Mosquitoes are terrible this summer

tarheelmatt

Does anyone recommend a yard spray or anything else that one can use for mosquitoes?  These things are horrendous this year for some reason. 

My three month old little girl loves being outside, but cannot really take her out due to these things.  I have searched to take care of any standing water I could find but they are still around. 

BigWings

I wouldn't be too inclined to spray chemicals that a 3-month old might get exposed to (or yourself!)

I have a 5 gallon metal bucket that I light a smudge in, which basically gives me a smoldering portable campfire.  Just put it downwind of where your family is hanging out and you will greatly reduce the flying varmints.

SGH

@tarheelmatt‌
If you find anything that works let me know. We are plagued with them.

otter

Here in Michigan, Grand Rapids, there is company called mosquito squad, a friend uses them and the kids can play outside 1/2 hr. after they spray. He says it works good.

Mattman3969

I bought at Rural King and use it about 3 times a summer. It will definitely help. The label says safe for children and pets after the fog is gone. I do it after dark as to not freak the neighbors out. And needless to say I will do it atleast 2 days before the granddaughter comes over.

Eggcelsior

Plant some lemon grass or cat mint on the periphery of the play area. I have zero issues with mosquitoes. I live near a creek that floods during heavy storms so the little flying friends are always an issue. My wife has this magical power to attract any and all mosquitoes in the area to her. She'll get bit 6 times in the 5 minutes she is outside and I get
0. Planting the above mentioned plants solved the issue without chemicals. I too have little ones so that is a concern as well.

Griff2w2

Off and a slew of other brands have a pre mixed spray that attaches to a hose. Most say pet and child safe after it dries and they really do work. I have a 6 month old puppy and she hasn't had a single issue

Eggcelsior

Also, do you have any bushes that have growth near the ground? Prune them along the bottom as this is an area mosquitoes breed. Neighbors too.

tarheelmatt

This appears to me our issue too.  I have 0 and the wife 30.  Was out picking veggies Monday evening and the wife couldn't stand it, so she went back into the house with the baby. 

Eggcelsior said:

Plant some lemon grass or cat mint on the periphery of the play area. I have zero issues with mosquitoes. I live near a creek that floods during heavy storms so the little flying friends are always an issue. My wife has this magical power to attract any and all mosquitoes in the area to her. She'll get bit 6 times in the 5 minutes she is outside and I get 0. Planting the above mentioned plants solved the issue without chemicals. I too have little ones so that is a concern as well.

tarheelmatt

Nah, not really.  I don't really have any neighbors.  Will try some of the plants you indicated to see if that helps first.  I hate chemicals. 

Eggcelsior said:

Also, do you have any bushes that have growth near the ground? Prune them along the bottom as this is an area mosquitoes breed. Neighbors too.

Cavan806

I use Talstar P.  It has been a game changer for me.  I live in an older neighborhood in Charlotte, NC with a lot of mature landscape.  The mosquitoes have always been brutal.  I have tried the companies that come out and spray but they were never as effective as using Talstar P for me.  Check it out.  Its worth giving it a try.  You gotta spray it in all the bushes and make sure you get it under the leaves on the trees and bushes as much as possible.  This stuff is very safe.  I too had concerns about the kids and dogs after an application but I was assured by every exterminator I talked to as well as a few chemist friends that this stuff is safe.  Regardless I still don't let anyone out there until the stuff has dried.  Try and spray during the heat of the day because that is when the blood-suckers are usually laying up and you can get them while they are resting.  This stuff is good to use in the house as well.  Like I said check it out and do your research on and I think you will like what you see.

Cheers!

http://www.amazon.com/Talstar-Insecticide-Termiticide-Bifenthrin-Mosquitoes/dp/B00409QKRY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403096702&sr=8-1&keywords=Talstar

fishlessman

i use deep woods off but theres lots of deet-free sprays out there. lots of lyme disease ticks up here in newengland this year

Scott805

I had installed a mosquito misting system around by back yard several years ago and have been essentially bug free since.  It pumps out pyrethrum twice a day for 45 seconds.

NPHuskerFL

Our county just drove thru last evening with the big truck foggers. Check your area but, here they spray occasionally. The mosquitos haven't been taking us away this year but, the no-see-ums and yellow flies have been horrible. Call the county etc dept of health and disease prevention and maybe they have a program similar to what we have here.

jimreed777

Hey Matt...you in NC?

I am in Raleigh and I have licked them in my yard. Neighbor brought in fresh sod. Asian tigers dont need standing water to breed. Just moist soil. Eggs can lay dormant for almost a year at a time and hatch within MINUTES after rain. Sod farms are INFESTED. That coupled with fresh mulch for just about every neighbor (which, you guessed it, brought in more larve and adults in the moist mulch) and the loooooong and wet winter here made this season the worst.

I use the burgess fogger to fog once a week at dusk or dawn. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

There are two main reasons I fog at dusk and dawn.

1) pollinating insects are not active during the evening. I don't have any bee hives on my property and I dont want to be killing bees by fogging plants and flowers during the day.

2) You want to fog when it will lay thick and heavy and linger in your yard. There is almost ZERO wind at dusk and dawn.

This will kill off the adults that are camping out on the underside of leaves, dark areas under a porch, etc. Adults are most active between 10 am and 3 pm.

For standing water and THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, moist soil,  I sprinkle mosquito bits after or just before rain. If you know your property, you will know which areas are wetter then others after a rain. Make sure you look in your sprinkler valve beds for standing water, I missed those until I opened one and there were a hundred mosquitoes in it.

For eggs and other pest control - pump sprayer and Talstar P all over the grass, fences, dark areas under porches, bushes, etc. This kills all the baddies in your yard. It is 100% the same stuff that pest control guys charge you a fortune to spray once every couple months.

For the fogging liquid...don't buy the small bottles. Those contain about .25% Pyrethrin

Buy one of these: Fogging liquid this contains 3%. I have found 1% works best. Cut it with 100% food grade mineral oil. 

I have been doing this routine for 3 years now and those are the best prices and places to buy what you need.

I don't have a mosquito problem anymore. Neighbors cannot even be in their yard without getting eaten alive. I have more info for you if you want to PM me. If you are local, I don't even mind showing you the best way to use the fogger and give you some tips.

jimreed777

Scott805 said:

I had installed a mosquito misting system around by back yard several years ago and have been essentially bug free since.  It pumps out pyrethrum twice a day for 45 seconds.

I have read great things about this and decided to try the fogging mainly because of the up front cost of the misting system. But I may still switch over if I find a deal on parts.

stemc33

+1 with what @NPHuskerFL‌ about checking into a county program. I never thought of Wyoming to be a buggy place, but we get our fair share of West Nile here. There always seems to be some kind of controversy about mosquito control(pro and con) though. Personally I agree with using approved chemicals for mosquito control vs chancing west Nile outbreaks.

Carolina Q

That's what I like about the South.

 I saw one mosquito the other day. No coons either.  )

gdenby

2 things attract mosquitoes. Skin temperature and scent. Women and children tend to have warmer skins, and women tend to use fragrances. Can't do much about skin temp, but making sure clothes don't have scents rinsed or dried into them, and using scent free deoderant helps. Consuming garlic is supposed to help, as are doses of B-12. My wife and kids often spent many hours in the woods, and my wife still does. She always has deet based sprays w. her, and so far that has not been a problem. I've read that if on is sitting around, open bowls of vinegar are repellant to mosquitos. The vinegar also makes and effective weed suppressant.

Eggcelsior

gdenby said:

2 things attract mosquitoes. Skin temperature and scent. Women and children tend to have warmer skins, and women tend to use fragrances. Can't do much about skin temp, but making sure clothes don't have scents rinsed or dried into them, and using scent free deoderant helps. Consuming garlic is supposed to help, as are doses of B-12. My wife and kids often spent many hours in the woods, and my wife still does. She always has deet based sprays w. her, and so far that has not been a problem. I've read that if on is sitting around, open bowls of vinegar are repellant to mosquitos. The vinegar also makes and effective weed suppressant.

I have read these things too and find the first point humorous, ancedotally. I run warmer than my wife and she wears no scents, including unscented deodorant. I wear Old Spice deodorant. They gnaw on her and leave me alone. I may get one bite and she gets 12. My daughters are turning out the same way. Eldest rarely gets it and the youngest is lunch.

nolaegghead

I try keeping the blood alcohol level up to where if they bite me, like Frontline or Advantage, they die (and they die happy).

Fred19Flintstone

CO2 attracts the bloodsuckers as well. I've been visiting a lot of agricultural property for work lately and the mosquitoes have been brutal. I use Deep Woods Off and it keeps them away. I forgot to get some a couple of Weeks ago and I got munched! I think they took about a pint! Take precautions people.

tarheelmatt

Skin temp I don't think plays a big roll.  Like @Eggcelsior, I run hot.. My wife wears a fleece in the house in summer. 

Eggcelsior

tarheelmatt said:

Skin temp I don't think plays a big roll.  Like @Eggcelsior, I run hot.. My wife wears a fleece in the house in summer. 

I'm guessing going to bed is brutal for you too. She has the down comforter on and I'm on top of the sheets with 2 fans blowing.

nolaegghead

nonanal.  Not to be confused with non-anal.  This chemical is crack to skeeterz.

http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2009/10/28/scientists-identify-key-smell-that-attracts-mosquitoes-to-humans?s_cid=rss:scientists-identify-key-smell-that-attracts-mosquitoes-to-humans

nolaegghead

FYI - This stuff is in perfume.  Works in concert with CO2 to attract some mosquitos. I love chemistry.

Nonanal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nonanal[1]
IUPAC name[hide] Nonanal
Other names[hide] Nonanaldehyde Nonaldehyde Pelargonaldehyde Aldehyde C-9
Identifiers
CAS number	124-19-6
PubChem	31289
ChemSpider	29029
UNII	2L2WBY9K6T
Jmol-3D images	Image 1
SMILES [show]
InChI [show]
Properties
Molecular formula	C9H18O
Molar mass	142.23862
Appearance	Colourless liquid
Density	0.827
Melting point	-18 °C
Boiling point	191 °C
Solubility in water	Insoluble
Related compounds
Related aldehydes	Octanal Decanal
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C (77 °F), 100 kPa)
(verify) (what is: /?)
Infobox references

Nonanal, also called nonanaldehyde, pelargonaldehyde or Aldehyde C-9, is an alkyl aldehyde. A colourless, oily liquid, nonanal is a component of perfumes. Although it occurs in several natural oils, it is produced commercially by hydroformylation of 1-octene.^[2]

Mosquitoes

Nonanal has been identified as a compound that attracts Culex mosquitoes.^[3][4] Nonanal acts synergistically with carbon dioxide.^[5]

tarheelmatt

Yes, especially now with the little one.  I like it around 68-69 in the house.. She prefers much higher.  Typically around 74°, but always seems to creep to 76° at night in our bedroom (per the baby monitor). 

Since the baby, I can only run the box fan beside me.  The ceiling fan had to be turned off.  She said that was to much air for the baby.  I think its a good excuse to get one fan off! 

Eggcelsior said:

Skin temp I don't think plays a big roll.  Like @Eggcelsior, I run hot.. My wife wears a fleece in the house in summer. 

I'm guessing going to bed is brutal for you too. She has the down comforter on and I'm on top of the sheets with 2 fans blowing.

tarheelmatt

nolaegghead ... Only fragrant items I wear is my soap/shampoo I use.  Deodorant is non-scent and I wear no cologne. 

Zmokin

Nothing works as good as Deet.  I've been backpacking in the mountains during the hatch after snow-melt and they can be so thick you have to breathe through your nose so as not to inhale them, but with 100% Deet (aka REI Jungle Juice), they stay off the skin.  I tried a non-Deet repellent once and was eaten alive.  Never again, will I go backpacking without my Deet.

nolaegghead

DEET is good stuff.  I remember synthesizing it for a lab in college.  Got a pretty good yield of around 18 mL or so of nearly 100% pure DEET.  Used the stuff afterwards, probably helps explain why I'm mad.

fishlessman

this was the really good stuff.....if you survived you are bite free


they took it off the market some 30 years ago but i still have a bottle in my fly fishing vest