Skeeter Time...What to do, what to do!!!!!!!

[boggybranch]

Skeeters try to tote me off, everytime I go out (COULD'T be from all the rain-water vessels scattered around the place......Naw). I don't, really, relish the thought of using a "DDT" type spray. The VERY best alternative that I have come across is "Skin So Soft". Put it on and, I promise, not a single skeeter will bite you.......and it's TOTALLY safe. Best part....it doesn't take much, so a bottle goes a loooong way. Spray a little in your hand and rub it on exposed skin, and off you go......worry free.

 

[lesa]

And you smell so sweet!!! The other night I was out in the yard late- no bites. I came in and sat down on the couch and got 4 or 5 bites. I was sure happy when I finally swatted that bug!!

 

[boggybranch]

Wish someone would come up with a skeeter blight.

 

[ducks4you]

Here is just another pestering to suggest you do your gardening work early in the morning when ALL of the bugs are down. Did you know that if you're going to have afternoon/evening rain, you won't have dew in the morning? No dew...no skeeters, either.

Here's something else. Eliminate ALL unnecessary pooling water from your property. I have to keep a 100 gallon horse trough, but I keep about 15 feeder fish in it during the summer to eat mosquito larvae.

AND...if you have a pond, make it friendly to dragonflies, because their larvae eat mosquito larvae and the adults eat adult mosquitos.
http://www.gardeningclub.com/all-ab...rticleview/articleid/115/dazzling-dragonflies
"Select the right plants. Dragonflies and damselflies are not picky, so any native aquatic or wetland vegetation will work. Plants that will thrive in your pond include bulrush, pickerelweed, cattail, and water lily. For spots around the pond, consider blue flag iris, cardinal flower, red-twig dogwood, summersweet, and winterberry holly."
AND, here is another skeeter killer:
http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/bti.html
As ALWAYS,

 

[digitS']

Wish someone would come up with a skeeter blight.

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

digitS'

 

[boggybranch]

Wish someone would come up with a skeeter blight.

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

digitS'

I have read about this "stuff". But I was thinking, more in terms, of a blight that would make the adults "beaks" fall off.

 

[whamby2]

I agree - Avon's Skin So Soft (Original Scent) is very effective in keeping the skeeters and knats off. I use the body lotion and it works great but understand that the oil works well too.

 

[wifezilla]

If you have large water containers that are breeding the skeeters, get some rosy minnows. They will gobble up the larvae for you. Around here they are only 12 each at the pet store. They are sold as feeder fish.

 

[ducks4you]

I hadn't considered minnows. My feeder goldfish cost 19 cents/each. Could I just set the minnows free in a stream in the Fall?

 

[patandchickens]

I know everyone recommends Avon Skin-So-Soft but I have been REPEATEDLY sucked into trying it, a number of times, in three different states and one canadian province, over the past twelve or so years, and NOT ONCE has it done squat against the local types of mosquitos. Alas

Please do not set aquarium/baitfish/ornamental-pond minnows "free" into a local stream, oftentimes they are not native and you don't want to get a big problem started, and moreover they are quite often carrying serious diseases and parasites (even if they look ok to you) and a lot of natural fish populations have been really decimated that way :/

Bt mosquito dunks/granules work real well in a fishless pond, when used as directed and when you put them in while the skeeter larvae are still smallish.

For those who (like me) have a serious big mosquito problem, though, remember that virtually all of them are coming from ELSEWHERE, not on your property, so there is not a great deal you can do about breeding other than (obviously) not giving them even *more* breeding grounds.

I have been trying that garlic-oil/garlic-extract spray this year -- if applied at 2x label strength (which is totally safe, just more expensive) and rather heavily, it does seem to be useful in discouraging HEAVY congregations of our mosquitos from particular areas. You might give it a try.

There are many many dozens of mosquito species in North America, though, with very different habits, and no repellent works equally well on all them.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat