Mosquitoes are killing us!

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Darlene13

Darlene13

0
Jun 10, 2014
155
Winnipeg, Canada
Hi, everyone!

The mosquitoes are attacking us as soon as we step on the grass. We have lots of trees and a big yard. Those small lanterns are not enough for our area, so I'm looking at one of those propane units, something like: Blue Rhino SkeeterVac, Mosquito Magnet, Koolatron Guardian Pro Biteshield. If anyone has units like one of these or a similar one, please give me your feedback on pros and cons, and whether it actually works!! Our summers here are so short to have them not be enjoyable, and I'm just fed up with all the bites!!

Thanks!
 
We use the lawn spray by cutter or Off that hooks onto your garden hose 2-4 times over the summer. It has worked pretty well and we can stay out till about 10pm without being bothered too much. We had a propane skeeter trap and had lots of problems. Replacement parts are expensive. We decided it was not worth the expense to run it. I am in Central MN :)
 
These mosquitoes are coming from stagnant water somewhere. I live in the desert so this is not hard to figure out. however if you can find the sourece I believe 70% of your problem is solved...... Wiothout finding your source you will probably need to spray your grass/shrubs/landscaping at least once a week. I hope it works out for you.
 
Back2BasicsMom said:
We use the lawn spray by cutter or Off that hooks onto your garden hose 2-4 times over the summer. It has worked pretty well and we can stay out till about 10pm without being bothered too much. We had a propane skeeter trap and had lots of problems. Replacement parts are expensive. We decided it was not worth the expense to run it. I am in Central MN :)
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I've used similar products with good results. Spray those plus tiki torches for minor help and ambiance works well. Canada can be much worse than even here for mosquitoes and flies in the summer. I learned that on a few fishing trips to Manitoba.
 
JVTrain said:
I've used similar products with good results. Spray those plus tiki torches for minor help and ambiance works well. Canada can be much worse than even here for mosquitoes and flies in the summer. I learned that on a few fishing trips to Manitoba.
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I thought I knew what mosquitos were until I went fishing in Canada. I had no idea how bad they can be.
 

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The first thing I would check for is stagnant water somewhere nearby. An often-overlooked source is clogged gutters. I had this problem at my former house which also had lots of trees on the lot. Once I got on the ladder, found that I basically had a stagnant river in my gutters. Once I removed the clog, the water was able to drain and the mosquito population decreased noticeably. If this turns out to be the problem, you may look into some sort of gutter-guard product to keep tree debris from accumulating in the gutters.

Another angle on dealing with this problem is to consider the use of natural repellents. Here are a few ideas that not only work, but have been found to be more effective than commercial chemical insecticides in repelling mosquitos:



  1. Catnip—According to research at the American Chemical Society, the essential oil found in the herb catnip is about 10 times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0828075659.htm)
  2. Citronella—I'm a fan of the old-school citronella candles. Use only pure essential oil of citronella—not fragrance oil. Citronella can also be applied topically, however make sure to use a high quality citronella essential oil from a natural food store. While it’s not as effective as catnip, it’s still a good option.
  3. Neem oil or Neem Seed oil: According to a study by the US National Research Council, Neem oil is more effective than DEET. The results were confirmed by scientists at the Malaria Institute in India and in research cited in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. (http://www.researchgate.net/publicat..._indica%29_oil)
  4. Organic soy oil—Research cited in The New England Journal of Medicine found that repellents made of soybean oil are just as effective as DEET-containing repellents.

Read more here: http://thelittlegreenapple.com/artic...epellents.html

Other essential oils that make good mosquito repellents include Lemon Eucalyptus Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Rosemary Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Cedar Oil, Peppermint Oil, Clove Oil, Geranium Oil.

If you plan on applying any of these topically, I would first apply a small amount in a localized area as a test to see if you have an allergic reaction. If no allergic reaction is found, then I would suggest mixing the essential oils with a carrier such as a thin oil, witch hazel, or vodka (though I can think of better uses for the latter:wink:). This will make a good spray product. Avoid using plain water since oil & water do not mix. You can also apply these products to cotton balls and place them in a small wide-mouth jar or similar implement. I have done this with peppermint oil and it has definitely made a difference.

Since you live on a wooded lot, you will always have more of a mosquito problem than those who live on an open lot. Try wear lighter-colored clothes when you will be on the patio especially from late-afternoon through dusk. Mosquitos are attracted to darker colored clothes since it resembles foliage to them and, since most mosquitos do not like direct sunlight, they will seek shade.
 
Great info Bo! :)

I have also read some good feedback with regard to this product: http://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Barr...id=1406129700&sr=8-1&keywords=mosquito+gallon

I've been tempted to try as we are on two acres and surrounded by other farms... which I am sure have standing water.

This year has been especially bad with all of the rain we've had.

The bug zapper and tiki torches help. But last Saturday night swimming nothing seemed to keep them away.

They were out with a vengeance!
 
Waldog said:
Great info Bo! :)

I have also read some good feedback with regard to this product: http://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Barr...id=1406129700&sr=8-1&keywords=mosquito+gallon

I've been tempted to try as we are on two acres and surrounded by other farms... which I am sure have standing water.

This year has been especially bad with all of the rain we've had.

The bug zapper and tiki torches help. But last Saturday night swimming nothing seemed to keep them away.

They were out with a vengeance!
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I've used this product before and it definitely works. It's made from concentrated garlic and is very safe to use around kids & pets. If you use it regularly the effect improves. It also works best if you start early in the season before the Mosquitos get really bad. Or at least that's what I've read, I never remember to use it until we have an infestation.
Arny
 
I use Mosquito Barrier too. Works great.

I also have used Dr. T's Mosquito Repellent granules that I got at the Feed Store. Its all natural, just sow it around the yard by hand and you're done. Works almost as good as Mosquito Barrier.

I haven't been bit but maybe twice in the last month.

Waldog said:
Great info Bo! :)

I have also read some good feedback with regard to this product: http://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Barr...id=1406129700&sr=8-1&keywords=mosquito+gallon

I've been tempted to try as we are on two acres and surrounded by other farms... which I am sure have standing water.

This year has been especially bad with all of the rain we've had.

The bug zapper and tiki torches help. But last Saturday night swimming nothing seemed to keep them away.

They were out with a vengeance!
Click to expand...
 
Hi. So we are in a heavily wooded area and Mosquitos are a huge problem for us. We have tried almost everything.

- in the Spring when it's more rainy, I throw Mosquito Dunks in the wetland/pond areas near our house to help control the larvae. No idea if/what impact these have, but I have faith!

- Skeeter Vac - simply didn't work and we spent a LOT of money on propane.

- Dynatrap - bought 2 of these this year. They do catch a lot of bug, mostly moths, but not enough Mosquitos to be worth it.

- Mosquito Squad - did this one season (professional spraying every 2 wks), it works very well for 3-4 days, but they only spray every 2-3 wks, so you can figure out how that goes. And it's very expensive. When we had our big summer party , they came over the day before and did an additional garlic treatment, so our backyard smelled like an Italian restaurant (which I like, but not for an August Summer cookout), and I have since read that the whole garlic theory is ineffective.

- Tiki torches - we have about 8 of these surrounding our pool area, and we use BiteFighter fuel. I still feel this is one of the best deterrents, but takes a lot of messy effort to refill them throughout the season.

Bottom line is that it's a constant battle that needs to be fought on many fronts. We still run the electric Dynatrap, light the tikis every night, use the zapper tennis racquets during the witching hour, and use Off spray on the bad nights (the dry formula is much more tolerable). And we are considering getting a couple old fashioned bug zappers, which I have a feeling will be the most effective. Oh, and on the nights that we light the fire pit, that seems to be the most effective. Good luck!
 
Waldog said:
Bats! Bat guano has been confirmed as the source of MERS and SARS... I'll skip the bats...
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The chances of getting sick from a bat are almost zero. For example, the CDC states 1 to 2 people per year contract rabies from bats in the US. I have lots of bats around my pool, all they want to do is eat mosquitoes and stay away from me and my dogs. I just wish I had about 100 more.

Bug zappers attract more bugs than they kill. And they kill beneficials.

A good fan is about the best thing I've found.
 
Good point on the fan. We have one in our pergola and it seems to help quite a bit. That said ya can't cover your whole backyard in fans (at least we can't). We've always considered the bathouse thing, but I've heard it takes several years for it to have an impact. ?
 

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