To control mosquitoes, you need to both tamp down on their breeding and treat the areas where they are resting. Neither action alone will help enough once you have a serious mosquito problem.
There are dozens of mosquito control products and methods on the market, and most of them promise more than they deliver. It’s better not to spend your time (or money) on the ones that don’t work.
When in doubt, start with water. Mosquitoes need it to breed. Every source of standing water on your property could be producing mosquitoes. Clogged gutters, plant pot saucers, tarps, old tires, kids' toys, and anything else that holds water after a rain needs to be emptied or eliminated. On Long Island, the terrain tends to be flat, and those rare low spots tend to collect water, so keep an eye out for drainage issues and backed-up storm drains too.
Dealing with water helps with the new mosquitoes, but it won’t help with the ones that are already there. For that, a professional barrier treatment handles the adult population. The product is applied to the vegetation and surfaces where mosquitoes rest during the day, including shrubs, ground cover, under decks, and along fence lines. It knocks down mosquitoes on contact and stays active for about 21 days at a time (at which point re-treatment restarts the clock for season-long protection). Most homeowners notice a dramatic reduction in mosquito activity within the first 24 hours.
If you’re looking for more to do beyond that, be careful. Citronella candles don’t work well, as their zone of protection is quite small. Ultrasonic devices are not backed up by evidence. Bug zappers go after the wrong insects. And consumer-grade foggers are contact-kill only, leaving no residual for the resting bugs for days or weeks at a time. What all these products have in common is that they make you feel like you’re taking action, but they don’t manage the population.
Fans can help, though. If you are sitting in a particular area, putting down a fan can ward off mosquitoes, as they are weak fliers. But even that is not a long-term solution, because it requires you to stay close to a fan.
