If you live in a tropical, sub-tropical or warm temperate region you may encounter mosquitos in your backyard especially around your pool area. You need to know how to keep mosquitoes out of your pool. Stagnant water, vegetation and natural scents attract mosquitoes. Mostly mosquito bites are harmless but some mosquitos can be dangerous because they can carry many different diseases such as dengue fever, encephalitis, malaria, West Nile virus, yellow fever and zika virus. And that’s just the common diseases. If you have mosquitos around your pool you really need to get rid of them and keep your family safe.
The best deterrence against mosquitos is maintaining a clean, tidy backyard, a properly sanitized swimming pool with no puddles or ponds of stagnant water where mosquitos like to breed. The best defense against mosquitos is to install an insect zapper, apply insect repellent, use an outdoor fan and cover your pool when not in use.
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Why are Mosquitoes in My Pool?
Are mosquitoes attracted to swimming pools?
Mosquitos are naturally attracted to water. They need to lay their eggs in water which hatch into larvae and swim around in the water. Later the larvae grow into pupa and eventually into an adult mosquito. However, they only like stagnant water not flowing water. If your pool is stagnant it will attract mosquitos and many other undesirable life forms. However, most swimming pools have a pump running several times a day to circulate the water through the filtration equipment and around the pool. Mosquitos won’t like the moving water and will stay away.
Does chlorine keep mosquitoes out of the pool?
Still water such as puddles or ponds naturally attract mosquitos. The low level of chlorine in a backyard swimming pool will not kill mosquitos and will not keep them away from the pool. However, a pool correctly sanitized with chlorine may deter mosquitos from laying eggs in the pool and it will reduce the incidence of mosquito’s larvae growing in the pool.
Can mosquitoes lay eggs in chlorinated water?
Yes, mosquitos can lay eggs in your swimming pool but if your pool is correctly sanitized with chlorine the larvae should be inhibited. Then the filtration system will capture the larvae in the filter keeping your pool clean and safe for your family.
Does peppermint oil repel mosquitoes?
Yes, peppermint oil will repel mosquitos. Peppermint oil makes an effective insect repellent by rubbing it on your skin or clothes to ward off all insects. It’s also good to rub on an insect bite to reduce the inflammation and itchiness of your skin. Planting peppermint plants around the pool area will also help repel mosquitos.
Does coconut oil repel mosquitoes?
Coconut oil has similar properties to peppermint oil in that it repels insects and can be used as an insect repellent directly on your skin or on your clothes. Applying coconut oil to an insect bite will also help reduce swelling and discomfort on the affected area.
What smell do mosquitoes hate?
The bitter citric acid smell of citrus fruit or herbs such as lemons, limes, oranges, lavender and basil repel mosquitos and other annoying insects. These smells are not annoying to people but keep the insects away. Some people have found that catnip also works to repel mosquitos.
How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Pool
When you discover that you have a mosquito problem around your pool area you need to determine why the insects are attracted to your backyard. Then you can try to eliminate or reduce the cause of the attraction.
Eliminate Stagnant Water
Check your backyard after rain to make sure there is no standing water that doesn’t run off your property or flow into a drain. There may be water sitting in an old flower pot, under some old timber or in a depression on the ground.
Check your gutters to ensure there is the correct amount of fall to ensure all the rainwater flows into the downpipes. There should be no puddles of water in the gutters.
Do you have any open drains on your property containing stagnant water where insects could hide and breed? If so, you need to remove the water from the drain or reset the drain so water cannot lay around.
Mosquitos will breed and lay eggs in a puddle of water. The eggs can hatch in to larvae in a few days and the larvae will become adult mosquitos within two weeks.
Mosquitos won’t like your swimming pool when the pump is running to circulate the water because they only like stagnant water. So make sure you run your pump several times a day including at night to prevent mosquitos laying eggs in the pool.
Keep the Backyard Clean
Mosquitos will breed in moist, dirty conditions such as under old timber, pots, in long wet grass and overgrown gardens. If you keep your property clean and tidy this will reduce the impact of pests on the enjoyment of your pool. Check there are not trees with holes in the truck that hold water and where insects can breed. If there are fill in the holes with silicone sealant. Do you have a timber deck that could remain moist underneath? Do you regularly clean the leaves from the gutters? Damp gutters full of moist leaves are a mosquito breeding ground.
Backyard Lighting
Powerful incandescent and fluorescent lighting will attract insects including mosquitos to your backyard. Consider updating your lighting to LED lights. LEDs attract less insects and use up to 80% less electricity saving you lots of money.
Switch off the pool light if not using it as it will attract insects to the pool.
Mosquito Zapper
If you use your backyard in the evening and into the night install an insect zapper light to kill the insects.
Outdoor Fan
Install an outdoor fan to keep mosquitos away from the patio area especially when you are dining and entertaining outside. Mosquitos are weak flyers and hate breezy conditions.
Pesticide Misters
Mister units can be purchased where you buy insecticide and are typically attached to a wall or can be free-standing. Mostly they are useful for inside a home but are frequently used on an outdoor patio. They are useful outside on a covered patio area where there’s little breeze. Otherwise any wind will reduce the effectiveness of the mist or blow it away completely.
Mosquito Repellents
Insect surface spray applied to outdoor surfaces can be very effective against mosquitos when they land on the treated surface.
Mosquito repellents containing the chemical DEET (Diethyltoluamide) are very effective at repelling insects. These products are manufactured in various forms that are applied to human skin or clothes as a spray or ointment. The spray can be applied over outdoor furniture and fittings to provide extra protection.
Larvicides
These chemicals are used to kill insect larvae and pupae before the insect reaches the adult stage. The chemical can be added to gutters, ponds, fountains, drains and on top of pool covers after rain to kill insect larvae. This may dramatically reduce the impact of insects in your backyard.
Cover Your Pool
When the pool is not in use I highly recommend the use of a pool cover to keep mosquitoes out of your pool. Even in the summer if the pool isn’t used at night and during the week keep it covered. Pool covers not only stop mosquitos but all insects and other pests. They keep the pool cleaner, minimize evaporation, reduce the need for chemicals and prevent heat loss from the pool at night. All of that will save you money resulting in the pool cover paying for itself after only a few seasons.
Pool Enclosure
In some regions of the world mosquitos and other insects are more frequent and you require a physical barrier to keep them out. In Florida and other southern states of the USA it’s common to have a fully enclosed pool area to keep out the insects. Mostly these pool enclosures are constructed with a metal frame covered with insect screen material that will withstand high wind and rain. Some pool owners build around the pool to fully enclose it within a glassed over building. This provides full protection from insects, wind, rain, sun, UV light, heat and cold.
Please read our post on Swimming Pool Enclosures
What kills mosquitoes in standing water?
Adding a small amount of white vinegar to puddles or ponds will kill the mosquito larvae. The white vinegar is non-toxic to other life forms. Otherwise, try lemon juice or some other fruit juice containing citric acid to keep mosquitoes out of your pool.
Final Thoughts
You have invested a lot of time and money into a backyard pool for your family. The last thing you want is annoying insects and pests upsetting your fun and enjoyment. Mosquitos are a common problem especially in the summer or wet season when water and moisture can lay around giving mosquitos a breeding ground.
The best solution I recommend is a pool cover and an outside insect zapper unit. The cover protects your pool from mosquitos breeding in it. And the zapper protects you and your family from being bitten when outside. Now you know how to keep mosquitoes out of your pool.