We live in an area with a high mosquito population. We also have rain barrels and a garden pond. We built a screen house so we can enjoy it all when the mosquitoes get bad. Not too good for kids however.
The covering is 90% greenhouse shade clothe which does an excellent job.

Hi
We live near the water/marshes and have the same problem. I do notice that when we had small trees and bushes around our house that we had more mosquitoes. But that is not what brings them, I think just the humidity in the summer brings them. Not sure really. I do spray every week though. Here is what I do. I take a few garlic cloves and a cheap oil, like veg. oil and put it in a tupperware. Maybe around 1/2 cup of oil. I let it sit for a day and then my husband puts it in a sprayer with water and sprays it all around. We never have problems anymore. Last year a guy was going around with his company card, he sprayed for mosquitoes. His natural way because he had 2 ways, was garlic. It really works. Try it. Its cheap and so easy to do. Can I ask you something? we have a salt inground pool also. We have tons of raccoons!!! we still have our cover on but I can see raccoon prints already, they are here every night. In the summer they sit on the edge of our pool and make a mess. You too????
deezie

Interesting mosquito recipe. We've been spraying malathon and then have to go inside for a couple of hours because of the smell! Does your husband spray this directly on the plants and every where, as on the grass too? Evidently it doesn't hurt the plants. And spraying about once a week is sufficient? I'm gonna start some garlic soaking this evening!! Thanks for sharing that. Does it do anything to get rid of snails? or do you have a super recipe to help get rid of those little pests> The most effective thing I have found is a big cup or baggy full of salt water to drop them in. The grandkids love to go snail hunting after dark but it's a big job when they aren't there to do it for me. They arerage 125 a night! They are eating all my plants up.

:) I don't have any snail recipes, sorry about that. Yes, you can spray the garlic right on everything. Its works so good. You can spray as many times as needed. We only need around once a week. Once you start, you may even be able to go every 2 weeks. Unless it rains. Its just easy,cheap and it really works. Good luck
deezie

For slug problems I used this because it is quick and I don't have to touch the slimy critters: put in spray bottle 1 part ammonia to about 7 parts water (though it probably could be less or more water, too, doesn't really matter) just don't use ammonia that has detergent in it. the slug curls up and dies. I went out each morning and squirted it on any I'd see. Great thing also is the ammonia doesn't hurt my flowers. It is just another form of nitrogen and my garden looked great.

You name it we tried it. Even those mosquito killing machines. NOTHING worked!!!The malathion is the most effective thing we found. I would spray malathion into my hosta garden, shade, moist, mosquitoes loved my yard. The malathion made it possible for me to weed and transplant. We could not go outside from Memorial Day to first frost. Our city began spraying, it changed our lives 100% . Now we enjoy being outside year round.

So glad I found this post as my husband has been plagued with mosquitoes this summer. The bites got infected and he is in agony. I was away, and during this time no weeding was done and I think this provides a habitat for them. They will hide among the foliage near the ground when the humidity is high, so weeding and clearing low growing branches of things like cedars keep them away. As I re-consider this recipe, I wonder if the garlic is really active. A coating of any kind of oil on open water will keep mosquitoes away...it prevents them getting oxygen which the larvae need to survive and I remember my father doing that when we were kids. I will try them both. Thanks for posting.

In my opinion mosquitos love arborvitae and other variants of them. I know because i have them and have seen it for myself. Dont plant arbs plant skip laurel instead. If you like mosqitoes then plant arbs. There i said it.