’re also usually not applied to areas where mosquitoes spend most of their time.
If you’ve bought mosquito spray, you might think that all you need to do is follow the instructions, spray the backyard, and solve the problem. But it’s not quite that easy, and if you try that, the mosquitoes will probably be back in a day or two—which is frustrating.
Consumer-grade mosquito products typically come in pump sprayers or hose-end applicators that produce large, heavy droplets. Those droplets land on the top surfaces of leaves and grass, then wash off or break down within a day or two. Meanwhile, mosquitoes rest on the undersides of leaves, deep inside shrubs, in shaded gaps beneath decks, and in low vegetation along property edges. The spray never reaches the places where mosquitoes are.
Concentration matters a lot as well. Over-the-counter products use lower concentrations of active ingredients than professional-grade applications. Even if you manage to get the product into the right areas, it won’t last long enough to maintain control between applications. A rainstorm or a few days of sun can degrade the product to the point where it’s no longer effective.
The other big factor to consider is that mosquitoes rest across the entire property. Any effective treatment has to consider the whole property, otherwise, it’s like mopping a kitchen without fixing the leak.
Timing is the other part of the problem. A single application, no matter how good, won’t maintain control for a full season. Mosquitoes breed continuously from spring through fall, and new adults replace the ones you treated within days. Unless the treatment is reapplied, the mosquitoes will simply breed another generation and replenish their numbers.
If you're a Central New Jersey homeowner and you’ve tried the DIY route and come up short, Mosquito Squad of Central New Jersey can help. With barrier treatments, reapplied every three weeks by a professional, you can see up to an 85-90% reduction in mosquito activity throughout the season.
