5 mistakes you're making that turn your yard into a mosquito breeding ground

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There is nothing better than a warm summer evening spent relaxing in the garden. You've got the patio lights on, a cold drink in hand, and the perfect setup to unwind... until the buzzing starts.Within minutes, a relaxing night outdoors turns into a frantic battle against mosquitoes. But before you douse yourself in sticky chemical sprays, look up at your patio lights. You might inadvertently be throwing an open-house party for every biting bug in the neighborhood.To find out why our backyards are suddenly crawling with pests, I spoke to Jon Saeed, managing director of outdoor lighting specialist Lighting Legends.According to Saeed, the warm summer evenings we love also bring along more mosquitoes who thrive in humid environments. But the real culprit behind your itchy ankles might actually be your choice of lightbulb.Fortunately, you don't have to sit in the pitch black. Here are the simple mistakes you might be making right now, and how to fix them to reclaim your garden this summer.

1. Lighting your patio with cool white bulbs

If your outdoor string lights or security spotlights emit a bright, cool-toned white glare, you are essentially signaling to every bug nearby. To fix this, Saeed recommends "opting for yellow or warm tones lights with a colour temperature between 2,200K and 2,700K as these are much less likely to invite insects into your garden."These specific warm-coloured lights are significantly less attractive to mosquitoes and biting bugs compared to cooler lights above 5,000K, allowing you to actually enjoy your patio without drawing a swarm.