Protect Yourself From Mosquitoes — Naturally

“It’s almost impossible to control mosquitoes in the adult stage,” says University of Delaware entomology professor Doug Tallamy, PhD, so stopping them while they’re in the larval stage is the most effective tactic. He recommends using Mosquito Dunks, commercially available tablets that kill larvae before they can grow into blood-sucking female adults, the only mosquitoes that bite.

“You get a bucket, fill it full of water, put in a handful of straw, hay, or dead leaves, and then you put it in the sun for a couple of days and it builds up populations of diatoms and algae,” Tallamy says. “That is what mosquito larvae eat and that’s what attracts the adult female mosquitoes. It’s not the Mosquito Dunk that attracts them. And once the female has laid her eggs in the bucket, which is several days later, then you add the Mosquito Dunk.”

The tablets contain a nonchemical pesticide, or biopesticide, Bacillus thuringiensis, which is a naturally occurring bacteria found in soil that destroys mosquito larvae but isn’t harmful to people or animals.

Another simple tactic is to use an electric fan when you’re sitting outdoors. “Mosquitoes can’t fly into a directed breeze,” Tallamy explains.

Wearing long sleeves and pants and minimizing standing water in your yard or on your apartment balcony are other ways to reduce mosquito bites.

Tallamy advises against spraying pesticides or foggers. “You’re killing all the pollinators that we need and not controlling mosquitoes.”

(Build your own mosquito-repelling patio or deck with with these nine mosquito-repelling plants.)