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Mosquitoes...HELP!

11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago

I have so many horrible, aggressive, bloodsucking vampires in my garden that I cannot even go out there to weed or harvest my veggies! I have dealt with mosquitos before but these are INSANE. We have had a lot of rain and now there are droves of them. Even heavy use of bugspray and they are still buzzing in my ears. They are even active in the heat of the midday sun.
Any suggestions? I would like to avoid anything that will affect my good bugs in the garden...but at this point I am almost desperate enough.

Comments (9)

  • 11 years ago

    First step, remove any standing water from around your garden and yard.


  • 11 years ago

    Sounds rough -- where are you? In Maine my dad bought a mosquito catcher that was quite effective. It ran, I think, on a propane cannister and used a sex lure to bring them in. Caught thousands of them and rid the area of them pretty well.

    And/or one of those hats with netting they use in the jungle, and then cover every inch of skin, gloves and all.

    Good luck!

  • 11 years ago

    Shotguns and hand grenades. Works every time.

    But yes, I was hoping with the cold winter we had, a lot of the bugs would be suppressed in the spring. But while the wet weather has been a delight in our drought conditions, it hasn't been nice mosquito-wise.


  • 11 years ago

    Grow sweet basil for repellence

  • 11 years ago

    Oh I have GOT to look into this gizmo! That sounds exactly what I need. I am about 20 miles from Ontario...and if their skeeters are anything like mine, yes they are nasty!
    Haha, would this count as standing water?! This is the "hayfield" two neighbors down from me. SO. Much. Rain.


  • 11 years ago

    Lol... yep... counts!


  • 11 years ago

    Wow. Also, old tires are notorious mosquito breeders, as are any other chachkas with any indentations. I was at a beach house last week on the outer banks of NC (bad mosquito territory) and they had a collection of shells out front, many of which had turned over and were catching rain! It doesn't have to be big standing water :) (assuming that field will eventually absorb . . . )

  • 11 years ago

    I live in Winnipeg, Canada, and used to live in coastal Alaska. Both areas infamous for mosquito problems. Here, in the burbs they fog for them and release dragon flies to eat them. But for you, since you're next to this water hole that you can't do much about and the bugs are past their larvae stage and in the air now, the only things you can do are repel or catch/kill. Here are my suggestions:

    1. put up a trap as others have suggested. I don't have a suggestion on which to use, because I don't live near a water hole and bug spray is good enough to at least harvest veggies.

    2. I know most people don't have clothes specifically for gardening... but if you were to take say the top 3 shirts and pants you would most likely wear in the garden and soak them in a permethrin solution, that will not only repel, but kill any mosquito that lands on you. Satisfying, isn't it? lol You can get high strength for horse application online and dilute it, or pay a pretty penny for the stuff in a spray can for human use. Permethrin is meant for clothing, not skin application although it does not absorb in the skin (my husband is a chemist and told me this), and will last through something like 20 washes according to the label. No odor, no colour, will not ruin clothing.

    3. Wear a bug hat with one of those nifty mesh cages that come down over your face. Sure, you'll look like a bee keeper, but it's satisfying to know they can't get to you through the mesh, try and try as they may.

    4. Put out mosquito coils... you know those green incense things.... they always seemed gimmicky to me, until I moved north and found they worked great. Skeeters hate them.

    If you can, find a way to increase your dragonfly population. They're beautiful, they don't bother people and they eat the skeeters. Last summer, the city of Winnipeg decided to try a green approach to the mosquito control and had tens of thousands of dragonflies released in the city and the parks. I would walk through open fields of grass with my 4 year old daughter, and clouds of blue/green dragonflies would rise in our wake, and hover above us. It was quite fantastical, but even better, not a mosquito in sight!


    Even if you do find a solution, never deny yourself the occasional swat! in the air... it's immensely gratifying to squash one, mid-flight! Lol

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