I Tried 5 Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitoes, and Here's What Happened

I Tried 5 Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitoes — Here's What Actually Worked

Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance. They ruin backyard barbecues, interrupt a good night's sleep, and leave you covered in itchy, swollen welts that linger for days. Worse, in many parts of the world they carry serious diseases like West Nile virus, dengue fever, and malaria. So when the swarms descended on my home this summer, I decided to stop complaining and start experimenting. I tested five of the most popular methods for getting rid of mosquitoes — some I'd heard rave reviews about, others I was deeply skeptical of — and documented the results. Here's my honest account of what happened.

Why Getting Rid of Mosquitoes Is Harder Than It Sounds

Before diving into the methods, it helps to understand what you're up against. Female mosquitoes (the ones that bite) need blood to develop their eggs. They're attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale, body heat, and even certain skin chemicals. They breed in standing water — even just a bottle cap's worth — and can lay hundreds of eggs at a time. That means fighting mosquitoes is a two-front war: you need to repel or kill the adults already buzzing around, and you need to disrupt their breeding cycle before the next generation hatches.

With that in mind, I set up my testing over several weeks during peak mosquito season and evaluated each method on effectiveness, ease of use, cost, and how safe it felt for my family and pets.

Method 1: Citronella Candles

Citronella candles are perhaps the most iconic mosquito deterrent. They're sold everywhere, they look pleasant on a patio table, and the smell is inoffensive to most people. I lit several of them around my outdoor seating area during an evening gathering and paid close attention to how often my guests and I got bitten.

The verdict? Mildly helpful, but far from a silver bullet. Citronella does contain compounds that mask the scents mosquitoes use to find hosts, but that effect is highly localized. If there's any breeze at all, the protective cloud around each candle disperses quickly. I still got bitten, just perhaps slightly less than without them. Think of citronella candles as a pleasant supplemental measure rather than a standalone solution.

Method 2: DEET-Based Repellent Spray

DEET has been the gold standard in mosquito repellents since the U.S. Army developed it in the 1940s. I applied a repellent containing 25% DEET to my arms, legs, and neck before heading into the yard one evening and waited to see what happened.

This one genuinely impressed me. For several hours, I was almost entirely bite-free. Mosquitoes would hover close, seem to think better of it, and move on. DEET doesn't kill mosquitoes — it confuses their ability to detect you — but that's more than enough. The downsides are real: it has a chemical smell, feels slightly sticky on skin, and should not be applied to children under two months old. But in terms of raw effectiveness, nothing I tested came close.

Method 3: A Mosquito Trap

Mosquito traps work by mimicking the signals that attract mosquitoes — CO2, heat, light, and sometimes chemical lures — and then capturing or killing the insects that approach. I set up a mid-range electric trap in my backyard and left it running continuously for two weeks.

The results were genuinely encouraging over time. In the first few days, I noticed little difference. But by the end of two weeks, the mosquito population in my yard had noticeably decreased. The trap's catch tray was disturbingly full, which told me it was working. The downsides are the upfront cost (good traps run $50–$200), ongoing power use, and the fact that it takes time to see results. If you're in it for the long haul, though, a quality trap can make a meaningful dent in local mosquito populations.

Method 4: Eliminating Standing Water

This one isn't glamorous, but it might be the single most impactful thing you can do. I walked around my property and was shocked by how many small pools of standing water I found: a forgotten bucket, a clogged gutter, a plant saucer, the base of a bird bath, an old tire. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a teaspoon of standing water.

I emptied, covered, or replaced every source I could find — including switching to a bird bath with a small recirculating pump, since moving water doesn't allow mosquito larvae to develop. Within a couple of weeks, I could see a difference even without using any other method. This approach costs almost nothing and addresses the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms. If you do nothing else on this list, do this.

Method 5: Mosquito-Repelling Plants

Lavender, basil, lemongrass, and catnip are all marketed as natural mosquito deterrents. I planted several of them in pots near my patio and front door, hoping for a fragrant, chemical-free barrier.

Honestly? The results were underwhelming in practice. The plants themselves are lovely, and there is legitimate science showing their essential oils repel mosquitoes in lab settings. But simply having the plants nearby doesn't release enough of those oils into the air to make a real difference. You'd need to crush the leaves and rub them on your skin — essentially making a DIY, short-lived repellent — for any meaningful effect. I'll keep the plants because they're beautiful and attract pollinators, but I won't count on them to keep mosquitoes away.

The Bottom Line: What Actually Works

After weeks of testing, my ranked approach to mosquito control looks like this. Start by eliminating every source of standing water on your property — this is non-negotiable and costs nothing. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, apply a DEET-based repellent for reliable personal protection. Add a quality mosquito trap to your yard if you want to reduce the local population over time. Use citronella candles as a pleasant atmospheric add-on at outdoor gatherings. And enjoy mosquito-repelling plants for their beauty, but don't rely on them for serious protection.

The most effective strategy combines several of these methods rather than betting everything on one. Mosquito control is a layered problem, and it deserves a layered solution. Now that you know what works, you can stop being the meal and start enjoying your summer.