If there’s one bug that can make your life a living hell, it has got to be the mosquito.
These nuisances require water to lay their eggs and develop, which makes the gutters near and around your property the perfect breeding spots.
So how to keep mosquitoes out of gutters?
Gutters are home to all sorts of rot and waste, allowing bacteria and other forms of algae to become food for mosquito larvae.
Here are 3 ways you can prevent gutters from becoming mosquito hotbeds:
- Clean the gutters regularly.
- Keep the gutters flowing.
- Use wildlife-friendly insecticides.
Mosquitoes are carriers of numerous viruses, so you must take necessary measures to prevent them from gaining a foothold in the first place.
Let’s go into the details of how you can keep mosquitoes out of gutters and why they like gutters anyway!
Why Do Mosquitoes Like Gutters?
Every creature on this planet has a place they’d like to call home. For the mosquitoes, this place is called the gutter!
Mosquitoes survive in and around standing shallow water beds. It’s not just about drinking the water; it has everything to do with their life cycle.
Believe it or not, it’s only the female mosquito that bites. They do this to nourish and develop their eggs by extracting nutrients from the blood.
Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in the water, and the larvae emerge from the eggs to thrive underwater. These larvae need to feed to reach the next stage of their lives, and gutters provide the nourishment they need!
Gutters are full of microorganisms from all the decaying waste and clogged-up debris. This makes gutters the perfect home base for the mosquitoes to develop and blossom into fully grown pesky bloodsuckers!
3 Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Out of Gutters
Mosquitoes love hanging around with us as uninvited guests, buzzing all over the place and giving us a little kiss now and then.
But honestly, we all know they’re bloodthirsty pests and need to be exterminated!
If you don’t want these tiny vampires to become annoyances, to begin with, here are 3 ways you can turn the tables on them and make the gutters inhabitable!
1. Clean the Gutters Regularly
This has got to be the most important way to keep mosquitoes from setting up their swarm in the gutter system.
These bugs require pooling water to lay eggs and grow. So clean the gutters and remove all the debris accumulated due to the waste, leaves, and even dead critters.
All this decaying rot provides the larvae with ample nourishment to thrive.
A spoonful of pool water is enough for mosquitoes to breed and lay hundreds of eggs. So ensuring that the gutters don’t accumulate water is crucial to keep the mosquito population at bay!
By removing all the muck, not only will the mosquitoes be devoid of any sustenance the gutter will also be free to flow, bringing us to the next point!
2. Keep the Gutters Flowing
As mentioned before, mosquitoes love standing water. Make that filthy standing gutter water and have a five-star mosquito hotel!
Cleaning out the gutter and unclogging all the debris and waste, you can ensure that the gutters will flow freely. This way, the female mosquitoes won’t have the ideal conditions to lay their eggs.
To keep the gutters flowing, install gutter guards and gutter covers to keep the debris from going inside and accumulating in the first place.
Make sure that the gutters are sloped for them to drain properly.
For gutters that run a long way, they need to have a drop of at least 1.5 to 2 inches every 40 feet. A 0.5-inch slope every 10 feet for shorter running gutters is ideal.
Checking the slope of your gutters is also vital for a free-flowing gutter system to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
3. Use Wildlife-Friendly Insecticides
Cleaning gutters isn’t easy or simple to do on your own. If you cannot do the two ways mentioned above, you can use insecticides designed to kill mosquito larvae.
For pooling gutter water, you can introduce BTI products that fight mosquitoes. These BTI bacteria are natural predators of mosquito larvae and do not cause any harm to other bugs and animals.
You can greatly reduce or eliminate the number of mosquitoes from gutters by eliminating these bloodsuckers at the larvae stage.
Summary
Are you thinking of having a nice barbeque in your backyard? Well, before you make such awesome plans, you need to think about the mosquito problem.
Do you think these tiny menaces will let you enjoy your outdoor party? No!
Here are three ways you can keep mosquitoes from ruining your outdoor gathering:
- Clean the gutters regularly.
- Keep the gutters flowing.
- Use wildlife-friendly insecticides.
Taking these preventive measures can keep the mosquito population at bay. However, if the mosquito infestation gets out of control, you need to call in the experts!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can You Put in Standing Water To Prevent Mosquitoes?
You can pour shampoo, dishwashing liquid, vinegar, or any vegetable oil to prevent mosquito larvae from thriving in standing water.
Do Mosquitoes Breed in the Drain?
If there is standing water in the drain’s deep end, it can become a mosquito haven. So flush the pipes regularly with antiseptic liquid and soap while ensuring that the drain is not clogged at the bottom.
