Keep mosquitoes away when you are entertaining.
The right time for outdoor entertaining begins when the weather and nature bring forth pleasing, mild days with a showy display of greenery. The outdoors create a perfect setting for celebrating and socializing, but beware: Mosquitoes think so, too. Once mosquitoes start descending on your gathering, they can make you and your guest miserable. Fortunately, a little preparation can keep most of the mosquitoes at bay while letting you enjoy the party. Does this Spark an idea?
The Pesky Mosquito
The mosquito is a two-winged insect that lives in tall grass, weeds or bushes. The adult female mosquito is the one that bites, since she needs blood to produce her eggs. She uses a long proboscis to pierce the skin and draw blood from humans and animals. Male mosquitoes get by on nectar and juices from plants during their two-week life span. Females can lay up to 250 eggs during their lifetime of two weeks to one month. Standing water is the ideal breeding ground for mosquito eggs.
The Mosquito Menu
When you're entertaining your guests, the sweat and carbon dioxide you emit sends an intoxicating invitation to the mosquitoes, which will catch your scent and zero in on you for a nourishing treat. Mosquitoes can detect a scent from a half-mile away and can fly as much as several miles with the wind.
Mosquitoes are especially fond of humans who eat a high-processed, sugary diet. And according to a study done in Burkina Faso, West Africa, men who drank beer attracted more mosquitoes than men who consumed water--something to think about when serving drinks to your guests. Fruity and sweet scents also will gain the attention of mosquitoes, as will the smell of meat. If you are hosting or attending an outdoor party, keep in mind that mosquitoes also like the scent of perfume, lotion, deodorant, cologne, shampoo and soap.
First Line of Attack
Incorporate mosquito control into your entertaining plans. Mowing the grass, weeding and trimming shrubbery can reduce mosquito habitats. Remove any standing water around your property by regularly refilling your birdbath, emptying any pet water bowels or outside containers, cleaning out gutters and placing a fine mesh screen over rain barrels. Install a bat house for a natural deterrent to mosquitoes. One bat can eat about 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour.
Repel
Keep food indoors to lessen the possibility of mosquitoes joining the party, or make a mosquito barrier by encircling your deck or patio with tiki lights and citronella candles. The smoke from a lighted fire pit also can protect your party from an onslaught of mosquitoes, or guests can take shelter in a tent with mesh openings. Another option is to change outdoor light bulbs to a lower wattage, or turn them off and burn candles instead.
A trapping device in your backyard also can eliminate a large number of mosquitoes. It works by releasing carbon dioxide into the air. The mosquitoes are attracted to the scent and sucked into the machine by a vacuum, where the mosquitoes die from dehydration.
Repulse
Remind your guests before attending the party that mosquitoes prefer dark or bright colors over light-colored clothing. Mosquitoes also find many scents repulsive, such as peppermint, eucalyptus, marigold, garlic, clove, citronella, geranium, lemongrass, rosemary and lavender, so try applying a natural bug repellent to your skin with any of these ingredients. And try not to overreact if a mosquito does find your party, because motion attracts mosquitoes and constantly swatting them will invite more.
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