Fans, Zappers, or Professional Mosquito Treatments: Which Tools Really Work Against Mosquitoes?

Walk into any hardware store in Alhambra and you'll find a wall of mosquito control products. Bug zappers, outdoor fans, and citronella everything.

So you might be wondering: which of these tools work? And which ones are just expensive ways to feel like you’re doing something?

Below, we’ll discuss common mosquito-fighting tools and whether they work.

Outdoor Fans

Outdoor fans do work against mosquitoes, but not the way most people hope. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, so strong airflow makes it hard for them to land on you. Fans also disperse the carbon dioxide and heat signals mosquitoes use to find you.

The problem is that fans can only give you protection while you sit in the immediate airflow. Step outside that zone and you're back to being a target. This means that fans need to run constantly, and that’s noisy and drives us your electricity costs. And this is all for maybe a 10-foot radius of protection.

If you’re already using fans to help deal with heat, they will also help with mosquitoes. But fans work best as supplemental mosquito control rather than a full-scale solution.

Bug Zappers

Bug zappers attract insects with UV light, then electrocute them. But mosquitoes, unlike a lot of other bugs, don’t really gravitate toward UV light. They're attracted to carbon dioxide, heat, and body odors—none of which bug zappers provide.

Studies show bug zappers kill thousands of insects. But when you look at the bugs that have been eliminated, you find that mosquitoes make up 4.1 to 6.4%. So with zappers, you're mostly eliminating beneficial insects while leaving mosquitoes untouched.

Bug zappers also don't address breeding sites. Even if they managed to attract every mosquito nearby, new ones would keep emerging from standing water around your property.

Citronella

Citronella candles and torches provide some deterrence, but it's minimal and short-lived. The scent needs to be strong and constant to have any effect.

Natural repellent sprays work for about 30-60 minutes before needing reapplication. They're fine for a quick trip outside but impractical for extended outdoor activities.

And as with fans and zappers, citronella products won't reduce your property's mosquito population. All they can do is mask your scent temporarily.

Professional Treatments

Fans, zappers, and repellents work by helping you avoid mosquitoes that are already there, to varying degrees of success. Professional mosquito control reduces how many mosquitoes are on your property in the first place, which makes it a much better long-term solution.

Alhambra's year-round mild weather and irrigation make ideal mosquito breeding conditions. DIY methods provide temporary relief but don't address the root problem.

At Mosquito Squad of Pasadena, our Barrier Treatment Plus targets where mosquitoes live and breed. We treat irrigation areas, shaded spots, and anywhere water collects around your Alhambra property. Our treatments reduce mosquito populations by up to 90% and last up to 21 days.

That means using your entire yard, not just the area near a fan. No constant noise, no citronella candles, no bug zapper killing the wrong insects. Just significantly fewer mosquitoes.

Need Alhambra Mosquito Control?

There’s no need to spend lots of money on products that only work in specific spots or for short periods. Professional treatment gives you back your entire yard by going after the mosquito problem at its source.

For dependable Alhambra mosquito control, call Mosquito Squad of Pasadena at (213) 238-5564 or contact us online for a free assessment and quote.

Read about our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee!