Defend the apartment from mosquitoes

Tips and advice for fighting mosquitoes at home. Mosquito nets first of all but also other useful tricks are essential to win it.

We often talk about defending our gardens from the attacks of hungry mosquitoes but this is not the only area in which to use the weapons at our disposal.

Mosquito nets

To defend the home walls, the first and indispensable method is the application of mosquito nets to the windows and French windows.

You can turn to professionals or solve with do-it-yourself solutions. There are mosquito nets on the market that can be adapted to the size of the windows with a normal hacksaw. In practice, once the frame which easily adapts to different sizes has been assembled, it is a matter of shortening the roll of mosquito net by simply cutting it with a hacksaw.

It seems like a difficult operation, but since we are dealing with special materials, it is simpler than one thinks. If you don't want to risk it on ebay you can find who supplies you with the frame and the pre-cut roll. Your only task will be to take the exact measurements of the window and you will receive the material to assemble, even without having to use a drill. In fact, some versions include an expansion system that is fixed without plugs.

At the time of purchase, remember to ask how much is the minimum space required between the window jamb and any shutters or security grates. Generally 4 cm is sufficient.

Do-it-yourself mosquito nets are usually those that roll up on themselves, if you choose this model make sure they have buttons along the edges, this will make them more stable and prevent them from coming out of their seat in case of strong winds.

Where you need to open and close the passage frequently (French windows), hinged models are recommended, i.e. those that open as if they were a door. They guarantee a longer life and are less subject to wear due to use.

At the beginning and end of the season, remember to open and close the roll-up insect screens numerous times in order to keep the mechanism and the return springs mobile and flexible.

Entrance

If you live in a house, the front door is a weak point and is often used by some "damned" to sneak into your house. Contrary to what we see in American films, it is not customary to mount a mosquito net on these doors, the advice is to spray an insecticide or an environmental repellent on the external jamb, also protecting a good portion of the adjacent walls. Mosquitoes, especially in mid-season, lurk on the doorposts to leap into the house in search of milder temperatures.

There are specific insecticide spray cans on the market characterized by slow evaporation which guarantee a persistence of at least 8 hours.

Finally, remember to check that you don't have mosquitoes stuck to your body or clothes. Often you enter the house with a few tiger mosquitoes attached to your calves as they get blood supplies.

Mosquito traps

Indoor mosquito traps are very useful. These are appliances equipped with light and fan capable of sucking up insects (mosquitoes but also flies and more) that come within their range of action. Positioned in a strategic place, usually in the center of the house in a transit area, perhaps to protect the bedrooms, they are an optimal defense system for trapping and killing those sporadic mosquitoes that overcome external defense systems. The most effective model is the BG-Home trap on the market since 2020.

Platelets and sprays

Diffusers are an excellent way to rid homes of mosquitoes. Connected to the electrical outlet, they heat up and continuously spread the insecticide in the air: they work with platelets or liquids and contain the same active ingredient as the sprays, pyrethroids. Timed automated dispensers are also available, they are positioned in a large room to be protected and carry out their work automatically or as needed, operated by a practical remote control. Not everyone appreciates the use of these products in homes, but they are particularly useful in homes without mosquito nets.

The children's bedroom

For newborns, the most effective solution is still the mosquito net to be applied on the cradle. In this way, even if you don't have mosquito nets on the windows, you can protect the small living space. Obviously we do not recommend the use of sprays and plates in these rooms unless the room is sufficiently ventilated before staying there, of course this method is only useful in the presence of mosquito nets on the windows. Indoor mosquito traps are recommended, such as the inaTrap GR-330, as well as protecting the little one they illuminate the room with soft light.

Ultrasound devices are useless.

If you discover a mosquito in the house the first thing to do is who hear the door to the bedroom so as to avoid getting in. Small children have a very high metabolism and therefore produce carbon dioxide in abundance, making them an easy target for mosquitoes.

Air conditioning

The low temperature makes the insects less active and therefore less aggressive.

The thrill of the hunt

As far as you can prevent the introduction of mosquitoes into the house, sooner or later you will come face to face with some annoying and incautious bloodsucker who has overcome the external barriers and perhaps entered the bedroom.

Here are some simple tips to refine the "seek & destroy" technique:

Illuminate the room well by also using light sources that project the light obliquely onto the wall. This way a tiny bug will be visible from its magnified shadow.

If you lose sight of it, stay still for a few minutes, if you still don't feel it, it will probably be placed on some dark surface near you.

Wave the curtains, they often hide in the pitches.

If you discover it on the ceiling, roll up a shirt or towel and throw it vertically.

If you splash it on the wall, maybe when it's full of blood, wait for it to dry and then scratch it with a sharp blade.

Portable vacuum cleaner, electrified racket and the classic power strip are among the most effective weapons. The first two are preferable, they don't dirty the wall.

Do you have any other methods to recommend for a good hunt?