Summer is upon us and it’s time to start actually using your lawn instead of just mowing it!

Funny enough though, just as we start coming out to enjoy our lawns, the nuisance pests are out in mass right along with us.

I’m talking about fleas and ticks in the lawn for sure, but mainly today I am going to focus on mosquitoes.

Reason being is "How do I get rid of them?" is one of the biggest questions I get this time of year and mainly it’s your fault!

The thicker your lawn, the more mosquito activity will occur.

Clean Up, Prune, Trim, Cut

We always think of standing water as a place for mosquitoes to breed.

Pots full of water in the yard, old tires, whatever stuff that is laying around that holds water also holds the chance for mosquito activity.

My areca palms are famous for creating spots of standing water.

When old fronds fall off they act like canoes under the tree that are perfect for a mosquito nursery. I’m constantly keeping these cleaned up as well as thinning them overall.

This weekend I will be publishing a video showing you a complete backyard mosquito defense strategy and the first thing I am going to do is trim out my areca palms.

So if you like red hot pruning action as well as spraying and praying and even fogging, subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it!

It’s also a good idea to keep the lawn cut. Mosquitoes can breed in water in a thick lawn and the more you cut it, the more airflow is created which helps to dry up that water.

You may even consider that during a time when you have a lawn party coming up, you mow a little lower anyway and this, in turn, should help to naturally reduce the mosquito activity in the lawn.

Spraying The Lawn

In my video upcoming this weekend I’ll be comparing 2 products that have very similar active ingredients.

Both will do well to kill any existing mosquitoes in the lawn and prevent more for up to 3 months.

These are the prices I paid at my local Home Depot here in SW Florida.

They will work for all grass types and I’m pretty sure at least one of these is available pretty much everywhere in the US.

The active ingredients on these are:
Cutter: Lambda-Cyhalothrin
Spectracide: Gamma-Cyhalothrin

Both of these are extremely similar to the point where they target and control the very same pests.

Cyhalothrin is what is known as a pyrethroid. Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides that imitate the naturally occurring pyrethrin which comes from the flowers of chrysanthemums.

It works quickly and is also effective against armyworm, sod webworm, ants, fleas, ticks, chiggers, and several others. I also have found that it works again “no-see-ums.”

“No-See-Um” is obviously not a technical term, but for some reason, St Augustinegrass has some pests that come up and bite my ankles whenever I go barefoot on it.

I don’t know what it is that is biting me, they are literally “no-see’ums” and when I spray one of these products, they are gone!

Mosquitoes Under Trees/Shrubs

The reason that I really like these products though, is that they can also be sprayed on your shrubs and trees and this is really the key to success.

We definitely want to blanket spray the lawn with one of these products, but you can also spray up under your bushes or palms or in areas where you have heavy landscaping.

These are the areas that tend to harbor water and mosquito populations.

In the past, I have recommended a Bio-Advanced product called “Complete Insect Killer” and it is a great product and will control mosquitoes in the lawn and much more.

It has some different active ingredients and because of that, it is not labeled to be sprayed on trees, shrubs. or palms.

So when my target in specifically mosquitoes (which it is right now) then I go with a product that I can spray up under my low-slung palms and shrubs.

I’ll be applying to my lawn this weekend and talking through a little more of the label and strategy and show you one final step in your battle against mosquitos that I know you will have fun with - it’s going to get foggy up in here this weekend.

Grub Control

Also, if you are wondering about grubs, these products will kill grubs as a corrective treatment but require a heavier app rate.

I’ve talked extensively about grubs in the last couple of weeks as right now is the time to treat for them.

If you are a complete beginner to lawn care, insect control is a good way to get used to spraying and spreading.

You won’t “burn” anything if you over apply, but most importantly, you will gain experience so you can try more things as the year goes on.

Right now, when you purchase my yearly lawn care program, I send you a well-detailed supplement guide on “how to get started this summer with grub control” that walks you through it step-by-step.

If you have cool season or warm season turf, I encourage you to pick you a copy today and download immediately so you can take action this coming weekend!

I’ll see you in the lawn!
AL