Getting rid of mosquitoes - what works?

[SteveD2]

Today was the nicest day of the year...we actually broke 70! Supposed to be even nicer tomarrow. As I'm sitting out on my deck right now with my laptop I am being eaten alive already by mosquitoes.

I'm tired of having to spray repellant on my self every time I go out here in the summer. What actually works to get rid of them? Chemicals? Ultrasonic? Citronella candles/torches?

 

[JohnBrowning]

Well if you have standing water around your property then a gallon or two or cheap corn oil poured onto the water works great! DO not let the EPA or any other tree huggers catch you doing this though!!!!

Some countys fog with oil and pesticide and it is ok for them to put oil fog into the air but do not let them catch you doing it.

Never do this any place you have fish liveing etc... This is meant for standing watter areas that form after winter temporaly just long enough for parasites to breed. You do not want to destroy active wet land habitats etc.....

In the long run filling in the areas that water tends to stand is even better!

 

[DJ]

I make sure I keep trees trimmed, grass cut short and no weeds or bushes for them to hide in, it helps a lot, as well as avoiding letting water stand anywhere. These are not immediate solutions but if you really keep up on this stuff it geatly reduces the number in your yard. I also use citronella and the like specifically under trees and stuff where there is shade for them to hide in.

I had a landlord who dod not believe in trimming the weeds on the fence next to the lawn, bugs were so bad we had to towel off the dog before bringing him inside, I went and bought a weedwacker and did the trimming and after one day it was an amazing improvement.

Now just be glad you have weather warm enough for bugs, we had a feak warm snap a week or so ago and I think it went over 50F once, last I looked out it was lightly snowing again.

 

[tweeker43]

here in michigan they fog with something that smells like 2 stroke exhaust, but i'm sure there's something more.

as one of the tree huggers that jb refers to

, i will still attest to the gentle application of a bit of oil to the standing water (not real ponds or creeks or whatever) where they breed.

also try applying some insecticide / fertilizer stuff to your yard (in conjunction with the proper lawn grooming).

i've never had much luck with the candle things, but i haven't used one for years. there might be something new now.

 

[pepper32]

Pour used motor oil (1/4 from the bottom) in a coffee can add the cloth of an old tee shirt. Light and enjoy. Caution: do not use indoors and keep an eye out for environmenalists.

 

[Jelly]

http://www.mosquitoes.com/off_lamp.asp

This product works great for small-area protection.

I know you mentioned you don't like the products you have to apply to yourself, but I'm hooked on the OFF! brand Sportsmen repellents...work great when running trotlines all night long!

[ March 08, 2004, 12:44 AM: Message edited by: Jelly ]

 

[Shannow]

Down under, we can buy citronella candles which do a half decent job.

An alternative is to ring around, and find out which of your friends has Type "O" blood. Invite at least one type O to your function.

It works in my family (I'm the type O pincushion).

 

[Jelly]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Shannow:
Down under, we can buy citronella candles which do a half decent job.

An alternative is to ring around, and find out which of your friends has Type "O" blood. Invite at least one type O to your function.

It works in my family (I'm the type O pincushion).

---

I don't care much for the candles you mentioned in comparison to the new lamps and lanterns.

OFF! says this on their website...and they sell a candle/bucket product as well!

Both the OFF!® Mosquito Lamp and the OFF!® Hanging Mosquito Lantern are more effective than citronella candles/buckets while still providing ambiance for your deck/picnic. One Lamp or Lantern protects an area 15 times greater than a citronella candle/bucket.

 

[shortyb]

We have a storm water catch drain near our back yard. It occasionally has a bit of standing water in it and I usually throw in a BHT doughnut from the garden store. It kills the eggs/larvae before they can hatch. Lasts for a good while too. Last year I broke down and got a propane powered attractor though. 3 months on 1 20lb tank and not one bite all summer. It is fairly large and takes care or approx. 1/2 acre.

 

[Matt_S]

I understand that those propane powered mosquito machines are the best you can get. If you get one big enough, it can supposedly wipe out the entire mosquito population in your area. They can be a little pricey, but if you spend a lot of time outside, it might be worth it.

 

[SteveD2]

Anybody know where the cheapest place to get one of the propane powered models is? I'm thinknig it might be a good investment if I can take it camping with me...

 

[msparks]

I'm not a wacko environmentalist, but I do have an affinity for Bats.

Put up a couple of bat boxes to help get more of them into your area.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/batboxes.html

Bats are perhaps one of the most misunderstood groups of animals on earth.
Many people associate bats with rabies, horror movies and Halloween, although these flying mammals do not attack people.

Instead of being a menace, bats play a significant role in our environment. A major nocturnal predator of insects, bats help control populations of mosquitos, flies, beetles and moths. As few as 50 bats can eat up to 30 million insects in just one summer.

http://www.batcon.org/index.html

[ March 08, 2004, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: msparks ]

 

[sprintman]

I've got some mozzie cathcher that's basically a UV light to attract them and a fan that blows them down into water that you add some dishwashing detegent too. Works a treat when I actually remember to turn it on!

 

[DJ]

Bats are great, but I don't think all of us can get them to live in our yards. My parents have a couple of spots on thier property where bats live, and given how swampy it is there they have few bugs. The people who owned the house before them did everything they could to get rid of the bats, the first summer we were there the bugs were the worst, but we left the bats be and as they florished the bugs didn't. Another great mosquito predator is dragonflies, but I do not know how to get them to gather around your place. My parents have a lot of those too, but a lake out front and a pond out back as well as two steams, all in 2.5 acres might have something to do with the dragonfly population.

 

[shortyb]

Jason-that is indeed weird but sounds logical. The Mega Men formula I take from GNC has garlic in it too which the little buggers find unattractive too. Maybe I'll just double the dose and pump my muscles up so hard that they bend their little suckers when trying to bite

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

I know it's weird but last year I started taking some Men's ultimate multi-vitamin from Target. For the first time ever I did not get a single mosquito bite all summer. Everyone else did.
Afterwards I read on some medical website that B1 has the potential to make your blood unpleasant to mosquitos. I think it was drweil.com.
That ultimate men's from Target has a mega dose of all B-vitamins in particular. Also has other vitamins and minerals and some herbs. Doesn't seem like coincedence to me. I will try again this summer, it's worth it alone just for that! Who cares if it makes you more healthy

I think you need the mega dose that that one has, not the barely USRDA that the wimpy major brands(and store copies) have, to get that effect.