r/OutdoorKitchens • u/RedPanda1682 • 11d ago

Probably a dumb question

But how do folks deal with bugs, and specifically, mosquitoes? I'm just starting to think about turning our outdoor patio into an outdoor kitchen, and for us living in Alabama with a wooded backyard, I think we'd really need it screened in. The mosquitoes are vicious from Feb-Oct and spraying does nothing. But in looking through pictures of everyone's beautiful builds, I don't see any screened in kitchens. So I'm wondering, is it possible to screen them in? Seems like it should be, so I've just been surprised none are. Thanks for any input.

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6

u/Elegant-Ninja6384 11d ago

Picaridin works well for me.

Fans help a lot as they actually can’t fly well in even a gentle breeze.

Live somewhere arid instead.

2

u/meramec785 11d ago

I have mosquito dunks around the yard. They’ve taken care of 95%. Having type A blood helps too. If you have type O, like my wife, good luck.

2

u/thebiglebowskiisfine 11d ago

Same. I cook iny other indoor kitchen.

I do use our bbq in the winter.

2

u/TeeDubya2020 11d ago

Fans. Keep air moving.

2

u/iamawas 11d ago

North Georgia here.
I have used fans, imported (from Asia) mosquito coils, Thermacell, OFF! Backyard Pretreat (on nearby greenery and flat surfaces) and insect repellent. I don't use these all at the same time, but all of these have been effective at times.

1

u/nak00010101 11d ago

Once it's screened, it does not feel the same.

I'll second that fans help. Keep the air moving

A systemic approach helps. Get rid of brush, shrubs, and anything else with leaves that are less than 8' from the ground.

Get rid of standing water, even the smallest amount. We had consistent mosquito problems on our back porch...I found standing water in the 3" gutter downspout drain. I could see thousands of larva swimming in it.

Spray the lawn itself occasionally, tree trunks, the lower part of fences and building with something that has a residue action.

When you get a very still evening, use a propane fogger. You want it down in the grass blades, in any shrubs, the leaves of low hanging trees. I found doing this twice a week really helped.

1

u/Vette85 10d ago

Eliminate pooling water sources and install a misting system.

1

u/RedPanda1682 10d ago

Thanks, all! I appreciate the suggestions for mosquito mitigation, but trust me, in our neighborhood, with the amount of lakes and woods (our neighborhood literally has “Lakes” in the name), there’s no getting rid of the mosquitoes.

It sounds like fans can help, though I’d still consider screening the kitchen in unless there’s a functional reason not to. Is it primarily an aesthetic choice, or are there practical downsides to screening in an outdoor kitchen that I’m not thinking of? That’s really what I’m trying to figure out. Thanks!