News from home: One easy way to get mosquitoes gone

The mosquito is probably the most reviled pest in the world, spreading disease and leaving itchy bites, but here is a cheap idea for getting them out of your space: Use a fan.

Mosquitoes are weak fliers who just can’t compete with wind. If you don’t want to worry about chemical vapors or open flames, buy a big fan to blow the mosquitoes off course. It really works, plus you get a nice, cooling breeze — a perfect solution for a hot, humid summer evening.

If you are moving around, though, insect repellent works well. Active ingredients like DEET and picaridin are the gold standard for keeping mosquitoes at bay and work for about 10 hours at a time. Essential oil-based bug sprays — like those containing oil of lemon eucalyptus — also deter pests, but not quite as well or for as long, so be prepared to reapply as directed.

Citronella candles look nice, but as a mosquito repellent, their performance is modest at best, with a small effective radius.

Bug zappers are not effective against mosquitoes and can kill valuable pollinators.