It starts with a faint buzz, followed by a slap and then another. Before you know it, your child is up at 2 am, itchy, cranky, and wide awake.

In India’s long summers, mosquitoes aren’t just a nuisance. They bring real risks — dengue, malaria, chikungunya. 

In fact, according to global health estimates, malaria alone continues to affect millions each year, with children among the most vulnerable. As World Malaria Day on 25 April reminds us, prevention at home remains one of the simplest and most effective lines of defence.

So we spoke to parents who’ve found simple, practical ways to deal with this at home — without relying only on sprays or costly fixes. What emerged was a set of everyday, parent-approved habits that actually work.

Here are the hacks, from one parent to another!

1. “We realised it’s the water”

For Meena, a mother of two in Chennai, the turning point was understanding how little water mosquitoes actually need to breed.

“Even a small cap of water can become a breeding spot. Once we realised that, we started checking everything,” she says.

Now, her family does a quick weekly sweep:

Emptying plant trays, buckets, toys, and cooler trays

Emptying plant trays, buckets, toys, and cooler trays

Scrubbing containers (since eggs stick to surfaces)

Scrubbing containers (since eggs stick to surfaces)

Changing water in pet bowls and vases

Changing water in pet bowls and vases

Checking balcony corners and bathroom drains

Checking balcony corners and bathroom drains

Parent hack: “It takes barely 10 minutes, but it’s made a huge difference,” she adds. “We even got the kids involved, and it’s become a Sunday habit.”

2. “We treated mosquitoes like dust — just something we don’t let in”

For new parents Rakesh and Sowjanya, the shift was simple: stop focusing only on killing mosquitoes and start blocking them out.

“We kept wondering why there were so many mosquitoes inside our home even after........

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