Looking for the best yard spray for your mosquito problem?
Perfect, you’re in the right spot! In this Pest Strategies guide you’ll learn:
- What mosquito sprays are
- If they’re effective mosquito killing solutions
- How to use them properly
- If they’re safe around children and pets
- And our recommended picks!
When you want to enjoy your yard in the summer, mosquitoes buzzing around and biting you can make it almost impossible.
Although many people are cautious about chemical pesticides or strange smelling oils, there isn’t much choice if you don’t want to spend the summer hiding indoors.
You’re going to have to spray something if you want to spend time outside.
Otherwise, the mosquitoes will eat you and your family and friends for lunch.
Ready to get started?

Ed has been working in the pest control industry for years helping 1,000's of homeowners navigate the world of insect and rodent management. He manages Pest Strategies now helping homeowners around the world!
Best Overall
Best Service
Demand CS.
Features
- This product starts working three days sooner than granules.
- Long-lasting residual effects.
- Can be used inside or outside
Mosquito Barrier Liquid Spray
Features
- All natural
- No chemicals at all
- Very effective for short time
EcoGuard Plus All Natural Tick and Mosquito Control
Features
- All natural
- Act to repel mosquitoes and other insects
- Safe for your children or pets
Cutter Bug Free Spray
Features
- Strongest active ingredient available for home use
- Covers up to 5,000 square feet
- Hose end sprayer included
Ortho Home Defense
Features
- Contains five powerful essential oils
- Kills bugs on contact
- Sprays at all angles

Table Of Contents
Top 5 Best Mosquito Yard Sprays
Are you short on time or just want a quick answer?
What are Mosquito Yard Sprays?
Mosquito yard sprays are do-it-yourself liquid concentrates or pressurized gases that can be sprayed in and around your backyard to eliminate mosquitoes. If they are liquid concentrates, you’ll need to purchase an applicator such as a thermal fogger or a garden hose sprayer with a bottle on it.
How do Mosquito Yard Sprays Work?
Each spray has a different mode of action depending on the chemicals and/or natural ingredients in it. Chemical pesticides work on the insect’s central nervous system, respiratory system, or circulatory system. Sometimes they work on a combination of those internal systems.
Natural repellents operate on the principle that all living creatures are naturally repulsed by a variety of odors or conditions to warn them of danger or other predators that might eat them. Some plants protect themselves by releasing natural chemicals that drive insects away.
Are Mosquito Yard Sprays Effective?
Yes. There is a caveat though. You have to use them correctly. An incorrect application is worse than no application at all.
What will happen is that an incorrect or incomplete application will weaken the mosquitoes, or any other pests, without killing them. This creates antibodies in them that wind up strengthening the insects against further applications of that same pesticide or natural remedy. Alternately, it will kill weaker insects but leave stronger ones alive. Once they recover, their immune system will be strengthened. This type of pesticide resistance can also result from over application as well as under application.
Trust us when say this, an incorrect application is worse, far worse than no application at all. The pesticide industry has learned this lesson the hard way.
How to Use a Mosquito Yard Spray?
Most mosquito yard sprays have to be sprayed using a pressurized sprayer of some kind. There are many different kinds. There are insecticide spray rigs that run on gas engines and others that have to be pumped up by hand. Whichever one you decide to use, be sure you follow the mixing directions on the insecticide or natural remedy. Failure to properly mix it will result in an over or under application, leading to insecticide resistance and ultimately, more bugs.
Are Mosquito Yard Sprays Safe Around My Pets and Children?
Yes. Despite the hysterics of some misguided individuals, modern pesticides are safer, many times safer than smoking, driving a car, or flying in an airplane.
There are countless EPA regulations that insecticides have to meet before they ever make it to the marketplace. The regulations run to many hundreds of pages and if the insecticides don’t meet every single one of them, they can’t be marketed in the United States.
Even the concentrated forms of many insecticides are so safe you (or your pets or children) could drink them right out of the bottle without suffering anything more than an upset stomach for a few hours. They’ll probably leave a bad taste in your mouth too, but that’s it. Insecticides are very safe.
Final Thoughts On Mosquito Yard Sprays
Modern insecticides and natural oils are incredibly safe. The insecticides are highly regulated for safety and extremely effective at killing mosquitoes when they are properly used and applied. The natural oils are completely safe and can also be very effective.
In short, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to enjoy your yard during the summer. Use some of these sprays to get rid of the mosquitoes and you’ll be able to do just that.
Related Articles
Ortho Home Defense
Ortho Home Defense is a high-end insecticide concentrate meaning that you mix a little bit with a gallon of water, and depending on how often you use, it may be the last bottle of insecticide you use.
Generally, you mix .2 to .4 of an ounce to a gallon, which, as you can imagine, makes an 8-ounce bottle last a long time, so just imagine how long a 32-ounce bottle will last you. Make sure to read the label for exact mixing instructions; if you get the dose incorrect, you won’t see the results you want.
Ortho Home Defense has a use for most kinds of pests you will find outside of the home, of course, that includes mosquitoes. You will need a handheld sprayer, Ortho’s hose attachment, or a power sprayer of some sort to apply it correctly.
This product can not be used indoors. However, it can treat the perimeter of your home to help keep the insects out in the first place. In total, you will have enough product to treat 5300 square feet.
The Good And The Bad
- This product has residual effects meaning that mosquitoes that hatch after treatment will still be affected.
- Because it’s a concentrate, a bottle will last a long time.
- Each treatment is good for three months.
- This product should not be used while animals are present.
Demand CS.
Pesticides come in all shapes, sizes, and consistencies these days. They may have different labels and different brand names but what is really important is the active ingredient and the concentration in the product.
Demand CS may not be a name brand name that everyone recognizes, but at its heart, it uses a well-known pesticide to kill mosquitoes known as Lambda-cyhalothrin1. Lambda-cyhalothrin1 has been used for yard flea and mosquito treatments for a very long time and has a high success rate.
When it comes to yard treatments there are two main ways to apply a product. You either use granules that act as a slow-release capsule or you use a liquid formulation that starts working as soon as it is applied.
With granules, you need to wait around three days for them to get wet enough to release the pesticide and start doing its work, and then it can take another 3 to 10 days for the insects to start dying off. With the liquid concentration, you skip the need for the initial three days and get straight to work, removing these biting pests from your yard or building.
There are powders as well but they generally don’t stand up well to the rain and not only do they stain but it can be annoying to apply a powder to a large area.
While the product says that it doesn’t have a smell, some people say that it does. This may not be a huge deal as you are most likely using this outside. This product also has another slight drawback and that is it requires a sprayer.
Demand CS is also safe to use on ornamental plants such as decorative bushes around the property or home. That being said, always read the label before use and make sure not to use it on any plant or area that you plan to use for food.
The Good And The Bad
- This product starts working three days sooner than granules.
- Long-lasting residual effects.
- Can be used inside or outside
- Needs additional equipment to use.
Mosquito Barrier Liquid Spray
This is a garlic extract. Garlic that has shown some effectiveness in field studies in India where mosquitoes are a continual problem. This concentrate has to be diluted with water then sprayed on all the natural resting places for mosquitoes. It should also be sprayed in a crisscross pattern across the entire yard. Each band of the spray should be about six inches wide. Each band of the spray should be two to three feet away from the bands on either side of it. Respray it once a week to maintain full effectiveness.
The Good And The Bad
- All natural
- No chemicals at all
- Very effective for short time
- Limited effectiveness
- Has to be reapplied frequently
EcoGuard Plus All Natural Tick and Mosquito Control
EcoGuard is a blend of Cedarwood oil, 2-Phenylethyl propionate, and Geraniol. They act to repel mosquitoes and other insects. There are instructions on the back for using it in a hand-held pump sprayer or a mist blower. Follow the instructions carefully because they are different depending on how you plan to apply it.
It is all-natural so there aren’t any chemicals to worry about for your children or pets. It has to be reapplied on a regular basis though, about once a week or after it rains. If it rains, wait until the rain has dried then immediately reapply it.
The Good And The Bad
- All natural
- Act to repel mosquitoes and other insects
- Safe for your children or pets
- Needs to be reapplied frequently
- Limited effectiveness
Cutter Bug Free Spray
This uses a combination of Tetramethrin and Phenothrin as the active ingredients that kill mosquitoes it comes in contact with. It is a fogger that has to be sprayed in the air. It comes in a pressurized can and is ready to use without any mixing or special equipment.
It will kill any mosquitoes it comes in contact with but it doesn’t last long in the air. If conditions are windy it will be blown away in a matter of seconds. This is probably best used in screened-in porches where you’re trying to kill mosquitoes that have gotten in.
The Good And The Bad
- Easy to use
- No mixing required
- No need special equipment to use
- Sprayed into the air you breathe
- Contains harsh chemicals
- Needs to be frequently reapplied