One of life's summer joys is being able to throw open windows and catch a cool summer breeze. But how do you keep mosquitoes away from windows?
Prevention is always better than a cure, so finding clever ways to keep these pesky pests out of your home should be your first port of call in the summer, preventing itchy bites, illness, and infestations, pros say.
Here, pest control experts have broken down the five best ways to get rid of mosquitoes to prevent them from entering your home.
How to keep mosquitoes away from windows
Like keeping mosquitoes away from the front door, the best way to avoid these bugs is to keep them closed when you can. When you do want to open windows, however, these five tips can help.
1. Remove standing water
Mosquitoes love water – that is why it is so difficult to keep mosquitoes away from your pool.
To keep them away from your windows, David Price, entomologist and VP of strategic growth at Mosquito Joe, says, ‘Eliminate standing water around your property: Empty bird baths, flower pots, clean gutters, and any other water-collecting containers that become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.'
A telescopic gutter brush, available from Walmart, can make light work of freeing drainage from blocks that can result in standing water.
David continues, ‘While you’re at it, clean up outdoor areas such as garbage cans, grills and patio furniture, and keep lawns mowed, bushes trimmed and mulch minimal to remove mosquito hiding spots.’
A resin outdoor storage shed, available at Amazon, is perfectly sized to store outdoor trash cans, preventing pests from gaining easy access to scraps.
2. Use repellents
If you want a surefire way to keep mosquitoes away from windows, Louisa Messenger, entomologist, malaria expert and School of Health professor at University of Nevada, suggests, ‘You can spray insecticides or repellents (like transfluthrin, metofluthrin or permethrin) on the windows and door frames where mosquitoes may rest or enter.'
Hot Shot Flying Insect Killer, from Walmart, is good for this, promising to continue killing bugs for up to four weeks on non-porous surfaces.
Louisa adds, 'There are some insecticides available to spray in the backyard to provide a perimeter. However, personally I would be less in favor of these because they may affect non-target insects, including friendly insects like bees.’
Luckily, there are several scents that deter mosquitoes if you would prefer a way of getting rid of mosquitoes from your house naturally.
Louisa continues, ‘You can also burn things like citronella candles [available at Walmart] or use electric repellent diffusers, which will repel mosquitoes from entering the house.’
If mosquitoes do manage to get into your home, the plug-in Zevo flying insect trap, from Amazon, can make light work of terminating them before they cause havoc, with thousands of shoppers (and the experts) swearing by Zevo fly traps.
3. Use warm-toned lighting
Your patio lighting ideas can play a big part in keeping mosquitoes away from windows. Nicole Carpenter, president at Black Pest Prevention, explains, ‘Cool-toned or white bulbs attract mosquitoes. Switching porch and entry lights to warm-toned LED bulbs marked "bug repellent” [available at Walmart] or “low UV” can dissuade them from coming too close to your windows.’
The same goes for any indoor lighting ideas that are close to windows. Move them further away, swap the bulb, or close window treatments. To make lighting control easier, consider investing in the Philips Hue White Ambiance Bulbs, available at Amazon. I love that you can turn these bulbs from bright white to warm orange with a single swipe on a phone, offering the perfect multi-functional task and ambiance light.
4. Utilize fans
Do fans keep mosquitoes away? According to Kris Bagnara, director of service and entomologist at All U Need Pest Control, yes.
He explains, ‘Mosquitoes are weak fliers. This is why we recommend using fans outdoors to keep them at bay. This is especially useful when you'd like to use the outdoor areas of your home, and not be trapped inside while the mosquitoes swarm outside.
‘If you have a patio or lanai with an overhead fan, have those fans turned on, and mosquitoes will not be able to invade your space easily. If no overhead fans are available, box fans or oscillating fans can work great as a portable, temporary solution. Position these to blow across, or away, from windows, and other potential entry points such as garage doors.’
The Shark FlexBreeze pro Mist Fan, from Best Buy, was rated as our best fan, and can be used both indoors and out to help keep mosquitoes away from your windows.
5. Install screens
Of course, one of the best ways to keep bugs out of a bedroom when sleeping with an open window is to use pest screens. This is the best fail-safe should your attempts at keeping mosquitoes away from your windows fail.
Louisa recommends, ‘Install fine-mesh screens on all windows and doors. Ideally, this would be a screen with a mesh size smaller than 1.2 mm, and would be regularly maintained/repaired.
'Mosquitoes and other biting insects can squeeze through very small spaces, especially when they're hungry, so even small tears or if fittings become loose around corners, will allow bugs inside.’
This adjustable Ritescreen window screen from Lowe's has been praised by customers for being easy to install and maintaining good air flow without allowing bugs in.
Knowing how to clean window screens can help to keep these eyesores a little less bothersome, too.
What to shop
This window screening can be cut to size and stuck to your window with the included double-sided tape, keeping it taught to prevent pests. Head of Solved, Punteha van Terheyden, swears by these, as they 'last for years and are so easy to install'.
This DEET mosquito repellent repels mosquitoes that may carry the Zika or Dengue or West Nile viruses. It works on outer surfaces of clothing; spray shirts, pants, socks and hats, as it will not damage cotton, wool, or nylon.
Insulating foam expands on application to fill gaps up to one inch in size, sealing off any gaps pests could you to access your property.
Meet the experts
Open windows are not your only concern when it comes to mosquitoes. There are several ways insects are entering your home, such as gaps around entry points that could also lead to an infestation.
