Many people enjoy sitting outside to enjoy the views around them and bask in the sunlight. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants that never had outdoor seating added it in to re-open safely for customers. Outdoor dining is here to stay, so it’s important to make it safe. One way to do this is through mosquito control. Here are steps you can take to keep mosquitoes from bugging your customers:
Keep it Clean
The first step to avoiding mosquitoes is removing sources of standing water. In some cases, this is just a matter of keeping the place clean by taking out trash frequently and removing unused dishes from tables. If you have bird baths, fountains or flower pots in your outdoor seating area, make sure the water in them is changed out regularly to avoid attracting mosquitoes and other pests. Mosquitoes aren’t picky about where they lay eggs, and they only need a small amount of space to do so.
Renovate the Outdoor Seating Area
If your outdoor seating area is attracting mosquitoes, it may be time for an upgrade. There are ways to do this that will also create a more pleasant environment for customers. Mosquitoes aren’t skilled at flying, so adding outdoor fans can literally blow them away. Adding screens can also help repel them, especially if your restaurant is close to standing water. Screens can benefit customers by shielding them from harsh weather conditions and keeping mosquitoes and other pests out.
Remove Overgrowth
By keeping your business’s lawn mowed and pruning the plants, you’ll take away popular hiding places for mosquitoes while making your business more attractive to customers. Adult mosquitoes thrive in areas like the undersides of decks in building foundations, so it also helps to check out those areas to make sure mosquitoes aren’t nesting there. If you find mosquitoes and are unable to otherwise prevent them, you might consider using environmentally friendly pesticides.
Avoid DIY Methods
Bug zappers attract mosquitoes, but they’ve been proven not to be effective in controlling mosquito populations. Mosquito coils are another popular method of mosquito prevention, but the smoke they emit is often blown away by the wind. Other DIY methods, like using essential oils or citronella candles, provide temporary protection but don’t keep mosquitoes away in the long term. If you have a serious mosquito problem, call the professionals.
If you find that mosquitoes keep bugging your customers, Pro-Staff can help. Our mosquito control methods will help keep your business pest-free. Give us a call at 515-279-7378 or contact us online.