Relax This Summer in a Mosquito-Free Yard
Yes, there are insects and animals that actually like mosquitoes – for dinner – that is! Although these insects are a nuisance in the garden and indoors, there are natural ways to enjoy a mosquito-free summer. Simply invite mosquito diners into your yard. Pesticide and spray-free, this is nature’s way of minimizing that buzz in your ear!
Pesky “skeeters” may buzz, bite, and bother, but they have predators too. These include various bugs, birds, animals, and plants. Put away the bug spray, tap into wildlife, and try natural solutions to reduce mosquito populations in your yard.
Attract dragonflies
Dragonflies look prehistoric and it is no surprise that they have been around for 300 million years, according to The Buginator. In the wild, a dragonfly will eat over 30 mosquitoes a day. They use their feet to grab their prey and dine away. Dragonfly larvae like to feed on mosquito larvae.
The easiest way to attract dragonflies is to have a pond or a barrel with aquatic plants in your garden. Dragonflies are efficient exterminators, according to the blog Return to Now, with termites, blackflies, deer flies, and horseflies also on their menu.
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Add some frogs
Larger adult frogs are not interested in mosquitos as they are too small, but their tadpoles and young frogs absolutely love them. In fact, in just a week, hungry tadpoles can decimate the population by feeding on mosquito larvae, according to Essential Home and Garden.
In the US, spadefoot tadpoles are voracious when it comes to mosquitoes, while both the green tree frog adults and tadpoles prey on them. Create a simple backyard pond and fill it with grasses and aquatic plants. Keep the water as natural as possible since frogs and toxins do not mix well.
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Appreciate those spiders
Arachnids will eat up to 800 million tons of bugs a year, according to The Buginator. Some make webs to draw them in, while other types of spiders grab them in the air.
The ideal mosquito catching spider is the orb weaver. These spiders weave huge, almost invisible webs high above the ground. To attract spiders, add mulch to your bed, offering them hiding spots and humidity. Fence posts and tall flowers provide ideal spots for weaving that perfect mosquito-catching net!
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Swooping bats
Bats are actually your friend. Don’t run inside when you see bats fluttering around as they are more focused on your mosquitoes than you. In fact, bats can eat as many as 1,000 mosquitoes an hour.
In the US, little brown bats, big brown bats, and southeastern bats rate mosquitoes high on the menu. You can attract them to your garden by putting up bat roosting boxes. Your garden bats will sleep all day and then hunt those mosquitoes at night.
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Famished fish
There are several species of fish that love both mosquitoes and their larvae, according to The Buginator. The most popular is mosquito fish who, swimming in large schools, will eat hundreds of mosquitoes a day. In fact, they can eat one and a half times their body weight in mosquitoes!
Of course, a pond is an ideal home for fish, but if you have stagnant water in a barrel, try goldfish, as recommended by Essential Home and Garden. As goldfish breathe surface air and can live in standing water, they are adept at catching mosquitoes. For those with a pond, bluegill, bass, and catfish are mosquito lovers.
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Beautiful birds
There are several species of birds that dine on mosquitoes. The bright red cardinal feeds mosquitoes to their babies until the chicks are old enough to eat grain. Purple martins swoop for mosquitoes, while bluebirds and geese also like to eat them. The eastern bluebird will only go for a swarm as a single mosquito is not filling enough. Adding nesting boxes to your garden is sure to attract some lovely, hungry birds.
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Carnivorous plants
There are 583 species of carnivorous plants, according to The Buginator. Of these, three go for mosquitoes. The venus flytrap and waterwheel plants are both popular snap traps, having a type of mouth that bites at its prey.
There is also the pitcher plant that attracts mosquitoes with nectar, and after they fall inside, there is no exit. The sundew plant is a type of flypaper trap. It has a sticky mucilage that traps mosquitoes like glue. Although these are exotic, you can always find them online or at garden centers.
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