DIY mosquito control methods like store-bought sprays, citronella candles, and bug zappers do not significantly reduce mosquito populations on your property. Professional treatment is more effective and often more cost-efficient over a full season.
The Problem With Store-Bought Sprays
Hardware store mosquito sprays — whether pump sprayers, hose-end sprayers, or aerosol cans — have several fundamental limitations that make them a poor substitute for professional treatment:
Weak Concentration: Over-the-counter products are formulated for consumer safety with low active ingredient concentrations. A typical retail bifenthrin product might contain 0.05% active ingredient, while professional-grade formulations used by licensed applicators contain significantly higher concentrations that are calibrated for effective residual control. This difference in concentration directly affects how long the treatment lasts and how many mosquitoes it actually eliminates.
Poor Application: Effective mosquito control requires applying product to specific harborage areas — the undersides of leaves, deep into shrub canopies, along fence lines, and under deck structures. A hose-end sprayer creates a broad, indiscriminate spray pattern that wastes product on open lawn (where mosquitoes rarely rest) while failing to penetrate the dense vegetation where they actually hide. Professional backpack mist blowers generate a fine mist that reaches deep into foliage and coats both sides of leaves.
Inconsistent Coverage: Most homeowners applying their own spray miss critical areas. Mosquitoes rest in dozens of microhabitats around a typical yard — under eaves, in drainage features, along foundation plantings, in wood piles, and in tree canopy edges. A professional technician is trained to identify and treat every one of these areas systematically.
No Larval Control: Store-bought yard sprays kill adult mosquitoes on contact but do nothing to address larvae developing in standing water. Without larvicide application, new adults continuously emerge to replace the ones you killed. Professional barrier spray treatments include larvicide for standing water sources that cannot be drained.
Citronella: The Comfort Myth
Citronella candles and torches are among the most popular DIY mosquito products, but research consistently shows they provide minimal repellent effect. A study from the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association found that citronella candles reduced mosquito bites by only about 42% compared to having no protection — and that modest effect only extended a few feet from the candle.
On a patio or deck, you would need a ring of citronella candles burning continuously to achieve even this limited protection. Compare that to a professional barrier treatment on the surrounding vegetation that reduces mosquito populations by 85–90% across your entire yard for 21 days. The numbers simply do not compare.
Essential oil-based repellents (lemon eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary) face similar limitations. While some have genuine repellent properties, they evaporate quickly and need constant reapplication. They work best as a personal repellent complement to yard treatment, not as a standalone solution.
Bug Zappers: Killing the Wrong Insects
Bug zappers attract insects using ultraviolet light. The problem: mosquitoes are not strongly attracted to UV light. They find hosts primarily through carbon dioxide detection and body heat. Studies from the University of Delaware found that mosquitoes comprised less than 0.2% of insects killed by bug zappers. The vast majority of kills were beneficial insects like moths, beetles, and midges that contribute to pollination and the food chain.
In fact, bug zappers may make your mosquito problem worse by killing natural mosquito predators while leaving the mosquitoes themselves unaffected.
Mosquito Traps: Limited Range
CO2-based mosquito traps (like Mosquito Magnet) do attract and capture mosquitoes, but their effective range is limited to roughly 30–40 feet. For a typical Ann Arbor yard, you would need multiple traps running continuously, each consuming propane and requiring ongoing maintenance. The annual operating cost of multiple traps often exceeds the cost of a professional seasonal mosquito control plan — and traps still do not address the breeding cycle.
The Real Cost of DIY
When you add up what homeowners actually spend on DIY mosquito control over a full season, professional treatment is often the better value:
A typical DIY season might include: 4–6 applications of retail yard spray at $15–$25 each ($60–$150 total). Citronella candles and torches refreshed monthly ($50–$100 over the season). Personal repellent sprays for the family ($30–$60). A bug zapper ($30–$80 plus electricity). Possibly a CO2 trap ($300–$600 plus propane and attractant refills).
That adds up to $170 to nearly $1,000 in a season — with results that are, at best, marginally better than doing nothing. Our seasonal plan providing 7 professional treatments with guaranteed results starts at $553 for the full season ($79 per visit), which falls right in the middle of what most people spend on ineffective DIY methods.
What Professional Treatment Does Differently
Professional mosquito control works because it addresses the entire mosquito life cycle with products and techniques that are simply not available to consumers:
Targeted application to all harborage areas using professional mist blowers. Professional-grade products with appropriate residual activity. Larvicide treatment of standing water sources. Trained identification of breeding sites and habitat modifications. Consistent retreatment on a schedule calibrated to the product's effective lifespan. Licensed applicators who understand local mosquito species, behavior, and seasonal patterns in Washtenaw County.
Ready for Real Results?
Stop spending money on products that do not work. Request a free quote from Mosquito Time or call (734) 985-2899 to get professional mosquito control that actually makes a difference. We will show you what your yard feels like when the mosquitoes are actually gone.