Exmark Releases 5-Strategy Mosquito Control Video for Backyards

Q: Why is a lawnmower company teaching homeowners how to combat serious diseases like West Nile virus?

Because mosquito control is directly tied to yard maintenance, which is central to Exmark’s business and brand. Exmark is not positioning itself as a medical authority. It is using its homeowner platform, Backyard Life, to show how routine backyard care can make outdoor spaces safer and more usable. In this case, the advice overlaps with public-health guidance: remove standing water from gutters, containers and birdbaths, keep lawns and shrubs trimmed, and reduce places where mosquitoes breed and rest. That matters because mosquitoes are more than a nuisance. They can carry West Nile virus to people and heartworm to pets, and residential properties are a key place where mosquito populations can build if water collects and vegetation becomes overgrown. Public-health agencies routinely recommend the same steps Exmark highlights, especially source reduction through eliminating stagnant water. There is also a practical business reason. A mower company sells the idea of a healthy, enjoyable backyard, not just equipment. Teaching mosquito prevention supports that broader promise by helping customers spend more time outside comfortably and safely. Exmark’s own statement frames the video as part of its effort to improve the “health, beauty, and usability” of outdoor living spaces. So the company’s message is less about treating disease and more about showing that good lawn and landscape care can lower mosquito pressure and, with it, the risk of mosquito-borne illness.

2 articles · Updated · The National Law Review · Jul 10

Exmark on July 9 published a new Backyard Smart video outlining five strategies to cut mosquito populations around homes during summer outdoor use.
Standing water is the main target: the company urges homeowners to clear gutters, empty containers, check rain barrels and remove other stagnant water where larvae breed.
Plant-based repellents are another focus, with citronella grass, marigolds, lavender, basil and rosemary highlighted; Exmark also cites studies saying catnip can repel mosquitoes up to 10 times better than DEET.
Natural predators including bats, birds, dragonflies, fish, frogs and toads can also help suppress mosquitoes, while Exmark directs viewers to its Backyard Life site for the video and related guidance.