What’s the difference between hiring a West St. Louis County Mosquito Control Company and Using at Home Products?

It’s that time of the year again, mosquitoes are out looking for their next meal, and if you’re anything like me, you are a delight to their tastebuds. So, you turn to your online searches to find relief. With how outlandish some of these concoctions are, you’ll have to find out if those home remedies are up to par or if you should invest your money into hiring a West St. Louis County mosquito control company.

Before looking at mosquito repellents, you should consider taking a peek at the 7 Ts of Mosquito Control by Mosquito Squad. Removing the spaces that mosquitoes frequent and limiting their access to breeding pools will help reduce their numbers in your yard.

Common Oils for Mosquito Repellents

The trusty natural oils. The homeopathic go-tos for all concerns. A note about essential oils needs to be made upfront. The FDA does not regulate essential oils, and it is possible to get defective merchandise. Perform due diligence and ensure you purchase the oil from a reliable supplier. Before using essential oils, you must also dilute them with a carrier oil. Therefore, you must check that you are utilizing them properly.

Oils that Repel

• Neem Oil
• Tea Tree Oil
• Citronella
• Soybean Oil
• Greek Catmint Oil (a relative of catnip)
• Thyme Oil
• Cinnamon oil
• Lavender Oil
• Lemon Eucalyptus Oil

These oils are all known to repel mosquitoes when appropriately used. Most of these oils are also known only to be useful for 1 to 3 hours when covering all your exposed skin and spraying your clothing. These are all relatively comparable to a 10% DEET spray repellent. So, using any of these oils, you’ll want to monitor your time and constantly reapply for extended use outside. Though these are possibly better smelling than a spray can mosquito repellent, I’m not sure how long I’d like to smell like a tiki torch or a cinnamon roll.

The reality of the Green Thumb Approach

If you are good in the garden, why not plant some useful foliage to act as a natural deterrent? Adding cedar mulch to your garden will also help keep the pests away, and it is a lot less time-consuming if you already have a garden space and don’t want to add garlic or catnip to it!

Plants that help Prevent Mosquitoes

• Lavender
• Marigolds
• Lemon Balm
• Lemongrass
• Citronella
• Catnip
• Basil
• Garlic
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Sage

Now comes the unfortunate news. Though mosquitoes might not be a fan of these plants, most of them, to be effective, must have their leaves crushed to expose the oils that do repel the insects. So, by themselves, the plants are just real estate in your garden, or perhaps in your frying pan if you need some herbs to cook with.

Vinegar

Vinegar is one of those multipurpose, good-for-everything items every kitchen needs, from cooking to sanitizing and apparently mosquito repellent. When used as a spray, vinegar, particularly apple cider, is one of the best mosquito repellents. Part of this is because mosquitoes taste with their feet. The strong vinegar taste is enough to send mosquitoes running, so these annoying insects will fly off without biting. Unfortunately, you’ll have to smell like vinegar constantly for it to work.

Get West St. Louis County Mosquito Control you can count on

Take the guessing game out of the equation. You really don’t want to run around smelling like a pantry fell on you, or worse yet, like vinegar or citronella. Let Mosquito Squad of West St. Louis County treat your yard and reduce the mosquito population. From their natural mosquito control techniques, where they use aromatic and non-toxic essential oils on your yard (so you don’t have to wear them!) to their Traditional Barrier Mosquito Treatment, which repels up to 90% of mosquitos and lasts for 21 days. You’ll be able to leave off the sprays or crushing your plants and enjoy your outdoor spaces, knowing you’ll be protected from the pests. 

Mosquito Squad of West St. Louis County Does the Work for YOU!

Mosquito Squad of West St. Louis County can eliminate up to 90% of the existing mosquitoes in your yard. The full-season mosquito treatment program will reduce them and keep them out. Call us today at (636) 735-7132 and enjoy your yard as much as possible while the weather permits.