How To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes In The House

There’s an old saying that goes, “if you ever think you’re too small to make a difference, try falling asleep in a room with a mosquito.”

It’s true! Despite being such a tiny pest, mosquitoes can cause a LOT of trouble! And they can make your life into a living nightmare.

There are few things more irritating that having a mosquito constantly buzzing in your face. No matter how many times you try swatting them, they only return a moment later.

Mosquito bites are the absolute WORST. They itch so badly, you’ll scratch yourself raw and bloody just trying to get some relief.

But mosquitoes don’t just drive you crazy by giving you awful bites that itch forever. Nor do they simply bother you with their constant, annoying buzzing.

A mosquito bite spread dangerous diseases like malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and yellow fever.

In fact, mosquito borne illnesses kill more people every year than any other animal. More than bears. More than tigers. More than great white sharks - combined.

So what are the best methods to get rid of mosquitoes?

Sure, you can turn your home into a chemical nightmare, filling it up with poisonous sprays, powders, and liquids.

The problem with this is that these “solutions” are just as good as driving YOU out of your home as they are with driving away mosquitoes.

The terrible odors and noxious fumes these things create can cause difficulty breathing, nausea, and terrible headaches.

So how can you get adult mosquitoes out of your home, once and for all?

This article is going to discuss the many safer, poison-free ways of keeping blood-sucking mosquitoes from turning your home into a vampire convention.

Here are some of the most effective ways to get rid of mosquitoes in the house.

1. Get an Indoor Bug Zapper

These devices are extremely effective at killing mosquitoes indoors. As an added bonus, they contain no poisons and don’t make a mess.

They lure mosquitoes into a trap by using LED lighting. Once inside of the unit, the mosquitoes are zapped by an electrical current, killing them instantly.

The electrical parts are on the inside of the unit, and you can’t get shocked by touching the outside of the unit, making it safe to use around children and pets.

We’ve had wonderful results using the BuzzBGone Zap mosquito trap. It instantly kills mosquitoes with a charge of 750 volts of electricity.

You can use it anywhere around your home - in your bedroom, on your patio, or anywhere else you need to kill mosquitos. You can use it for a picnic in your back yard.

You recharge the unit via USB, and the battery lasts for up to 15 hours. It even uses scented octenol cartridges that lure mosquitoes inside the trap.

You can purchase the BuzzBGone Zap in our website

2. Stop Mosquitoes From Entering Your Home

Of course, the best thing you can do is keep mosquitoes from ever entering your home in the first place.

Mosquitoes are most active when the sun is going down, so it’s important that you close all doors and windows at dusk.

If the edges around your doors or windows have leaks in them, seal them up with weather stripping.

And if your window screens have any holes in them, you can seal them up with a screen repair kit, which you can purchase at any home improvement store.

If your home has any vents that lead to the outside, such as open air conditioner ports, and unused chimney, or heat exhaust ports, make sure to shut them or seal them up.

The best way to get rid of mosquitoes in your home is to never let them inside in the first place. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

3. Prevent Mosquitoes From Breeding Inside Your Home

It’s bad enough when mosquitoes move into your home, living rent-free. But it’s even worse when they turn your home into their own personal Love Shack, hooking up with each other and adding more little bloodsuckers to your home.

To keep this from happening, you need to get rid of the places that mosquitoes love to breed.

Mosquitoes positively love water, so if you have any standing water in your home you should get rid of it immediately.

It’s important to make certain you don’t have any standing water inside your home. Check below your kitchen and bathroom sinks. Check under your hot water heater.

If you need to fix a leaky pipe or fixture, do it yourself, or hire a plumber.

Wherever there’s standing water, mosquitoes can breed. Mosquitoes need stagnant water to lay their eggs and multiply.

Mosquito populations can skyrocket after heavy rain, so make sure your roof isn’t leaking water in places you might be aware of. Be certain to check crawlspaces and attics, too.

4. Check for Mosquitoes Near External Doors and Windows

It’s also wise to check for mosquito breeding grounds near or next to your home. Be wary of ditches, ponds, and puddles - they're a perfect spot for mosquito eggs to form.

It’s a good idea to fill in ditches with dirt just outside your home so there are fewer mosquitoes around your house. It’s also a good idea to make sure drains are covered and cleaned regularly.

When humans and other animals breathe, they exhale a gas called carbon dioxide, and mosquitoes have sensors that can detect it. They're attracted to carbon dioxide..

Mosquitoes also have eyes that can spot any kind of movement. They also have sensors that allow them to see the heat your body produces, and target you.

If there’s standing water in your back yard with mosquitoes in it, they will sense your presence, and coming flying into your home when you open your doors.

5. Make Sure Pools and Hot Tubs are Fully Drained

One of the absolute worst places in terms of breeding mosquitoes is an unused swimming pool with water collected at the bottom.

This is a virtual paradise for breeding mosquito larvae, so you should make certain to drain your pool completely during the off-season.

If there’s some reason why you can’t drain every last drop out of your unused swimming pool, at least pour a bit of chlorine into the water.

The addition of chlorine will prevent the water from being used for reproducing by mosquitoes.

Similar care must be taken with an out-of-season hot tub. If it’s got any less-than-fresh water in it, it’s a perfect breeding ground for mosquito larvae.

6. Grow Mosquito-Repellent Houseplants

There are a number of mosquito repellent plants suitable for indoor growing. By growing these plants indoors, you will discourage mosquitoes from gathering near them.

You can keep these mosquito repellent plants in your bedroom, kitchen, living room, or wherever you see fit. And one of the best things about these plants is that they are non-toxic to humans.

An easy way to repel mosquitoes inside the house is to keep indoor mosquito repellent plants. These plants can be kept inside your room or on your desks for a mosquito-free home.

Marigolds help beautify your home while keeping mosquitoes at bay. Lemongrass does the same, while imparting a pleasant, lemony scent to your home. The same goes for mint, which can repel mosquitoes while making your home smell minty fresh.

Beautify your home, make it smell wonderful, and it gets rid of mosquitoes at the same time. What could be better than that?

7. Place Sliced Lemons And Cloves Around Your Home

Mosquitoes hate the smell of lemons and cloves.

A tried and tested method to get a mosquito-free home is to slice a lemon in two and push cloves into both halves of the lemon.

Keep plates of these clove-infused lemons to get rid of mosquitoes inside the house. It is a natural and harmless indoor mosquito repellent.

You can also use clove oil in an incense burner, or you can place a few drops of it into a humidifier that can disperse essential oils.

The only side effect is that your home will smell terrific!

Lemon photo created by dashu83

8.Use A Garlic Spray To Repel Mosquitoes

Garlic doesn’t just keep Dracula away – it’s great at repelling mosquitoes, too!

A simple garlic spray is great for keeping you home mosquito-free, and it contains no harmful or poisonous ingredients.

On the other hand, many people find the smell of garlic overwhelming, and probably don’t want their entire house smelling like garlic.

But if you do choose to use a garlic spray as an indoor mosquito repellent, it’s very easy to make.

Just crush or mince a few cloves of garlic and boil them in water for until the garlic turns soft. Then pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray it around the house to control mosquitoes at home.

9.Keep a Dish of Soapy Water in Your Home

Did you know a dish of soapy water can act as an indoor mosquito trap? Use one to attract mosquitoes - once they land on it they get stuck and can’t escape.

To wipe out these harmful pests, just place a dish of soapy water inside your house. It's one of the most effective mosquito traps you can use.

You can place the dish wherever you like. Mosquitoes are attracted to water, so this is a perfect way to kill mosquitoes.

Make sure the dish is soapy enough to be covered in bubbles. You can use a dishwashing soap or detergent for this.

Once the mosquitoes sit on this dish of soapy water, they will get trapped in the bubbles and die.

Because the mosquitoes land in the dish, cleanup is super easy. You can’t ask for better than that!

10. Fill a Dish with Beer or Alcohol

If you have beer or some other alcohol, this is a great way to get rid of mosquitoes inside the house. Just keep a dish of beer or alcohol in your home to control mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes cannot stand the smell of beer and alcohol, and this method will remove mosquitoes from the house. You can use rubbing alcohol, too.

Just be aware that drinking alcohol will not keep mosquitoes away! In fact, studies have shown that people who drank just three beers were bitten 30% more than non-drinkers.

Beer photo created by freepik

11. Grind Up Some Catnip or Use Catnip Oil

Catnip does more than make you every cat’s best friend. Recent studies have shown that catnip is an extremely powerful mosquito repellant!

Just how strong is it?

Researchers at Iowa State University performed tests on nepetalactone, the essential oil contained in catnip. Not only was it more effective than chemical repellants like DEET (diethyl-m-toluamide), it was MUCH more effective.

Yes, that’s correct. These scientists discovered that catnip was as much as 10 TIMES more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the chemicals in DEET.

On the other hand, there have been numerous health problems associated with DEET, including brain swelling in children, anaphylactic shock, and low blood pressure.

Catnip oil is extracted from an aromatic herb, nepeta cataria, and has a centuries-old reputation as a soothing herbal tea, and is also used to treat coughs, indigestion, and menstrual cramps.

The oil is available from companies that sell essential oils for aromatherapy and herbal treatments.

Catnip is healthy, non-toxic, repels mosquitoes, and your cat will love it. Sounds like a winner to us!

12. Use a Chemical Insecticide

Chemical insecticides are effective at killing mosquitoes in your home. But they can also be dangerous to humans, and require taking a number of precautions to protect yourself, your pets, and your family.

The National Pesticide Information Center suggest the following precautions if you choose to use chemical poisons.

• Make sure kids, pets, and anyone non-essential to the application is out of the area before mixing and applying pesticides.
• Be sure to wear clothing that will protect you when using pesticides. Consider wearing a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and closed-toe shoes in addition to any other protective clothing.
• Be prepared for a pesticide spill. Have paper towels, sawdust or kitty litter, garbage bags, and non-absorbent gloves on hand to contain the spill.
• Read the first aid instructions on the label before using the product.
• Have the telephone number for the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) available in case you have additional questions.
• Remove personal items, such as toys, clothing, or tools from the spray area to avoid contamination.
• After using pesticides, wash your hands before smoking or eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the quickest way to get rid of mosquitoes?

We prefer mosquito traps that kill indoor mosquitoes instead of simply repelling them. The most effective way of reducing the mosquito population is with chemicals or an electronic bug zapper.

Why are there so many mosquitoes in my house?

If you have mosquitoes indoors, you need to check for holes in your window screens and cover open vents like chimneys.

What kills mosquitoes the best naturally?

The soapy water dish works well, but electronic traps get rid of mosquitoes more quickly.

What smell do mosquitoes hate?

Quite a few, actually. Mint, catnip, and garlic are a few of the most common items.

Can Vinegar keep mosquitoes away?

Yes, it can. But the strong smell might bother you as much as it bothers the mosquitoes.

How do I get rid of mosquitoes in my room at night?

An electronic mosquito trap is the best way to get rid of mosquitoes in this situation.

Do fans keep mosquitoes away?

A powerful fan can get rid of mosquitoes temporarily, but they always come back.