At war with mosquitoes

[akmyilee]

And I am losing - We have young children, I am attempting to garden organically - we are being over ran. I know that we live in SC and it is humid and wet but it is really out of control. By evening it is like Pigpen on Peanuts, they just swarm us (well, for some reason they don't like my older son and my husband as much, though they do get some). I have been spraying around the fence line and under the deck. It is NOT helping, at all- I don't know what to do - it really makes it unpleasant to be outside and unhealthy for the little kids. Any ideas?

[tinknal]

There is really not a lot you can do when they are bad. The best thing is just to learn when they are active and schedule around those times. It's no fun to garden in hot sunshine, but the skeeters will be shaded up then.

The other night my window screens looked like they had grown a pelt.

[pattycake]

I suggest Avon's SkinSoSoft bath oil. Put it on full strength using a cotton ball. It works like a charm. You need to head staight to the shower or bath afterwards but it also makes the skin soft and smooth. While it works well for me it gives my son a sick headache just to smell it.

[greif]

i know a few people with the mosiqutoes magnet things with the propane tanks...they say they work great..... it does burn propane and electric though

[ChristieAcres]

Mosquitoes are drawn to women, due to Estrogen. Lucky us They are also attracted to black and dark colors. They are deterred by Garlic, and a number of other herbs. There are homemade products you can make to deter them. One HTer recommended rubbing Lemon Balm leaves on clothing/skin/putting in pocket (stains light clothing, warning he gave). If you make your own products to deter them, be very careful. Herb oils can be very strong and have to be very carefully used in small quantities.

I used the Lemon Balm leaves and it works! Suffice to say, I have a LOT of Lemon Balm plants, now! That smells a lot better than Garlic, too.

Here is more info on how to use Lemon Balm to deter those dreadful bloodsuckers:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5012118_grow...repellent.html

[FunnyRiverFarm]

We live near swamps/wetlands and have the same issue with getting swarmed at times. When we are having a really bad skeeter hatch It does not matter what time of day it is or how hot the sun is...as soon as you step outside you will be covered in them. Mosquitos repellents are not very effective in these situations...which is fine because I have no desire to drench myself in toxic junk everytime I want to go outside.

Here's my solution--tight weave, loose fitting clothing in neutral colors...I cover every inch of my body (long pants, long sleeves, gardening gloves) and wear a brimmed hat and mosquito netting around my face. You have to make sure the clothing is LOOSE everywhere and the fabric not to flimsy or they will bite right through it. Yes, I sweat my buns off when it is 95 degrees but it is better than being eaten alive. I try to do outdoor activities in the morning and evening when it is cooler as much as possible...and I try to do more on windy days because the wind keeps them at bay.

[snoozy]

White Cypress oil works fabulously well.

[ChristieAcres]

Fortunately, I don't live near swamps or wetlands. However, I live in the WET PNW! We get 58" of rainfall per year. Our property has 5 acres of forest, lots of ferns, and moss hanging from the trees. You take a hike in our forest and you are covered in mosquitoes UNLESS you use something that deters them. I was outside, rubbed with just Lemon Balm, with a tank top on. Not a single bite! I tested that on the outside of my clothing, they would get near and fly off. If you prefer to smell like Garlic, they won't go near you and neither will anyone else... Basil deters them, too. Marigolds deter them, and the list goes on and on. Eucalyptus work, too. I like that smell, also.

When I began researching more about deterring mosquitoes, I planted a lot of things that deter them, have Lemon Balm in my home office. I hardly see them near our home, now. Guess they'd rather go after critters that aren't into herbs, LOL.

Here is an informative link:

http://www.thefrugallife.com/mosquitoes.html

[hippygirl]

I don't know where in SC you are located, but if there's an Arrow Exterminators that services your area, call them. They offer a mosquito service that actually works, but it's a monthly application. They guarantee it 100%.

DH works in pest control and he's been doing a LOT of mosquito jobs this year.

[txquilter]

I can attest the the Avon Skin so Soft bath oil as well. I actually use it in the shower after I've washed up. I rub it all over my skin and then rinse off. I do this two to three times a week when the mosquitos are out and they stay off of me. If I don't do it then I certainly feel it very quickly as those little critters just LOVE me!

The Lemon Balm plants are great too. You could plant some of those around your garden area and have a few up by your house. The plants alone should help send the mosquitos packing.

They are terrible here in Texas as well so I know exactly what you're going through.

[ChristieAcres]

Lemon Balm as a plant won't deter them, but the leaves crushed and rubbed on clothing/skin does. Basil as a plant does deter them. That is a plant recommended to be near all your doors (in a pot outside your door).

I have also used Avon Skin So Soft and it is very effective. DH hates the smell of it, so I will stick to Lemon Balm We are hikers and that includes up to the Alpine Meadows/lakes. There, they descend in clouds, just awful. The last time we hiked to an Alpine Lake (Boulder Lake in the Olympics), I was fortunate to have some Avon SSS with me and it worked great!

There are a lot of websites with natural recipe's to deter mosquitoes from you and your skin. Other websites recommend plants that deter them. Others will list the plants that can be used (like crushing Lemon Balm which releases the Citronel). Lemon Balm actually contains Citronel and has been a proven deterrent.

If we had a mosquito problem as bad as some have posted, I would go right to the source and work on eradicating them. I don't know what the Pest Control Svcs use, but hope it is safe & works!

On the Lemon Balm in my home office? I want one handy to harvest leaves from when I go out my attached porch, at mosquito time. The plant itself is not a deterrent as I stated above.

Here is another link:

http://www.naturalhealthezine.com/pl...pel-mosquitos/

[NickieL]

you can buy mosquite head nets at outdoor stores for a few bucks, it helps here in swamp land to keep the them from getting your ears.

[rowan57]

Try and eliminate sources of standing water (constant puddles etc.) as that is where they breed. Long sleeved light coloured clothing. A good insect spray. If you have screens over the windows spray them with a deterrent like you use for mozzy nets. Spray inside your house on a regular basis, taking particular note of "under" surfaces, under tables, chairs etc. as thats where they congregate during the day (hence all the bites on legs during the evening.). Unfortunately there is realistically little you can do outside, but you can try and minimize them.

[highlands]

Chickens, ducks and other eaters of insects make a huge difference. Plus we put out the Bt which is a natural bacterium that makes mosquitoes sick and die in the larval stage.

[akmyilee]

Thanks - so much great information!

I do have Lemon Balm and Basil and Marigolds. I bought a ton of Marigold and put them dispersed throughout the yard and garden beds. My grandma keeps saying she is going to to send me some Skin So Soft that is what she always used on us when we were kids. I am going to try mashing up the Lemon Balm. Off to read the links. Thanks again.


(those are for my kids, but they accurately illustrate how I feel about this issue)

[brosil]

To a certain extent, it depends on the mosquitoes. Mine are attracted to garlic. 100% DEET will hold most of them off except the Asian Tigers. I think steel plate will stop them. I can usually work the garden in the mornings. My mosquitoes sleep late. I wish the deer flies would. Good luck.

[Windy in Kansas]

I'd spend the $10 or less it takes to buy a gallon of hydrogen peroxide from a beauty supply store for a mosquito control experiment.

Spray your property with it and see if it helps. You'll have to do some searching as I don't have a link bookmarked on dilution and application rates.

[NickieL]

i have lemon balm everywhere....and I have mosquitoes everywhere....not really effective imho.

[jmtinmi]

Did you know the the Plantain Weed is great for stopping the itch of a bite? Crush a leave and rub it on the bite. I read this in a gardening magazine years ago and it works!

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/plantain.htm

Also, there was a product that we used when we lived in Virginia. I used it on my toddler so he could play outside during the worst of the season. It is called OFF! Botanicals, and I don't know if it is still available. I was amazed at how well it worked and it states on the bottle 'plant based repellent'. You might want to try it.

[cfabe]

They have not been too bad this year for us, but when it gets real bad, we use 100% DEET. Applied properly it's very effective. You have to cover all exposed skin with it, so use your hands to spread it around.