Mosquitos

I know this thread is more geared toward pests that bother plants, however, I hope I qualify as I do have on a flowered top today. Does anyone have any solutions for helping with the mosquito population around the yard. I was outside Saturday afternoon for no more than 20 minutes and I have at least 35 bites. I have been using OFF, however, as you can tell that doesn't seem to be working. I can't believe that my husband and the two guys building our shed did not get bit once (I know I'm really sweet).

The people that live behind us have a waterfall with a small pond at the bottom and they don't always keep the waterfall running but do have fish in the pond. Do you think they are breeding in there or would the fish eliminated that problem? I don't know what to do because I can't go outside and I love being in my garden.

Any help would be appreciated--I'm going to stop at the store on my way home from work and see if there is any other spray repellent that might work better.

Thanks!!!

Try Bayer Mosquito granules (?), I've just gotten mine but they are supposed to help. There is another one that comes in chunks too, but I understand the Bayer is supposed to be best. I intend to use both and alternate...

Momtwins...your neighbors fish will most likely eat the mosquito eggs/larvae. Are there any other sources of standing water nearby? I know I have to walk around here from time to time looking (DD's playground stuff, buckets, plant flats, etc all hold water so need to be emptied).

As a personal repellant, rub some fresh basil on yourself...you'll not only smell good but it'll help keep mosquitoes and flies at bay!

Hope this helps!

You are just like me. They love me no matter where I am or if there is water. There is never a visible source of standing water around my house, but the mosquitoes are always here.

I have been taking B1 and garlic to see if that deters them in some way. No luck yet, but maybe I've not done it long enough. I was remembering tonight that I have read that if you eat bananas the mosquitoes are even more attracted to you. I've been eating them every day for months. oops...

I use OFF Botanicals or Skintastic, or something like that. The Botanicals stuff is a lotion and the ingredient is not DEET, but I'm having a hard time finding it this year. Gotta go for the DEET most nights tho. I also have the OFF lanterns. They use a little wick thingy and a candle. You light the candle and then put it inside this lantern, then it heats up this wick thingy and puts out a smoke. I have one on each end of the yard and I use the one that will not be blowing on me, depending on the wind. I do watch for when neighbors are outside too. I let it burn for a while then blow it out. They work great, but you should take the wick out when you aren't using it or the rain or sprinklers will ruin it. I also have an OFF coil that I will light and sit down a ways from where ever I am working.

GardensAlive.com also has some stuff with catnip in it that I've heard works good. I might try that too. Hope this helps a little!

if mosquitos are breeding in the fish pond, they could put dunks in. they dont kill anything but skeeters. they are enviromentally safe for all water plants and animals. there is also a new product on the market, i posted it on another thread, that retails for about $100.00. it looks really great and i will be tempted to try it if the skeeters get bad around here. www.mosquitofree.com

I am also a personal mosquito magnet, and we finally bit the bullet and bought the mechanical version of same. We have two, one in the front and one in back, and it has really made a difference. This is a very expensive solution to the problem, because it involves the machine itself, octenol, a propane tank, extension cords, etc., but I can now go outdoors day or night and am rarely bitten. My gardening style is "jungle," and we have a woods and a wet gully behind us, so the mosquitoes were making life miserable. We started with one machine in the back yard, and after it had run for a week or two, the mosquitoes out back were pretty much gone. But I still couldn't work outside in the front without spraying up with Deepwoods Off (which does work for me as long as EVERY square inch of my clothes and person is covered with it) and we got the second machine. We were shocked the first time we emptied the net to see how many dead mosquitoes were in there (hundreds!). My husband saves the dead mosquitoes and uses them as a treat for the goldfish in our pond.

we had a mosquite magnet in the keys, worked great, but we didnt bring it to the new house. yes, they cost a fortune, but the no-see-ums were so bad, thats the main reason we got ours. too late for you now, but check out the website i just posted previous. this thing looks pretty good. australian made but the guy was here in florida doing a promo. i caught it on the news and looked it up.

Ahhh yes, the no-see-ums love me too! gggrrr!!

Mosquitos have always been a problem in Ottawa, but people are more aware of them now that West Nile virus has migrated this far north.

I've had good success with the OFF lanterns near me when I work in the garden. It's been so hot and sticky this year that Skintastic or Botanicals lotion just sweat off in a matter of minutes.

Ann

I've had the Bayer Mosquito out for several days and there is a decided difference in the number of mosquitoes - I'd say the numbers are cut by 3/4ths, maybe more. I didn't notice anything for two days and finally it seemed to have started working. We used the pond dunks too and have them in the chunky form too and they are also good for fungus gnats. I have the Coleman mosquito machine and we cannot tell it does a single thing and it cost a fortune, which I would gladly have paid, if it had worked but it does not...

Ours are the American Biophysics Mosquito Magnet. We learned that placement is crucial, at the edge of the yard with the prevailing winds blowing past it. That carries the carbon dioxide into the main part of the yard and draws the most mosquitoes. They were expensive, and I'm grateful that they work so well. There are no poisons, although we are contributing to global warming with the propane.

Mine was installed and maintained by professionals, it cost a fortune and it did not work. I was an absolute waste of time and money. I understand that all of the mosquito machine are alike, just different brand names. I will never buy another one unless they to a test run and it works. The Bayer Mosquito Granules works as well as anything we've ever used. We also use electric fans which are cooling, as well as blow the mosquitoes away. The bayer is about 8 per container, if you can find it at Lowes or other outlet. I order it by the case and it's two dollars cheaper, per case, and it didn't cost much to ship. Thus far, and i've only had it about a week, I believe I've used 3 containers...

Just curious, do those of you who have these machines have mosquitoes all day? I don't usually have a problem with them until the evening, but it's bothersome enough that I have to use some sort of spray. I just wonder why you have the machines rather than just using something? Well, other than that chemical stuff isn't particularly safe. I'm sure if I could afford it I would have something of the sort.

we had mosquitos and no-see-ums 24 hrs a day in the keys, some hrs. worse than others. it was unbearable and is one of the reasons we decided to leave even tho we bought the Mosquito Magnet $1800 !!! it worked ok, but not enough to justify staying there. (one of many reasons, but right up there at the top of the list) debi ps. not to give the keys a bad name, not all places are that bad there. we just happened to be back in the mangroves. uggggggggg

Oh yes, I can see needing it in that area. I have friends in LA and have wondered what I would do if I lived there!

We did have mosquitoes 24 hours, though they really settled in at dusk. I think the heavy vegetation around us is probably a factor, along with the wet area in the gulley that adjoins our property. The ones that bit in the day were the worst--small and silent. I use no poisons/chemicals in the yard, though I do put BT dunks (broken into pieces) in any yard art that can collect water, so that left spraying with Deepwoods Off as my only option. I still use Off if I'm going to be out for a long time because it repels flies and other daytime annoyances, but am mildly allergic to it and get a rash on any exposed skin. The other disadvantage to the spray is that it necessitates a shower and hairwashing, which aren't always needed otherwise. So for us the machine was a godsend, but each situation is individual.

I am wondering if the Bayer Mosquito is safe to use with pets? I'm not familiar with it, but I, too, am a mosquito magnet. The bites welp up and become infected. I can't walk out a single minute without using some sort of spray.

I'm a Golden Retriever breeder, have large litters, from time to time, and we have cats, so I never purchase granules that are not safe to animal, including birds.

i have heard there is a mixture of lemon grass and lavender granules that you spread throughout the grass that is supposed to cut down on mosquitos, has anyone tried this?

Next week I will start spraying my yard, which is a heavy water-retaining clay that I see mosquitoes actually rising out of, with a liquid form of the same Bt that is in mosquito dunks. I got it from www.groworganic.com, and it's called Vectobac. It's the stuff that gets sprayed from airplanes where there are serious West Nile concerns, and is not harmful to anything but the little nasties. I really hope this works. We are also using mosquito dunks ('donuts') in our little pond, birdbaths, everywhere. The Bt is the israelensis strain.

Zep, I use the crumbles, as well as the dunks. The only thing about using anything else is that if my neighbors don't do the same, I'll still have their mosquitoes. My Goldens live in the house and I've screened my chicken coop and I'm going to add a fan to keep the air circulating and hope it will work for the chickens...did I mention that I hate mosquitoes??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!