2 Natural Predators that Repel Mosquitoes

Although the tiger mosquito does not have many predators, we can encourage the ones it does have.

Bats - Bats are one of the mosquito's most deadly beasts of prey. At night, bats come to life and flit through the air, using their sonar-like echolocation to hunt the tiny insects. Bat houses, like bird houses, offer bats a safe place to live. Setting one up in your yard will encourage these flying mammals to take up residence there and help control your mosquito population. Bat houses are wooden structures that look like plain boxes. There is a shallow opening on the bottom where the bats can enter. The small dark boxes imitate bat's natural dwellings, like small caves and hollow trees. Some insect eating bats can catch up to 600 bugs in only an hour! To dispel any myths and misgivings about bats, there are only three species which consume blood and they all live in Central and South America. Insect feeding bats have no interest in humans, and their swooping behavior is simply the dive they make to catch bugs, not to attack people. Bat houses can be easily constructed by hand (look at this handy site with step by step bat house instructions) or bought pre-made at a hardware or home store. Install your bat house high in a tree, on a tall pole, or directly onto the side of your house or other building. The box should be placed at least 15 to 20 feet off the ground and in a sunny spot. It usually takes up to one year for a bat colony to settle into a new bat box. Remember never to spray pesticides or other chemicals near your bat house. (On a side note, bat droppings, called guano, are an excellent nitrogen-rich fertilizer.)

Birds - Many birds are avid mosquito hunters. A few popular species include the chickadee, wren, and purple martin. Bird houses that are specialized for each species can be bought online, or built by hand. Plant brightly colored flowers near the bird houses, such as black eyed susan, and wait for a family to take up nest!

If you live near a lake or pond that is plagued by mosquitos, encourage the habitation of pond-living predators such as frogs, toads, damselflies, dragonflies, and larvae-eating fish. All of these water loving predators consume most small insects, including mosquitos.

Aside from these ways, there is another way to repel mosquitoes, that is, by wearing a natural repellent bracelet. It is DEET free & safe for kids (wrists / ankles) and babies (attach to ankle or baby stroller). Wear it on your wrist, ankle or attach it to your backpack. It is easy to use and you won't even notice it's there. It holds 1 Repeller Band Refill (15 Days Of Protection Per Refill). It contains an all-natural,non-spray & deet-free repellent formula. This formula offers the best balanced proportion of 11 natural, organic essential oils and repels mosquitoes and fleas, gnats, ticks, ants and more! With this product, you get real protection without the use of dangerous sprays or powders!