HELP!!! We have been overwhelmed by aggressive, biting greenhead flies this year. This is our 4th summer with our pool, and we've never had anything like this. I'm guessing it may be related to the very wet fall and summer last year, as well as a terribly wet spring and early summer this year. I know that areas along the mid-Atlantic coast and marshes and along the Eastern Shore deal with this every year, especially New Jersey. Anyone out there have any ideas/suggestions about how to combat these bloodthirsty pests? At this point, I'm open to anything and everything (up to and including napalm... No, not quite that desperate yet, but close!)
Help With Greenhead Fly Control Around Our Pool
- Thread starter ghall6292
- Start date
Hi there,
We are in NW NJ and have been dealing with it as well. We were wondering if burning tiki torches around the pool would help at all? Haven't tried it yet because we are dealing with a leveling issue and are draining to try and temporarily fix that (fingers crossed our plan for that will work), but were just discussing it the other day.
I remember being a kid in NJ in the 80s, and having an in ground pool. Dodging horse flies was an every day pool occurrence for us. I heard my kids with their cousins in our pool the other day yelling, "horsefly, go under!" and I had a total flashback! I think my parents had a bug zapper hanging near the pool back then.
We are in NW NJ and have been dealing with it as well. We were wondering if burning tiki torches around the pool would help at all? Haven't tried it yet because we are dealing with a leveling issue and are draining to try and temporarily fix that (fingers crossed our plan for that will work), but were just discussing it the other day.
I remember being a kid in NJ in the 80s, and having an in ground pool. Dodging horse flies was an every day pool occurrence for us. I heard my kids with their cousins in our pool the other day yelling, "horsefly, go under!" and I had a total flashback! I think my parents had a bug zapper hanging near the pool back then.
Steph, thanks for the laugh with the 80s nostalgia. We all Dang near lived outside for the summer and had so many bug bite welts it looked like chicken pox.
We plant citronella plants around the pool. They grow like weeds but only last one season if you dont bring them indoors for winter. We had every bug/mosquito imaginable before and not 1 in the 3 years since. Tiki torches and citronella candles never worked for us so i was really skeptical anout the actual plants. But they work wonders for us. Even got them for the front porch now.
We plant citronella plants around the pool. They grow like weeds but only last one season if you dont bring them indoors for winter. We had every bug/mosquito imaginable before and not 1 in the 3 years since. Tiki torches and citronella candles never worked for us so i was really skeptical anout the actual plants. But they work wonders for us. Even got them for the front porch now.
Wobblerlorri
Bronze Supporter
- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
- Pool Size
- 4024
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
There's a trap you can build. It ain't pretty, but if it works, who cares? It's in this article
We are on our 3rd or 4th season with nasty flying ants that bite/sting. They actually hurt and leave a decent red welt. We have no idea where they are coming from and cannot get rid of them. They are constantly landing in our pool, on our pool floaties and end up in the skimmer basket. I'd like to blow up our trees and those of our neighbors.
Several good ideas here. I'm in the process of building a trap. I'm not much of a carpenter, but if I don't show anyone the picture of what it's supposed to look like, they'll never know, right? Thanks for the responses.