It’s FINALLY spring, we’re FINALLY getting some warmer temperatures, and the rain is FINALLY washing the pollen away so that when I come home from work I can enjoy the “sit on your back porch with your shoes off and a cold beverage in your hand while your dinner cooks on the grill and you watch your kids play on the swing set and your dog roll in the grass with the flowers blooming all around you” weather. FINALLY!

You know what can ruin those perfect, dreamy springtime evenings on the back porch faster than anything else, though? Mosquitoes. Yep, just like the showers bring the flowers, all that rain combined with the warmer weather also brings mosquitoes.

Child playing outside.Usually I light my citronella candles, put on some bug spray and grab my electric fly swatter to brave the backyard until I can’t take it anymore and have to go inside. But this year, instead of surrendering to these pesky bugs, I’m not even going to give them the opportunity to be in my yard by doing one simple thing – tip and toss.

You read it right. You can do one thing, once a week to control the number of mosquitoes in your yard – tip and toss any containers with standing water. That’s it. Easy, right?

Mosquitoes need standing water to lay their eggs and hatch the larva. It only takes 7-14 days for a mosquito to go from egg to adult. So, if you tip and toss all of the standing water in your yard once a week, you will eliminate their breeding ground.

Top Breeding Spots for Mosquitoes

Check these top mosquito breeding spots once a week:

Toy truck in the backyard - a common breeding ground for mosquitoes!

  • Buckets, watering cans, and even bottle caps. Believe it or not, they can hold enough water for mosquitoes to breed.
  • Bird baths and pet water bowls.
  • Potted plants with saucers.
  • Children’s toys. (These are one of the top spots for standing water and mosquitoes!)
  • Tarps on woodpiles and gardens.
  • Wheelbarrows.
  • Garbage cans, recycle bins and other barrels.

For more information about how to take your backyard back from the mosquitoes, click here.