Nothing ends a summer evening faster than that first high-pitched whine in your ear. For years my answer was to douse everyone in bug spray and still wake up with bites on my ankles.

Then I learned that the best mosquito control happens before they ever show up, and most of it does not involve chemicals on your skin at all.

Get rid of standing water

Mosquitoes breed in water. A single bottle cap full of water is enough for them to lay eggs. Walk your yard and dump anything holding water.

• Empty saucers under flower pots
• Flip over buckets, toys, and wheelbarrows
• Clean out clogged gutters
• Change birdbath water every few days

This one step did more for my yard than every candle and zapper combined, because it stops them at the source instead of fighting the adults.

What actually repels them

A box fan pointed at your seating area works better than most products. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, and a steady breeze blows them off course. It also wafts away the carbon dioxide from your breath that draws them in.

For plants, citronella, lavender, and marigolds smell nice but do less than people claim. If you want a plant that helps, it is mostly about removing the weeds and tall grass where adult mosquitoes hide during the day.