The season is starting slow, or so it seems. I’m not talking about the heat, that’s in full bloom. I’m talking about mosquito season.

But will ultimately change.

Soon enough our yards are going to be infested with hundreds of thousands of flying insects bent on finding a human to bite. By now, we know there are steps we can take to try to reduce the chance of being bitten by a mosquito, and we know there are steps we can take to cull their population.

Outside of removing sources of standing water and wearing protective clothing, there are other things we can do to keep their populations at bay, though I can’t attest to their reliability just yet.

The other day while at a local hardware store, I noticed a number of products claiming to do just that.

If you have a source of standing water that you can’t get rid of, such as a ditch that holds water, there are several products you can add to that water to kill any larva.

If you have reservations against using chemicals, especially if that ditch has a permanent water source, you could add small fish to the ditch to eat the larva.

To protect the airspace around the house, there are several traps that claim to attract and capture flying insects such as mosquitos.

I’ve never tested one, but keep eyeing them. The problem is many of these products don’t come cheap. Some of the pricier variants can command $200 or even up to $800 from your bank account. Depending on how much time you spend outdoors, and how heavily infested your yard is, it might be a wise investment.

Alternately, I’ve seen traps that offer similar protection for $20, but need to be replaced every three months. Since mosquito season lasts about that long, this might be the best option to test the functionality of the device. No matter what method you choose, don’t forget the deterring spray and clothes that protect your arms and legs. Your skin will thank you.