Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have mosquitoes! Although I've lived in this residence for several years, this started this past summer and they are still here during winter. I thought I'd get a break until next summer, but no!
They come through a screenless window where my cats go in and out. I'd like an inexpensive, natural repellent. I was prepared to buy netting for over the bed because overnight protection is really all I need, but I know my cats will end up tearing and pulling it down when playing. Any ideas?
By Chantal from Salem, OR
Are you sure they are mosquitoes and not fruit flies? I ask this because mosquitoes are dormant during the Winter in cold climates (and cool climates like ours in the Pacific Northwest). Is it possible you have a lot of moisture and heat inside of your home where the life stages might be continuing inside your home?
If they are indeed mosquitoes then you need to do some thorough indoor cleanup and find a way to stop the moisture inside.I looked up some information to help explain mosquito dormancy:
Where do mosquitoes go in the winter? Mosquitoes, like most insects, are cold blooded creatures. As a result, they are incapable of regulating body heat and their temperature is essentially the same as their surroundings. Mosquitoes function best at 80o F, become lethargic at 60o F and cannot function below 50o F. In tropical areas, mosquitoes are active year round.
In temperate climates, adult mosquitoes become inactive with the onset of cool weather and enter hibernation to live through the winter. Some kinds of mosquitoes have winter hardy eggs and hibernate as embryos in eggs laid by the last generation of females in late summer. The eggs are usually submerged under ice and hatch in spring when water temperatures rise. Other kinds of mosquitoes overwinter as adult females that mate in the fall, enter hibernation in animal burrows, hollow logs or basements and pass the winter in a state of torpor. In spring, the females emerge from hibernation, blood feed and lay the eggs that produce the next generation of adults. A limited number of mosquitoes overwinter in the larval stage, often buried in the mud of freshwater swamps. When temperatures rise in spring, these mosquitoes begin feeding, complete their immature growth and eventually emerge as adults to continue their kind.
I agree with Deelie, with one extra thought. Have you checked under your house for standing water? I had a friend who had a horrible skeeter problem and discovered after several years that a leak in the pipes under the house was providing a nice little pond for them to breed in.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Would someone have a recipe to get rid of mosquitoes in the house? One just flew in and I know it will find me sooner or later. I want to lay a trap to kill it.
Thanks very much in advance!
By metroplex from Houston, TX
You don't say through doors or screens or open windows. Here in MN we safeguard against open anything. I have used outside my door the citronella plant, (not jut any scented geraniums) in big pots. This has been great for the last 15+ years. Helps keep the buggers away from the door, coming in with kids, etc.
Other than that, Slap the heck out of them! I use the wand on the vacuum cleaner to suck them from where I can't reach them. (06/10/2010)
By Grandma J
A spray bottle of water with a couple of drops of dish soap-works great on flying insects (gnats, mosquitos,etc) plus crawling insects (like ants and spiders). (06/10/2010)
How do I get rid of mosquitoes in my house? The only problem is is that it is winter here and I still have those pesky buggers in my house. I can kill them, but then the next day or later on I have another one. Does anyone know why I have them in the middle of winter?
Cindy from Flint, MI
I recently read a tip saying that if you spray the original flavor Listerine mouthwash around it helps keep them away. I'll have to look for where I saw that tip. (01/11/2008)
Perhaps you are hatching them out somewhere in the house. Is there any place you could have some standing water that could have come in from outside, or where mosquitoes could have laid eggs or still be doing so? They say it only takes a small amount, like a cup or so, to provide a breeding ground for them? (01/14/2008)
By Louise B.
I had the same problem. After way too much time thinking about it, the only answer was a plant growing in water. I know, I got rid of the plant and my tasty grandson had no more mosquito bites.
Good luck. (01/15/2008)
I have had them in my tiny water fountain, inside a plant/with fish in glass bowl, and even in a soggy plant, as well as a puddle I knew nothing about until too late. They can live/reproduce in a single bottle cap of water, so go on a serious search, especially around any cracks under sinks, water pipes, and near windows. You'll find them and get rid of them once you do. God bless and help you. (01/25/2008)
By Lynda
If you are experiencing a mosquito problem, the first thing you need to do is contact your local mosquito control district. They are funded by property taxes so there is no charge for their services. They will come out and find the source of the problem and get rid of the mosquitoes. It might not be something in your yard, but in the neighbors'. (03/16/2008)
By Nizza
