Publication date: 05/29/2009

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Don't let mosquitoes ruin outdoor parties

Don't wait until the hot, humid weather makes your backyard a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other bugs. Be proactive and help eliminate these pests from ruining your outdoor fun this summer.

When it comes to ruining an outdoor party, mosquitoes are the worst, and can even carry the deadly West Nile virus. Serious gardeners regularly take preventative measures against mosquitoes by using a good repellent with DEET and by wearing pants, long-sleeved shirts and mosquito netting when gardening. But your backyard guests don't want to dress like an episode of "Man vs. Wild" just to attend your barbecue. That's why you should take some preventative measures recommended by many federal, state and local agencies and mosquito experts.

Female mosquitoes lay their eggs on water. So walk around the yard and destroy the mosquito breeding habitat by getting rid of standing water in puddles, ditches, pails, planters, the saucers used to catch water underneath planters and any other places where water collects. You also should clean the leaves out of your gutters so they don't clog your downspouts, resulting in standing water that's a perfect place for mosquitoes to breed.

Make sure you change the water in birdbaths and pet bowls frequently. For fountains, marshy areas or small ponds, you should use a product like Mosquito Bits and Mosquito Dunks by Summit Chemical, (800) 227-8664, www.summitchemical.com, to kill the larvae and keep the water safe for a prolonged period of time.

Mosquitoes also like areas with tall grass, weeds and brush, so cut your grass as short as you can and prune back your bushes. Then use Mosquito Beater by Bonide Products, (800) 536-8231, in your yard to keep mosquitoes at bay for up to four weeks.

Now even after taking all these measures, one of the best things to do is avoid being outdoors at dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. And you can also use yellow bug lights in place of bright lights on your deck or patio to lower the attraction bugs and mosquitoes have to your party. It is also a good idea to have a mosquito repellent available for your guests to use when necessary.

Certainly, there are lots of other products that claim to be effective in eliminating or reducing mosquitoes, such as citronella candles, bug zappers and mosquito traps. But in my experience, these are ineffective, unless you like the smell of citronella or the sound of bugs being zapped -- including bugs you don't want to kill.

One new product on the market that you may want to consider is the AllClear Cordless Mosquito Mister from Universal Pest Solutions, (888) 966-2483, www.allclearmister.com. This advanced technology product is a portable, cordless unit that you can move around your yard and it releases a regular misting spray that is supposed to repel mosquitoes and biting flies up to 2,000 square feet for as long as six hours. Local hardware stores, such as Commerce Ace Hardware in Commerce Township, (248) 360-0400, are selling this new product for around $500.

Another annoyance at outdoor parties is the pesky fly. Obviously, food is the thing that attracts flies to your party, so make sure you keep your food covered when not being served, and keep any trash cans around your deck or patio covered and place them at a distance from your food-serving and cooking areas. You can also use a fan to blow a breeze around food and tables to help keep the flies away. That also will work at keeping mosquitoes away.

If you have a yellow jacket or wasp problem in your yard, the best thing to do is call a pest control company, because trying to get rid of the nests of these pests can be very dangerous. One thing you might try is a product two Canadian sisters invented called the Waspinator, which is a bag-like product that looks like a wasp's nest. Wasps are territorial, and this fake nest keeps wasps away. Find out more by calling (866) 999-8428 or visiting www.waspinator.com.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

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