I didn't notice any, Sammy. (I'm in a weird location that's somewhere in between Norman, Moore, and OKC). But I worked outdoors in the morning until around 11:30. What time of day did you (try to) work outside?

I have a lot of mosquitoes. They are worst in the evenings or when there is no breeze. I have something like this mesh hood left over fron my birding days. I had to put that stuff on my face. Also, take a cheap dryer sheet and tuck it in near your face. Supposedly a yarrow tincture sprayed on will repel them, but I've been disappointed with herbal repellents.

I used to have a lot, but I located the probable source -- a large tank with standing water not far from house -- and bought some of those Bt "mosquito dunks" (dunkers?) from Tractor Supply. Greatly diminished mosquito population. It's basically a larvicide but is completely safe for dogs and other critters if they drink. Is it possible you could find the standing water source(s) for their breeding?

Sammy, I had that sporadically in June, July and August and then maybe in either latest September or earliest October. Those mosquito swarms seemed to develop a couple of weeks after big rainfall. I did think I was walking through a swarm of gnats at first, until the mosquitoes started landing on me and biting me. Also, I noticed exactly what you did----that these particular mosquitoes are most prone to go directly for a person's face. Usually I find they are more likely to go for my arms and legs. I've never had to swat so many mosquitoes away from my face as I have had to a certain parts of this year.

Like OkieTexan, I use Bt 'israelensis' mosquito dunks in standing water near the house, but there's nothing I can do about the three creeks that run through our property, or the swamp, or the springs that feed the swamp (in the years when the springs are running and the swamp is swampy). I know you have a creek near your property, so assuming it has water in it, that's the likely source of your skeeter swarms. I don't have any solutions. Mosquito dunks just aren't effective in running creeks the way they are in stagnant bodies of water. Like you, I abhor the use of pesticides since they kill many more beneficial insects than pesky ones.

Last winter, we stayed so warm for so long that we had mosquitoes throughout the winter, on and off, though not as heavily as we see them in warmer weather. I hope this is not going to be another winter like that.

Dawn

These have been in the front of the house away from the creek. I usually go out at about 8 and stay until 11, then return on pretty afternoons. Today I sprayed my insect repellent on my shoes and bottom of my pants, arms, hat, neck, and dabbed on my ears and face. That worked well until about 10 or so. The ground in the front is very hard and dry. The only cause I could think of were leaves packed down in the beds. (That was why I was cleaning and weeding -- to get rid of the leaves). The trees are not ours, but I sure do get the leaves.

Thanks for the responses. Dawn, your mosquitoes must have escaped, and come to Tulsa.

Sammy

I wonder if it is because y'all have been so dry overall? Maybe the mosquitoes are searching for moisture in the leaves, especially if you're having dew overnight that lingers on the leaves?

How odd has this year been? We almost never have a year in which I have had normal/average moisture and y'all have been exceptionally dry. It usually is the other way around.

On the linked map below, it is pretty easy to see where this year's rainfall deficits have been the worst. Usually good rainfall returns in autumn, but based on all the orange spots on this map, the autumn rain hasn't arrived in high enough amounts yet to offset the previous dry months.

Year-To-Date Rainfall Departure From Normal

Used to live in Tulsa and I swear the city shipped the little vampires in by the truckload. I can't use deet, so even doused with the other stuff I get bit.

They were out this morning! I stuck a dryer sheet in my hat, which kept them from my face, but all my gardening pants were in the washer, so I had shorts on. Bet I find bites later.

It was so foggy here this morning they would need GPS to find you. Ha