they are AWFUL, aren't they? I stopped counting at 50 bites on my calves a few weeks ago. Benadryl spray is one of my best friends :( Then it stopped raining all the time and the mosquitos became slightly fewer. I also gave in to using Off Family Care (unscented) - I know it's yukky. I am also using Mosquito Dunks in my self watering containers which is the only place I can access standing water (there might be some under my deck but it's too low to see under/get to).

Do you have standing water around? You may want to try Dunks, although I think it's just nature and we need to suffer through it or give in to using Off! Good luck!

Bat houses are a must. They eat tons of mosquitoes every night. Lots of plans for houses on the web, just google them. We have bats here normally and it makes a huge difference. Now if the flies would just start flying at night....

A big enough, stable enough standing water source can actually be a help. Dragonflies are, for their size, pretty voracious predators of mosquitoes, but they like stable water sources. Of course, you still want dunks.

I've never bothered to use it for gardening, but for backpacking I have complete set of mosquito-netting -- head to boot. The bugs will still try to get to you, but they won't have much luck. ;)

Tough luck with the paint :( Deet is a pretty effective solvent.

Has anyone tried those new battery-operated things that OFF! makes? I bought one but haven't really tried it yet. I was hoping someone would try it and post their experience. Usually we are inundated with mosquitoes, but so far this year we've been really lucky (I think it has something to do with the barn swallows that have taken up residence in the garage!!) Another alternative to OFF! is Avon's Skin So Soft. It works pretty good, but it does tend to be sticky. Good luck!
Edie

My back yard is a park, which is beautiful and full of birds, but also a MAJOR part of the city's city-wide drainage system. In fact, rain water from literally miles around my house drains into the man-made pond a mile down from my home off the bike path. A drainage stream practically runs right through my backyard. I know for sure this is the cause of my mosquito problem. At the same time I also know the problem is bad city-wide. My husband's boss is an avid gardener, and her house isn't anywhere near the city drainage system. She is complaining that the mosquitoes are practically carrying her away.

I know for awhile the Dept. of Natural Resources would give you a grant to put up a bat house. However, with the economy the way it is, I'm not sure those grants still exist. I might call and see if they still do. It can't hurt. All I want to do is stick the bat house in the city park, which would make it useful for everyone in the area.

I got a strange email from a friend earlier this year about using LISTERINE to combat mosquitos. Seems you just put some in a spray bottle and either spray on you like you would Off, or you can just spray it around in the air wherever you're working. I'm thinking 'talk about sticky', but it may be worth a try. What's in Listerine anyway? Anything that could hurt plants?

I'd be afraid to use Listerine. I think alcohol is in Listerine. Wouldn't that harm your plants?

At the moment I am thinking about investing in Citronella tiki torches to stick around my back yard. I would light them when I am out working in my garden. Of course, I couldn't get the torches too close to the plants so maybe it wouldn't work.

I am also going to call my Councilman tomorrow to see if he can help get a bat house idea going. I don't want a bat house too big because bat guano smells bad, even if it is good compost. The park next to my house has a prairie restoration area far away from everyone's house, which would reduce any smell issue that might come from the guano.

I use the lemon eucalyptus spray also. Sometimes I have to resort to Off. I heard the skin-so-soft works. I heard not to eat bananas during squito season. And I heard to rub on Bounce fabric softener sheets. I wonder if you could hang some up in your garden. Basil is supposed to repel squitos. I planted some. You can rub the leaves on your skin too. Just some ideas I read/heard about. I had a squito attack a couple of weeks ago so I know how you feel!

Yep, skeeters are BAD this year.

I've been using Sting-Free from Gardens Alive for the last few years. Works pretty much as advertised - lasts around 3 hours and is all natural (no deet, which is not so nice stuff). Biggest problem is it's a little pricey. The link below points to a three-bottle deal, but they also sell it by the bottle.

Rick

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardens Alive Sting-Free

We have lots of bats here in our Idaho yard, so they are actually very controlled here, but we camp a lot. I found some little patches that adhere to your clothing that have been working in the mountains this year.

They are little self-adhesive yellow stickers. My husband swears they keep them away from his face, as he has added a sticker to the underside of his hat brim.

Never know, they may work for you!!!

g

veggiefaery,
Can you be a little more descriptive about "taking the paint off my house"? Is it peeling, blistering? I can understand the overspray that hit the wall being a sticky residue but that would just wash off with water. Got any pictures? Just curious.
Thanks
Ed

Edie,

We've been using the battery operated Off devices in our attempts to keep the mosquitos away from our 3 month old baby girl. We live on a lake so we generally can't go out at night without some form of mosquito defense. But this year has been even more ridiculous than usual.

The Off device has worked relatively well. I won't say its the perfect solution, but we have had some success with it. I usually get eaten alive by mosquitos. A few weeks ago at a neighborhood picnic, I had our little one in a front carrier w/ the Off device clipped to it. Her and I stayed mosquito bite free the entire night. Of course, there was a bit of a breeze that night, so I'm sure that helped as well.

The paint isn't blistering or peeling, it is just rubbing off. Everywhere the spray hit the side of the house, you can see the spray marks. I did use soap and water, but all that did was make light spots on the house. The washcloth I used is now the color of my house. Maybe this is a bad comparison, but the Off worked a lot like how nail polish remover works on nail polish. Just kind of rubbed the paint off.

I called the 1-800 number on the back of the can to ask for advice, and the woman on the other end was very rude.
She said to me, "Of course, the back of the can tells you never to spray the product on paint because DEET can remove the paint."

I was thinking, Great, but this is after the fact so now what do I do.

The "lovely" woman told me to use rubbing alcohol, but that just left dark spots on my siding where I rubbed so I stopped using it. The soap and water mostly faded out the spray marks. I think that is as good as it gets.

gabbygadener, what are the little yellow stickers you referred to? have you used them on your legs? would love to hear more about them. I can't stand that feeling of Off and have to wash it off when I eventually come back inside.

I did use soap and water, but all that did was make light spots on the house. The washcloth I used is now the color of my house.

Yep, like I mentioned -- it's a very effective solvent.

I was thinking, Great, but this is after the fact so now what do I do.

Nothing. Disturb it as little as you can. Eventually the deet will evaporate.

veggiefaery,
Any quality exterior paint is designed to "chalk" that's how it protects itself & what is painted with it. Never rub or try to clean exterior paint with anything other than a hose & nozzle. Never use a pressure washer it will peel the paint off in an instant. Latex house paint is pretty tough, because it is never "hard" it's always somewhat soft & flexible, just hit it with the hose, NO RUBBING!
Thanks
Ed

Try this product. Heard tell it is good.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.mosquitorepellent.com/ Try this.

OOPS, just take "try this" off the link above. LOL. Goofy me. You amy also like to try eating garlic. Or wild leeks. It will help keep the bugs at bay. Hope any of these help.