Help Your Family Avoid Mosquito Bites

How Can I Help My Family Avoid Mosquito Bites in Fredericksburg?

Nobody wants to keep their kids inside all summer because the mosquitoes are bad. Kids are supposed to spend time outdoors, especially when the weather is nice! But in Fredericksburg, you’ve got a lot of things working against you when it comes to mosquitoes. The river is right there, the air is humid, and there’s a lot of standing water. That’s bad news from May to October.

You can’t promise your family zero bites. But you can stack a bunch of layers of defense so that bites become rare. Here’s a breakdown of what we would do on our own properties to handle mosquito problems.

Reduce the Breeding Habitat on Your Property

If you do one and only one thing in this entire article, do this. Look for standing water and remove it.

Mosquitoes need standing water to breed, and they don't need much. A bottle cap's worth is plenty for some species.

Walk your property and eliminate every source: clogged gutters, plant saucers, birdbaths that haven't been dumped in a week, tarps, grill covers, toys left outside, and any low spot that holds water after rain or irrigation. If you want to go deeper into this subject, we have a video on the 7 T's of mosquito control.

You won’t stop mosquitoes from flying in from neighboring homes or nearby water sources. But you can at least stop your yard from producing them, and that’s a good foundation for everything else below.

Use The Right Personal Mosquito Repellents

You’ll want to spend at least some of your outdoor time in places not treated for mosquitoes. And it’s here that you’ll likely want a personal mosquito repellent. You have three main options that work.

The king of mosquito repellents is DEET. At a concentration of 10 to 30 percent, you can use it for most outdoor situations and can be used on children over two months old. Picaridin is another good option, and a lot of people like that it's not as greasy as DEET. If you want a plant-based alternative, there is always oil of lemon eucalyptus, but that’s not recommended for kids under three.

Don’t forget to reapply regularly, especially if you’ve been sweating or spending time in the water.

Dress in Lighter Colors

Mosquitoes are more attracted to dark colors than light ones. And they can also bite through tight fabrics. So if you want to block mosquitoes with your clothes, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing is the way to go.

Now to be fair, long sleeves and pants are not always practical in a Virginia summer. But when you’re cooking out as the sun goes down, it helps. For kids playing in the yard during peak mosquito hours, lightweight long-sleeved shirts and pants treated with permethrin can add another layer without overheating them. 

Make Your Outdoor Spaces Less Welcoming to Mosquitoes

Fans are seriously underrated when it comes to dealing with mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have a tough time in even moderate airflow. A box fan or oscillating fan near the seating area makes a measurable difference.

Screened porches are even better. They’re as close as you can get to a mosquito-free space while still being outdoors. Just make sure the screens are in good repair, since even small tears give mosquitoes a way in.

Consider Professional Treatment

A barrier treatment from Mosquito Squad of Fredericksburg reduces mosquito populations by up to 90% for up to 21 days. It targets the vegetation where mosquitoes rest during the day, which means they're controlled at the source rather than one at a time on your arm.

If you prefer a plant-based approach, we also offer a natural treatment option.

Want to help your family enjoy the outdoors in Fredericksburg with fewer mosquito bites? Call Mosquito Squad of Fredericksburg at (540) 510-8445 or contact us online for a free quote.