3 Simple Tricks to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Home for Good

Mosquitoes are bad enough outside, but they’re even worse inside. Plus, they're more than an annoyance. They are a significant health hazard, transmitting dangerous diseases, such as the West Nile virus, malaria, and encephalitis. Preventing mosquitoes from entering your home is the first line of defense, but when the perky insects make their way into an open door or window, you need to know how to remove them from inside the house.

The solutions for removing the uninvited pests include natural and chemical options. Here’s how to locate and remove potential indoor breeding sites and prevent mosquitoes from returning.

How Mosquitoes Get into Your House

Mosquitoes are attracted to blood, sugar (nectar), and water. They go wherever they find them—indoors and outdoors. Sources of standing water, such as leaky pipes, pet water bowls, and over-watered plants, provide ideal indoor breeding grounds, so homes with standing water or flowers are prime locations for mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes typically enter a house through open doors and windows. Screens can help, but the insects can also squeeze into the house through gaps around doors and windows. They can also hitch a ride on pets and clothing. They have also been known to slip in through tiny gaps around pipes, vents, and cracks in the foundation. Once inside, they’re drawn to carbon dioxide, heat, body odor, and standing water, which encompass the perfect feeding and breeding conditions.

How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Home

1. Seal Entry Points

The first step to keeping mosquitoes out is sealing off entry points. Install or repair window and door screens, and use weather stripping to seal gaps around the frames. Use door sweeps on exterior doors. Do not leave doors propped open, including garage doors. For ventilation points or chimneys, use fine mesh screens to block access.

2. Use a Combination of Repellants

Several natural and chemical options can also repel mosquitoes indoors, and a combination of strategies is often the most successful. Natural essential oils act as repellents. Try citronella, lavender, eucalyptus, or tea tree oil in candles, diffusers, or diluted in a carrier oil for topical applications. Plants such as catmint, basil, marigolds, and lemongrass can also deter mosquitoes. They are best placed on windowsills, entryways, or planted around outdoor spaces.

Commercial plug-in repellents, such as ultrasonic devices or chemical mats, provide long-lasting protection. However, they must stay out of the reach of pets and children.

3. Control Humidity Levels

Although a fresh breeze is nice, air conditioning helps keep mosquitoes out. It reduces mosquito presence by lowering the humidity and temperature, making the environment less appealing.

How to Kill Mosquitoes That Are Already Inside

If you already have mosquitoes inside, you need to eliminate them. Chasing them around with a fly swatter isn’t likely to work. Start by eliminating all possible breeding grounds inside your house by removing all standing water. Check for standing water in plant saucers, bathroom buckets, or pet bowls, and then dump, clean, and refill them regularly to break the breeding cycle.

If you’re harvesting water or gathering it for gardening, keep the receptacle covered with a lid. Regularly clean and scrub containers, including bird baths, to ensure they are free of larvae.

Kill adult mosquitoes using DIY mosquito traps made of sugar, yeast, and water. Spray DEET-formulated insecticides to kill mosquitoes, then ventilate the space after use. Use electronic mosquito zappers or indoor traps that use light or carbon dioxide to lure mosquitoes.

Mosquito foggers are likely only necessary in heavily wooded areas. Try a less toxic option or use a homemade spray with water, dish soap, and vinegar to keep bugs at bay.

For long-term mosquito control in areas with standing water that you can’t remove—like a lake or pond—introduce natural predators, such as mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), to consume mosquito larvae. BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) and IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) also target mosquito larvae. When all else fails, contact a pest control professional.

Ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites Indoors

Wear long-sleeved clothing and socks indoors to avoid itchy mosquito bites, especially in the evening and early morning when mosquitoes are most active. Tuck pants into socks, and cover the scalp and ankles. Use EPA-approved insect repellents with DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin.

If you live in an area with high mosquito activity, installing a mosquito net around your bed or creating screened-in areas for ventilation can provide additional protection against night bites. Also, running a fan in your room can disrupt a mosquito’s flight and reduce the chance of it landing on you. With consistent prevention habits, you can avoid their buzz and bites for good.