How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Indoors

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Citronella candles are one of the most common methods utilized to repel and get rid of mosquitoes.
Image Credit: vynce/iStock/GettyImages

The only thing worse than encountering mosquitoes outdoors is dealing with them indoors. Not only do mosquito bites itch for days, but the insects can also carry diseases such as viruses such as Zika and West Nile Fever. The best-case scenario is to keep the pests out of your home in the first place, but that may be hard to do during a hot, humid summer. You can get rid of indoor mosquitoes in several ways in addition to killing the bugs as you see them.

Scents that Get Rid of Mosquitoes

Warming essential oils will fill your home with a pleasant scent and keep mosquitoes away.

Burning citronella candles is an effective way to get rid of mosquitoes outdoors, but they may be too strong to burn indoors, especially for people with breathing issues. You also don't want to spray toxic, chemical-laden mosquito repellents inside your home. For a more natural alternative, fill an oil burner with a carrier oil, such as almond or jojoba, and add a few drops of essential oils like peppermint, eucalyptus and lemon eucalyptus. Another natural solution is to burn lavender oil near windows, doors or any other mosquito access points to discourage them from entering your home or lingering once in. Another way to control indoor mosquitoes is to squirt a few drops of citrus-scented dish soap into small bowls or saucers and place them where you see the pests, such as your kitchen, bathroom or screened-in porch. This method works as well as burning citronella candles.

Shop the Scents:

Citronella: Repel Candle, $11.60
Lavender: Healing Solutions Essential Oil, $7.99
Almond: Now Foods Oil, $8.29
Jojoba: Kate Blanc Oil, $11.95
Eucalyptus: Healing Solutions Oil, $5.99

Mosquito Traps

You can rid your home of mosquitoes by capturing them in simple homemade mosquito traps.

  1. Cut an empty liter-size soda bottle in half. Dissolve 2 oz. of brown sugar in about 7 oz. of hot water and pour the mixture into the bottom half of the bottle after it cools.
  2. Add a sprinkling of yeast, which will cause the solution to emit carbon dioxide, and wrap the sides of the bottle in black paper or cloth.
  3. Slide the top of the bottle upside down inside the bottom part. This will act as a funnel to guide mosquitoes into the trap while preventing them from getting back out.

Because mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, they'll fly to the bottle and drown in the water. Make as many of these traps as you need and place them wherever you see mosquitoes around your home.

Things You'll Need:
Brown Sugar
Black Cloth

Swatting the Mosquitoes

Swatting mosquitoes may only kill them one at a time but is effective and satisfying.

If you're fast, you can simply kill mosquitoes with a fly swatter when you see them. Although swatting mosquitoes won't get rid of all of them at once, it will help you handle them one-by-one. This method is particularly helpful if you just get one or two mosquitoes in your home at a time, such as after a door is left open. If you don't have a fly swatter, a rolled-up newspaper will work almost as well.

Keeping Mosquitoes Out of Your Home

Prevention is the best cure for mosquito problems. Use screens to keep the pests out of your home while allowing summer breezes in.

Prevent mosquitoes from entering your home with a few simple precautions:

  • Close the door immediately upon entering your home, especially on warm, humid nights.
  • Make sure there are no holes in your window screens, and don't open windows that aren't equipped with screens.
  • Tightly cover containers of standing water, such as barrels or cisterns, around the outside of your home to discourage mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water. Change the water frequently in outdoor bird baths and pet water bowls so the water cannot stagnate.

Josh Arnold
