Always pour out any standing water if you can. Check around your yard after storms and after running the sprinklers. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Standing water can start growing mosquito larvae in about 24 hours. Water pools around hose reels, plant saucers, stacks of unused pots, grills, bird baths have to be changed daily if you can. Keep your gutter clean and if you have a pool, check the filters every week. Mosquito larvae look like tiny little red worms, they’re called blood worms. 🪱 They’ll swim and squiggle around, it can make the water look like it’s moving. Dried blood worms are also sold in pet stores as fish treats. Bettas love them, but don’t feed a betta blood worms from a yard, they carry diseases.

I much prefer picaridin as a mosquito repellent over DEET. DEET irritates my airways, plus picaridin comes in a lotion or a spray. I still got lyme disease from a tick while using DEET, because it’s hard to get good coverage. Same with mosquitoes, the ones in Texas don’t seem to be very bothered by it. The lotion is extremely effective when you will be outside and sweating, like doing yardwork, hiking, or camping. The common brand I see is Sawyer, it’s sold with camping supplies. Off also makes a picaridin spray. That’s different than permethrin, which is a pesticide and a repellent. You treat tents and outdoor gear like hiking boots and backpacks with that. Permethrin is toxic to pets, especially cats, until it’s dried. But I still wouldn’t even trust it dried around cats. They lack the stuff necessary to break it down in their digestive tracts. Permethrin’s not meant to be applied directly to your skin, but your equipment and clothing. It can remain on clothing through a few washes and after being exposed to UV.