It’s time to get outside and enjoy summer BBQs, gardening, hikes and much more. Don’t let mosquitoes keep you inside; Instead enlist these chemical-free strategies to manage these pests in your landscape.
Start by eliminating the mosquitoes’ breeding grounds. Drain the water out of buckets, old tires and clogged gutters and downspouts that hold water needed for mosquitoes to reproduce.
Check kids’ toys, tarps and pool covers that also retain water. Drain the water and store these items in the garage or turn them over to keep them from becoming a mosquito breeding ground. Even small containers hold enough water for hundreds to thousands of mosquitoes to breed.
Change the water in birdbaths at least once a week. Make it part of your routine maintenance; rinse birdbaths when watering containers. Or install a small pump to keep water moving to prevent mosquito breeding.
For the full story, see the July 24 issue or subscribe online.
By Melinda Myers • Host of The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series.
