How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes

To get rid of mosquitoes, kill the adults already indoors, then cut off the source: empty or treat every container of standing water within about 100 yards once a week. Repellents, screens and fans keep the rest off you while the population drops.

Most yard mosquito problems are local. The Asian tiger mosquito, the daytime ankle-biter in much of the country, rarely travels more than a few hundred yards from where it hatched. If you're being bitten on the patio, the water they came from is usually on your lot or your neighbor's.

How to get rid of mosquitoes in the house

1. Close up. Shut windows and doors, and turn off all lights except one in a room you'll search.
2. Search where they rest. Mosquitoes that have fed sit still in dark, humid spots: walls near the ceiling, inside closets, behind curtains, under sinks and furniture, in the shower and the laundry room (the CDC's list). A flashlight held at a low angle makes them throw a shadow.
3. Kill them. A flat swatter, an electric racket, or a vacuum hose works best. An aerosol labeled for flying insects indoors is fine if you follow the label and air the room out.
4. Find indoor water. Plant saucers, vases, pet water bowls, rarely used toilets, a dehumidifier tray, a leaking AC drip pan. Change or dry them every few days. The CDC warns that mosquitoes that get inside can start laying eggs indoors, so a vase that sits for a week can keep the problem going.
5. Check the entry points. Torn window screens, gaps around window AC units, unscreened bathroom vents and attic vents.

At night, a fan blowing across the bed is surprisingly effective. Michigan State researchers (Hoffmann and Miller, 2003) found fan-driven wind cut mosquito catches sharply, mostly because it dilutes the carbon dioxide and body odor mosquitoes follow, not just because they can't fly in a breeze. The authors recommended fans as a practical backyard defense too.

Indoor devices that help, and those that don't

• Plug-in liquid or mat vaporizers with metofluthrin or similar pyrethroids work in a closed room. Follow the label, keep them away from fish tanks and pet birds.
• UV/fan suction traps catch some mosquitoes in a small room; they catch more gnats and moths.
• Ultrasonic plug-ins and phone apps do not repel mosquitoes. Several controlled studies have found no effect.

How to get rid of mosquitoes in the yard

1. Remove breeding water weekly

This is the step that matters most, and the one people skip. In warm weather some mosquitoes go from egg to biting adult in under a week (University of Kentucky), so CDC's rule is once a week: empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out. Walk the yard after rain:

• buckets, toys, wheelbarrows, tarps, old tires, flower pot saucers;
• birdbaths (scrub and refill every 3 to 4 days);
• clogged gutters and corrugated downspout extensions (Kentucky entomologists call gutters one of the most overlooked sources);
• septic tank cracks and open vent pipes (cover with fine mesh);
• rain barrels without tight lids or mesh screens;
• tree holes (fill with sand), boat covers, pool covers holding rainwater.

2. Treat water you can't drain with Bti

Ponds without fish, rain barrels, ornamental water features and catch basins can be treated with a larvicide:

Bti kills only mosquito, black fly and fungus gnat larvae; methoprene stops larvae from becoming adults. Neither harms fish, birds, pets or people at label rates. To check whether it's working, look for "wrigglers" in shallow water without casting a shadow; larvae dive when the light changes. Fish, frogs and dragonfly larvae in a healthy pond also eat larvae; a pump or fountain that keeps water moving helps.

3. Shrink the resting spots

Mow tall grass, trim dense shrubs and ivy away from the patio, and thin vegetation under decks. Adults rest in shade during the day.

4. Barrier sprays: when and how

A barrier treatment with a pyrethroid such as bifenthrin or lambda-cyhalothrin, sprayed on the undersides of leaves of shrubs where mosquitoes rest, kills adults for 2 to 4 weeks. It also kills bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects, so:

• never spray blooming plants;
• spray in the evening when pollinators are gone;
• keep it out of ponds and storm drains.

Professional seasonal mosquito services typically charge about $50 to $100 per visit (approximate), with visits every 3 to 4 weeks. They help, but if your gutters are full of water, you're paying to kill mosquitoes that hatch again in a week.

How to keep mosquitoes away from you

• Repellent with DEET (20 to 30% for outdoor work), picaridin (20%), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Compare them on the insect repellents page.
• Clothing treated with permethrin, plus long sleeves and pants in light colors.
• Fans on porches and patios.
• Timing: avoid dusk outdoors when West Nile activity is reported in your county.

How dangerous are these products

Mosquito products range from almost harmless (Bti, methoprene) to products that need real care around cats, fish tanks and pollinators. Indoor aerosols, plug-in vaporizers, yard barrier sprays and permethrin clothing treatments are all pyrethroids: modest risk to people and dogs when used by the label, harder on cats, and extremely toxic to fish and bees. Skin repellents are safe for people by the label but are not for pets.

Comparison table

Indoor flying-insect aerosolActive ingredient: pyrethrins, tetramethrin, phenothrin, prallethrin — depends on brand, check the label

CatsKeep out

out of the room until aired; products with phenothrin are especially risky for cats

DogsCaution

out during spraying

Kids, pregnancy, allergiesKeep out

out until aired; mist can trigger asthma

Fish, birds, rodents, reptilesDanger

cover tanks, pumps off; take birds out of the room

BeesSafe

indoors

Plug-in vaporizerActive ingredient: metofluthrin or similar pyrethroid

CatsCaution

not in a room where a cat sleeps or spends hours

DogsSafe

per label

Kids, pregnancy, allergiesCaution

not next to a crib; ventilate if anyone gets a headache or cough

Fish, birds, rodents, reptilesDanger

never in the room with fish or pet birds

BeesSafe

Bti dunks/bitsActive ingredient: Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

CatsSafe

DogsSafe

Kids, pregnancy, allergiesSafe

Fish, birds, rodents, reptilesSafe

harmless to fish, birds and frogs

BeesSafe

Methoprene granulesActive ingredient: methoprene (IGR)

CatsSafe

DogsSafe

Kids, pregnancy, allergiesSafe

Fish, birds, rodents, reptilesSafe

at label rates; don't overdose ponds with crustaceans

BeesSafe

Barrier sprayActive ingredient: bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin

CatsKeep out

keep inside until foliage is dry

DogsCaution

away during spraying

Kids, pregnancy, allergiesKeep out

off the yard until dry

Fish, birds, rodents, reptilesDanger

extremely toxic to fish; keep from ponds and drains

BeesDanger

kills bees — evenings only, no blooms

Skin repellentActive ingredient: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus

CatsCaution

not for pets; don't spray near them

DogsCaution

not for pets

Kids, pregnancy, allergiesSafe

DEET ≤30%, OK from 2 months (AAP); not on babies' hands; OLE not under 3 years

Fish, birds, rodents, reptilesCaution

DEET dissolves plastics; don't spray near tanks

BeesSafe

Permethrin for clothingActive ingredient: permethrin

CatsDanger

very dangerous wet: spray outdoors away from cats; dry clothing is low risk

DogsSafe

once dry

Kids, pregnancy, allergiesSafe

once dry; never on skin

Fish, birds, rodents, reptilesDanger

keep spray away from tanks

BeesSafe

Citronella candlesActive ingredient: citronella oil

CatsCaution

essential oils are risky for cats — keep them away

DogsSafe

Kids, pregnancy, allergiesCaution

open flame; smoke can bother asthma

Fish, birds, rodents, reptilesKeep out

keep away from pet birds

BeesSafe

Indoor aerosols and vaporizers

Spray with people and pets out of the room, keep the door shut 15–30 minutes or as the label says, then air it out before anyone comes back. Never spray toward food, dishes or a fish tank. Vaporizers should go in a room where a person sleeps, not in a cat's or bird's room. Cats exposed to pyrethroids drool, twitch, walk unsteadily and can seize; there is no antidote, so the vet treats symptoms. See pet-safe pest control.

Barrier sprays

Keep kids and pets off the yard until foliage is dry, usually a couple of hours. Cover fish ponds and move bird feeders and water dishes before spraying.

Repellents and permethrin

Adults apply repellent to children: put it on your hands and then on the child, skipping hands, eyes and mouth. Wash it off at bedtime. Treat clothing with permethrin outdoors, let it dry fully, and don't let a cat lie on wet items. Details: insect repellents.

If something goes wrong

• On skin: wash with soap and water; pyrethroid tingling fades within hours.
• In eyes: rinse with running water for 15 minutes; see a doctor if irritation continues.
• Swallowed (a child drank repellent or chewed a vaporizer refill): don't induce vomiting, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
• Pet trembling, drooling or seizing: go to the vet, or call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.
• Fish gasping at the surface: change most of the water and add an activated-carbon filter.

What doesn't work (or barely works)

What people who dealt with it say

Homeowner and pest-pro threads on Reddit (r/pestcontrol, r/lawncare, r/gardening) repeat the same story:

• What people try first: citronella plants and candles, lavender, incense, bug zappers or a fan-and-UV trap. A typical post: a family with all of those around a backyard pool was still being "eaten alive."
• What pros ask first: "Are your gutters clean? Any standing water?" Hidden water (gutters, corrugated drain pipe, tarps, toys under a deck, a neighbor's yard) is the usual answer.
• Dunk misunderstandings: soaking a dunk and spraying the water on the lawn does nothing; Bti only works in water larvae live in. Several people set up "buckets of doom" (a half-full bucket with a dunk or some grass clippings) as egg-laying traps and report fewer bites, but one who found larvae swimming in a treated bucket was told to dump it: too much organic matter keeps the Bti from spreading, and bits act faster. If you can't keep it treated, dump the bucket every 6 to 7 days instead.
• About yard services: a recurring pro complaint is that cheap services spray low rates of bifenthrin and skip the water work, so results fade fast. Pros mention methoprene granules (Altosid) and In2Care stations, which licensed firms place so mosquitoes carry larvicide to nearby containers you can't find.
• What finally worked for most: a weekly water audit plus Bti or methoprene, a fan on the patio, and repellent on skin; a barrier spray before events if needed.

How to get rid of mosquitoes naturally

The natural approach is also the most effective one: water removal, Bti (a naturally occurring bacterium), screens, fans, fish in ponds, and oil of lemon eucalyptus as a plant-derived repellent registered with the EPA. Essential-oil sprays like lavender, peppermint or lemongrass work for minutes, not hours.

When to call a pro or your county

Call your local mosquito control district or health department if mosquitoes come from ditches, wetlands, a neglected pool next door or storm drains. Many districts inspect and treat for free and will deal with an abandoned "green pool". Call a licensed pest control company if you want regular barrier treatments for events or a heavily shaded lot.