The next time you find yourself swatting at mosquitoes while sitting on your porch, know beyond any doubts you have stagnant water sitting around nearby. All mosquitoes must have water in order to complete their life cycle, and just about any kind of water will do. Female mosquitoes lay eggs in areas of rainfall or directly on the water's surface. When they emerge from the water as adults, females begin looking for a mammal to bite after a few days, which could be you and your family. Keep mosquitoes away from your porch by eliminating or treating problem areas.
Pour out excess water from any potted plants you may have on or around your porch. Your plants collect water when it rains, and excess water sits in the plant tray. Mosquitoes love to hang around standing pools of water.
Flush out your birdbaths at least two times each week. Birdbaths can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, since they consist of standing water, receiving more water when it rains.
Cover all containers you leave outside to collect rainwater for your garden with screening. Keep debris from accumulating on the screens also.
Fill any tree holes you have in your backyard with sealant or mortar. Tree holes fill up with water after rainfalls and become stagnant water.
Light candles containing oil of citronella around your porch to repel mosquitoes. These candles can work effectively on days with little or no wind; otherwise, the oil will quickly dissipate. Oil of citronella does not harm mosquitoes -- its distinct odor keeps them from finding a host. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that since 1948, oil of citronella has proven to be nontoxic to children, adults, pets and the environment when used according to label instructions.
Treat your garden pools and decorative ponds with a bacterial insecticide containing a bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Bt will not harm any birds or fish you may have, but it will kill small breeding areas of mosquitoes. Depending on the temperatures in your area, this insecticide can last up to 30 days. Bt occurs naturally in soil and produces poisons that cause disease in insects, including mosquitoes. Nontoxic to humans, Bt becomes an ideal insecticide for you to use.
Drain stagnant water out of your unused swimming pool, another breeding ground for mosquitoes. During the times you and your family swim in your pool, the chemicals you use to maintain your pool will repel mosquitoes, since they cannot breed in the treated water.