What Attracts Mosquitoes to My Yard?

Denver sees sun 300 days out of the year. It’s pretty dry around here, and you’ll often hear it described as semi-arid. One would think that mosquitoes, who love water and humidity, wouldn’t bother being a problem in Denver.

And yet they do.

The truth is that Denver, though dry, still has mosquito problems. Mosquitoes are resilient, and they find ways to do well here even though they don’t have the same resources their friends down in the Southeast do. But the key difference is that most of the attractants are made by people, which means you have a little more control over their presence.

Standing Water is #1

Even in a semi-arid climate, standing water is everywhere. And that’s because we put it there so we could enjoy our life in the western mountains. Nearly every leaf and branch of Denver’s residential landscaping runs on irrigation, and all that watering creates artificial mosquito breeding habitat across the metro.

Over-watered lawns leave puddles in low spots. Drip trays under planters fill up. Gutters clog with spring debris and hold water for weeks. Kids' toys, wheelbarrows, and garden equipment collect rain or sprinkler runoff. 

This is a problem because it only takes a bottle cap’s worth of standing water for mosquitoes to breed. Your yard likely has dozens of these micro-sources.

Shade and Dense Vegetation

Mosquitoes aren't just looking for water. Denver gets hot in the afternoon, and mosquitoes need shaded spots to rest. For that, they turn to dense vegetation, thick ground cover, and areas under decks.

When evening temperatures drop into the sixties and low seventies, the mosquitoes come back. That’s most summer nights in Denver. The mosquitoes simply leave their resting spots and become active feeders.

You

Breathing attracts mosquitoes. And while we wouldn’t argue that you should stop breathing, it’s at least worth understanding what’s going on here.

Mosquitoes locate hosts by detecting CO2 from breathing and body heat. Some people attract more mosquitoes than others based on their individual body chemistry, metabolism, and even the bacteria on their skin.

All that means that if you’re on the patio outside with some friends, the group creates enough CO2 to draw mosquitoes from a considerable distance. It’s not your landscaping that attracts them at this point. It’s you.

Struggling with Mosquito Control in East Denver?

You can’t stop every mosquito on your property. They’ll often fly in from others. But you can at least reduce their presence. It helps to follow the “7 T’s of Mosquito Control” here:

1. Tip containers that hold water.
2. Toss unnecessary items that collect water.
3. Turn over equipment and toys when not in use.
4. Remove Tarps that collect puddles.
5. Take care of maintenance like gutter cleaning and drainage.
6. Treat with professional mosquito control.
7. Team up with neighbors, because mosquitoes don't respect property lines.

And if you’re considering professional mosquito control, you can always reach out to Mosquito Squad of East Denver. A tech can come to your property, identify any problems in your yard, and come up with a treatment plan. You can then give it a try and see if it’s a good fit for you before signing up for anything long-term.

And if you’re not happy with the service? We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, which means we’ll come back and make it right if there’s a lingering problem.

Want to find out what's attracting mosquitoes to your Denver yard? Call Mosquito Squad of East Denver at (720) 500-8064 orcontact us online for a free quote.