We had a wet winter. While no one can argue that we badly needed the rain, all of that wet weather has one downside: mosquitoes. As we open up our doors and windows to let in the spring’s sunshine and warm breezes, it can be a challenge to keep those mosquitoes at bay.
Keep mosquitoes out with new screens.
Of course, the best way to keep mosquitoes out of your house is with sturdy window screens. If your window screens are in disrepair, you can feel trapped in your house. The best way to get your screens repaired is through a professional screen-replacement company. Screen repair kits from the home-improvement store can leave your screens looking piecemeal and unattractive. Fitting new screens to existing screen frames cause the frames to warp and bow. This means they won’t properly fit into windows and will leave gaps that can allow mosquitoes to find their way into your home.
You also can enjoy more of spring’s pleasant temperatures by opening up your doors! If your doors are without screens, or have screens that are in disrepair, you have a host of screen door options. You always can go with a traditional screen door. However, there are also retractable screen doors that slide open when you want to have a screen in place. Afterwards, they roll into a discreet frame when you don’t need the screen. Retractable screen doors come with the added advantage of a gentle closure; they don’t snap closed, posing a hazard to children’s fingers and heels or pet’s tails, like traditional screen doors.
Keep mosquitoes out of your backyard.
It’s virtually impossible to keep all mosquitoes away from your house and out of your backyard. Having said that, there are some steps you can take to keep mosquitoes from pestering you outside and finding their way inside. First and foremost, eliminate any standing water in your yard. Make sure that water isn’t pooling in gutters, on children’s toys or in any containers that you might have sitting around the yard. Stagnant water provides mosquitoes with breeding grounds and can dramatically up the mosquito population in your yard.
Taking care of vegetation in your yard also can help. Clean up any yard waste, such as grass clippings, leaf piles or stacks of twigs or vegetation. These can provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Trim back any overgrown vegetation, and try to keep shade-producing vegetation away from you house. They also provide mosquitoes with shelter during the heat of the day. In addition, you also can plant herbs and flowers that mosquitoes find repellent. You can plant the citronella that’s a common ingredient in mosquito-repellent candles. Mosquitoes also stay away from lavender, mint, basil, catnip and marigolds.
Call A to Z to help protect your home from mosquitoes!
If you’re ready to keep mosquitoes out of your home this spring, and you know your screens aren’t up to the challenge, call A to Z Window Screens! We can replace your damaged window screens and outfit your doors with sliding, retractable or security screens.