Walt Disney World welcomes millions of visitors to Orlando each year, yet guests rarely notice they are walking through 25,000 acres of what used to be Florida swampland.
Even during the height of summer, the massive swarms of mosquitoes that plague the rest of the state are noticeably absent from the property.
The lack of pests is no accident, but the resort avoids blanket-spraying the area with harsh chemicals that could ruin a vacation or damage the local ecosystem. Instead, managers rely on an expansive surveillance and drainage program focused on natural methods to disrupt the insects before they have a chance to bite.
This strategic approach allows the park to maintain a comfortable environment across its properties, hotels and outdoor attractions. After noticing the park’s pest management during her own travels, Jil Hinds, creator of the home and garden YouTube channel Pink Jardin, decided to test the methods at home.
“I’ve never ever been bit by a mosquito when I go to Disney,” she says. “So, I use their five-point system because, if you notice, my house is completely surrounded by trees and it can quickly become a mosquito breeding ground after a rain.”
Here are five at-home hacks from Disney’s tricks that you can recreate at home:
Mosquitoes require stagnant water to lay their eggs, and larvae can develop in less than 48 hours.
Disney mitigation teams continuously monitor the property to ensure water does not pool on surfaces or in decorative elements. At home, property owners should regularly empty birdbaths, gutters and flowerpots.
For permanent water features where draining is not an option, applying natural larvicides, such as mosquito bits, effectively neutralizes larvae before they reach adulthood.
Hinds recommends dropping natural larvicide tablets or granules directly into problem areas.
“The larvae when they go in, they will eat that and it will basically kind of explode their little bellies,” she says. “Sad, but yeah.”
The resort integrates specific pest-repelling plants directly into its extensive landscaping. Rather than relying on isolated plants, the strategy depends on density and volume.
To replicate this protective barrier, property owners should plant large quantities of lemongrass, lemon balm, rosemary and basil near high-traffic areas, including walkways, patios and entry doors.
All of the plants contain oils that work as natural repellents to mosquitoes.
Garlic contains natural compounds that are highly offensive to mosquitoes but virtually unnoticeable to humans once dried. Spraying a liquid garlic mixture functions as an effective, chemical-free repellent.
To make it at home, homeowners should blend several heads of garlic with water in a high-powered blender, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth and colander to prevent clogging, and pour the mixture into a garden sprayer.
“It does not kill the mosquitoes, but it will deter them from the area,” Hinds says.
While preventative measures form the foundation of insect control, active eradication provides immediate relief during outdoor gatherings. Using electronic insect zappers during cookouts or patio events helps manage any adult mosquitoes that manage to breach the perimeter.
Because this step is reactive rather than preventative, it doesn’t need to run constantly. Hinds treats it as a situational backup plan.
“I usually only do that if we have company and I want to make sure that everyone is comfortable,” she says.
The final tactic relies on using common aromatic herbs that many households already have in their kitchens. Gathering a tight bundle of fresh herbs such as sage, lemongrass, thyme or rosemary and placing them directly into a backyard fire pit or grill will create a dense, localized deterrent.
Letting the fresh bundle slowly smoke in the heat releases concentrated essential oils into the immediate air, creating an invisible shield. According to Hinds, this simple addition provides a massive payoff: “It will deter mosquitoes, blackflies, fungus gnats, all of it.”
Ultimately, keeping a backyard free of pests requires matching the pests’ persistence. As Hinds reminds her viewers, “Just remember to stay consistent because the mosquitoes are going to be consistent.”