Fed up with mosquitos in the house

[billymean]

Despite being in the UK, we seem to have mosquitos coming in the house each summer.

We don't have any standing water although the neighbours have a pond.

How can I control them without resorting to loads of chemicals?

I'm about to order a door screen for the back door at least. Anything else? What works for people in hotter countries where they're more used to this?

What condition are your gutters and drains in? Been cleaned, definitely free of blockages?

And, a shot in the dark, your neighbours?

Probably not applicable to mozzies (we have a horrific fly problem); do you have a septic tank?

No septic tank but the neighbours have a pond or water feature. It could be contributing.

We'll check the gutters too.

We have a duck pond about 40 metres away from my other half’s bedroom and he regularly gets bitten. It’s even on the wrong side of the house. I didn’t think they travelled that far but I am at a loss to explain what else could be biting him.

I put up cheap fly screens every year on the windows I open at night. Stick on strips with tiny hooks, cut the netting to suit. In black, you can’t see them. Like this, but I buy generic cheap ones. Costs about £2 per window.
https://www.tesa.com/en/consumer/tesa-hook-and-loop-insect-stop-comfort-for-windows-ean-4042448857545.html

Would it be reasonable to ask the neighbours to add mosquito treatment to their pond every now and again?
We're getting eaten alive.

I'll go and order the window/door screens thank you for that tip!

We inherited a pond when we bought our house, which we've just filled in. I can't believe how much mozzie numbers have fallen as a result. Still quite a few around, though, so we minimise doors and windows being open with bright lights on, and we sleep under mozzie nets.

I think so. The thing about mosquitoes is they like certain blood types. My other half often can’t sit in the garden long because he gets eaten alive whereas they don’t come anywhere near me.

So they might not be aware how bad the problem is if they don’t have the right sort of attractive blood type. Maybe the mozzies just ignore them.

https://ourbloodinstitute.org/blood-matters/mosquitoes-blood-type/#:~:text=In%20a%20study%20published%20in,feeder%20more%20than%20any%20other.

I am a B. He sweats a lot too.

Have they got fish or is it a wildlife pond? Fish will usually eat the eggs so it may not be the pond at all.

Waterbutts, upturned flower pots and other areas of standing water are definitely an issue. They can I think travel reasonable distances, we used to live about a 1/4 mile from the Thames in central London and there were loads of mozzies.

We put up mozzie nets over beds in the end as two of us are really allergic to the bites. Super cheap on Amazon and light so you only need a hook on the ceiling.

We sleep with a fan on, also have one running when we're in the sitting room, it really helps to keep them away from us.

I think we'll just get the nets. I don't think the neighbours have fish in the pond but equally even if they treat that, they also have various other pots so it'd be never-ending.

Allergic here too so we need to sort it out.

Ugh I hate them! It's impossible to get rid of all the surrounding bits of stagnant water in the nearby gardens. Weirdly they've disappeared these last few weeks

As PP said, they don’t deal with fans, they like the air still, so that’s another option.

I know you say you don't want chemicals, but we got a repellant plug in from Amazon there is no smell at all from it. We only run it at night and it has been transformational for us absolutely no mosquitos.
We can't have nets due to one of my cats feeling the bedroom windows are her personal entrance and exit to the house.

I sleep with a small quiet desk fan pointing at the end of my bed and it keeps the mozzies away.

Oh so soft by Avon on your skin will stop them biting you.

You could get a big light thing that kills them - they are attracted to the light.

there are citronella fire sticks that burn and keep them away - about £3

I'm highly allergic to mosquito's. Get one of those plugs in things no smell and they won't bite

I have two of these - they were just from Lidl, and cheaper than this, so keep an eye out in the shops! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363901344106?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=hTttB4BsTLi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=tSBPakDiQl6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I put one downstairs and one upstairs, and they get switched on when I go to bed. Makes a huge difference.

When I forgot one night to switch them on last year, I got bitten in the middle of my bloody forehead and swelled up for a week 🙄. The joys of mozzie bite allergies.

Please can you post a link to the product you use?

Ouch that sounds awful! Will look at this too.

Hi
How do you know it's mosquitoes?
Are you able to recognise the anatomy when you catch one or is it buzzing that you hear? Always getting bitten and no sign of bed bugs. I see flying creatures sometimes but they're generally too fast for me to squish them. These repellents sound encouraging if it is that.