3 Natural Ways To Eliminate Mosquitoes From Your Deck

Posted on: 31 May 2017

If you are planning a new deck installation, you are likely keeping safety in mind when it comes to railing placement. But there's another issue you can address regarding your deck and railing—mosquitoes. Ahhh... the thought of enjoying summer evenings while lounging on your deck... continuously swatting at mosquitoes. Of course, you could light several citronella candles, use sonic mosquito repellers, or wear mosquito repellents, but those generally don't work. Fortunately, there are several things you can do that can work, and they are natural.

Get rid of standing water

Mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water, which is where larvae live and grow. Eliminating standing water from your backyard is the first step in eliminating or at least reducing the number of mosquitoes you and your family will deal with this summer. Dump water out from all containers, including your children's toys. Look around for areas where water collects regularly and fix those problematic areas with proper drainage. Install a French drain underneath the deck and/or use sand to reduce the formation of water puddles.

Secure fans to each end of the deck railing

Mosquitoes avoid areas where there's a breeze because wind makes it difficult for them to fly around. Install fans at each end of your deck to create a breeze. Depending on the structure of your deck and your local building code requirements, you may be able to install the fans directly into the railing. If not, ask your deck builder to secure the fans directly to the railing, either along or on top of the railing. For the fans to be operable, of course, they'll need to have power. You can have an electrician run electrical wiring to power the fans or you can opt for solar-powered fans instead.

Install a bat box

The thoughts of bats in your backyard may not appeal to you right off the bat, but did you know that one small brown bat can catch as many as 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour? A properly built and placed bat house can attack bats to control the mosquito population in your backyard so you'll be able to enjoy your deck. Bat houses can be secured directly to the exterior walls of your home or to a free-standing pole in the backyard. If your deck will be fairly large, another alternative is to mount a bat box to the top of an extended railing balister so the bat box is at least 10 feet above the ground.

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