If you’re totally frustrated by mosquitoes buzzing inside your garage, then this guide is all you need.
In this guide you’ll learn –
- How to get rid of mosquitoes in your garage
- How to eliminate the mosquito sources
- Why do mosquitoes sneak inside your garage and home
And most importantly, you’ll also find how to keep mosquitoes away from your garage and home, forever.
Let’s get into the six steps to eliminate the mosquitoes in the garage.
Kill The Mosquito Larvae In Standing Water
The best way to kill mosquito larvae in standing water is to use mosquito dunks in the objects that holds water.
Standing water that accumulates in puddles, containers, birdbaths, tires, pet bowls, trash bins, rainwater barrels, and empty flowerpots are the breeding grounds of the mosquitoes.
So, put mosquito dunks in these things. And wait for a couple of hours.
The mosquito dunks will kill the mosquitoes, their larvae, and mosquito eggs in these water containers.
Swimming pools and ponds in the properties can also be the egg-laying areas for mosquitoes.
So, if you’ve been observing tiny maggot-like wiggly worms in these places, throw a few mosquito dunks in them too.
Pest control experts also use the same method to begin the mosquito treatment.
Eliminate Standing Water To Deter Mosquitoes From Laying Eggs
Drain standing water from any unnecessary containers on your property.
Remove every unnecessary water holders both inside and outside your garage.
Also, fill in or the puddles and potholes in the pavement, asphalt, and yard or garden soil.
Rainwater or excessive watering of your garden and yard can cause water to stagnate in these places.
And stagnant water is like a mosquito magnet. It’ll attract mosquitoes to lay eggs in them.
Remove Dense Vegetation Around The Garage
Tall and dense shrubs and grasses around the garage and on your property are hiding places for many biting bugs and pests.
Eliminate them, especially the ones that are growing along the perimeter of your garage doors and windows.
Many bugs and pests use the dense vegetation along the home’s perimeter to sneak inside homes.
Clean The Clutter Inside The Garage
Clutter inside the garage attract mosquitoes and, not to mention, spiders.
Both love clutter.
Clutter provides them the hiding places that they use to hide during the day.
Mix clutter with dirt, stagnant water, and wastes, then your garage becomes a perfect hiding place for many pests like ants, roaches, centipedes, and many others.
So, before you get into the offensive, remove the clutter, and clean your garage if needed.
But remember that some mosquitoes will bite you while you’re cleaning the garage.
Mosquito bites are risky. They can cause serious diseases like yellow fever, malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, and Zika virus.
However, there are no records of mosquito-borne illnesses in the US at present.
Use A Reliable Mosquito Spray In Your Garage
You’ll need to use a mosquito spray to kill mosquitoes in the garage.
And you’ll need to use it at least thrice in a week to keep mosquitoes away.
Use the spray in the nooks and corners of your garage.
Also, use it on places like garage doors and windows.
Ensure that you use the spray just before sunset to kill mosquitoes active in your garage.
It’ll be best to use the mosquito spray in your entire yard or garden to kill the mosquitoes in these places.
It’ll ensure mosquitoes don’t enter the garage and home from these places.
Caution: Most insecticides are poisonous. Read the safety instructions on the spray bottle, and follow them, before using the spray.
Keep A Mosquito Trap Inside The Garage
There are many mosquito traps that are readily available.
Keep one of these traps in places like garage storage shelves and in the corners.
The mosquito traps work by emitting carbon dioxide which attracts mosquitoes.
The mosquito traps have a sticky surface where the mosquitoes get stuck. And the electrical grid inside the mosquito trap electrocutes them.
You can also prepare your own DIY mosquito traps and use them your home and garage.
How To Repel Mosquitoes And Keep Them Away From Your Garage
Ensuring mosquitoes don’t come back is vital to eliminate the mosquito infestation on your property.
There are 6 ways that your can prevent mosquitoes in your entire home, including your garage.
Keep Mosquito Repellent Plants In Your Garage
Certain plants like citronella grass, marigold, mint, lavender, and rosemary help a lot in repelling mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes hate their smell.
Keep any of these plants in plant pots in your garage.
You can also keep these plants in your bedroom to keep mosquitoes from biting you.
You can also plant a few of these plants in your yard or garden.
Using coffee grounds on the soil beds of flower pots prevents mosquitoes other insects from laying eggs on them.
Spray Essential Oils In The Garage
There are many essential oils that repel mosquitoes. Peppermint, eucalyptus, and citrus are three of the most common and effective ones that people use.
You can use peppermint oil spray that is readily available.
You can prepare your own essential oil spray by adding a few drops, preferably 5-7 drops, in two cups of water.
Stir the mixture well and pour it in a spray bottle. And spray the mixture in your garage.
The strong smell of these essential oils keeps away mosquitoes.
Install A Garage Door Screen
The big open space on the garage door is an easy entry point for mosquitoes.
And installing garage door screens is an easy way to prevent mosquitoes and flies flying in from the outdoors.
The fine mesh on the screen door also ensure that there’s no blockage of air circulation.
It also helps in keeping flying pests from entering the garage.
Also install window screens with fine mesh on the garage windows.
Fix Any Holes And Cracks On The Garage Walls And Ceilings
The tiny holes and cracks on the garage walls, windowsills, and door frames are sneaky entry points for mosquitoes and many tiny bugs.
Seal those gaps and cracks and leave nothing to chance.
Keep A Mosquito Repellent Device In The Garage
Mosquito repellent devices are helpful in keeping mosquitoes away in room.
Keep one device inside your garage.
And ensure that you activate the device in the afternoon and let it be on for the entire night.
Invite Natural Predators Of Mosquitoes
Beneficial insects and flies like damsel flies and dragon flies eat mosquitoes.
There are many different species of birds like barn swallows and purple martins that eat both adult mosquitoes and their larvae.
Fish like goldfish and guppies eat mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes. They also prevent mosquito breeding in stagnant water.
If there’s a pond or fountain on your property, then you can keep these fish in them.
Natural mosquito predators help a lot in decimating the mosquito populations and deter mosquitoes from laying eggs on your property.
Do Not Overwater Your Yard Or Garden
Everyone tends to overwater their beloved yard and garden plants.
It causes water to accumulate and keeps the soil beds wet for longer periods.
That’s a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
So, refrain from overwatering your yard.
And if there are any leaking pipes in your yard, fix them.
Leaking pipes increase the dampness of the yard soil and hence attract bugs and pests.
Also, ensure that the drainage system in your yard is also working fine.
There’s no water logging problem in the drains because mosquitoes can also lay eggs in the of the clogged drains.
It causes more mosquitoes on your property.
Why Are There Adult Mosquitoes Buzzing Inside Your Garage?
Mosquitoes are in your garage and in your home because –
- There are active mosquito breeding grounds, which are stagnant water, on your property.
- Mosquitoes are sneaking inside the garage not only from the garage doors and windows but also from the thin gaps and cracks on the garage walls and ceilings.
Standing water that accumulates in puddles, containers, birdbaths, tires, pet bowls, trash bins, rainwater barrels, and flower pots are the breeding grounds of the mosquitoes.
Dense vegetation and tall grasses in the shady areas of your yard are also egg-laying and hiding places for the mosquitoes.
Adult female mosquitoes lay eggs on the walls of the container just above the water level.
Mosquito eggs look like black dirt. They can be difficult to spot.
Mosquito larvae hatch out of these eggs.
These larvae look like tiny brownish wiggly worms floating on the water’s surface.
The larvae don’t take much time to mature adult mosquitoes. It takes only 8-10 days for an egg to turn into adult mosquitoes.
So, within a couple of weeks, the mosquito population on your property skyrockets.
Result?
These mosquitoes invade homes, including places like garages and basements.
And if there’s stagnant water in your garage, then the mosquitoes will lay eggs there too.
Conclusion
A severe mosquito infestation in the garage and on your property demands professional mosquito treatment from reliable pest control services.
However, there are ways that you can get rid of mosquitoes in the garage on your own.
Standing water is a mosquito magnet. You’ll need to eliminate standing water on your property to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs on them.
That’ll get rid of mosquitoes from their source.
Also, you’ll need to make full use of natural repellents like mosquito-repellent plants and smells to keep mosquitoes from coming back.
Nang Chen is an Entomologist and Arachnologist who is associated with Vienna’s museum of natural history. He’s also a consultant with real estate groups, insecticide conglomerates and law enforcement groups as a forensic entomologist. Nang Chen holds an M.S. from South China University and he’s a regular contributor to our site.