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In spite of the humidity and plenty of rain to create standing water I seem to have a bit less mosquitoes than I did last year... either that or I'm becoming immune to their bite. LOL They never stop being active, though they seem to bite less when I'm out at 7AM.
The White nose syndrome has reached the state but I don't think we have less bats, yet. The big difference has been an upswing in the number of nesting purple martins, barn swallows, bluebirds and other birds. If you worry about rabies- birds don't carry it. Create habitats for them (trees, bushes and birdhouses) and they'll stay and hunt for bugs and flies. Dragonflies require a similar habitat (wetland or moist are for the young to develop) and eat mosquitoes and their larvae.
We have a pond and we see dragonflies all the time. I love seeing them. I talk to them (because I'm insane) and encourage them to eat "those skeeters". My husband and I will have to look into relocating some birdhouses and buying some bat houses. Are there any flowers or plants that encourage bats, birds and/or dragonflies?
I thought that purple martins were helpful for eating mosquitoes but they really aren't--that is old wives' tale as they say
because birds are out mainly when mosquitos are dormant
areas should do public actions to get rid of mosquito habitats--like standing water environs--like China did to get rid of the house fly--
China put a bounty on flies and made people responsible for turning in so many per day or they got in trouble with their ward leaders back then...
dont think we need to go that far but when you consider that mosquitos an travel a mile or more searching for their food--then entire areas become breeding grounds--not just YOUR backyard...
We have a pond and we see dragonflies all the time. I love seeing them. I talk to them (because I'm insane) and encourage them to eat "those skeeters". My husband and I will have to look into relocating some birdhouses and buying some bat houses. Are there any flowers or plants that encourage bats, birds and/or dragonflies?
Uh, I talk to the bugs, butterflies and hummingbirds plus all of my plants. That's not insane, is it? I saw a big swallowtail in my alley the other day and I told it to fly over the fence to my backyard, but I don't think it understood English.
I don't think it's crazy talking to things either. And if I want an intelligent conversation I will talk to myself and I am serious about this not just jesting.
I don't talk to things, bugs or plants very often but you should have seen me yelling at a pair of mockingbird's yesterday. I could not go 2 feet in my front yard garden area without one or the other physically attacking me. They have a nest in one of the cherry trees out near there and have been protective of that but this was much more so than before. They actually seemed to conference and then come in from 2 sides at times. You haven't lived until you've been hit on the back by these kamikazes! Well I finally figured out what they were so obsessed about after turning the hose on them whenever they got close. One of the babies had fallen/jumped out and was hiding under one of my plants. Sometime this morning it and its nest mate(s) must have finally left the front yard because now they are guarding an area further away.
Less than 1 percent of bats get rabies and they die from it . If bats were as prone to rabies as some people think , caves could not have anywhere from 40,000 bats (gray bats ) to 20 million ( Mexican free tails )'colonies without spreading it to each other . Rabies and bats are not the problem . Ignorance and urban legends are the problem . Bats are the greatest insect control mechanism with birds being second . We need to protect them not villify them . I have a bat house in my back yard with 60 bats . It took three years to get them and they make a difference . As someone said, hummingbirds are a big help as well . Their main diet is mosquitoes, bats, and small spiders . Nectar is their energy source not the protein and minerals they need . If you are interested in bat houses , search the internet for Bat House Builders Handbook and download the PDF file. This is all you need to get started .
Less than 1 percent of bats get rabies and they die from it . If bats were as prone to rabies as some people think , caves could not have anywhere from 40,000 bats (gray bats ) to 20 million ( Mexican free tails )'colonies without spreading it to each other . Rabies and bats are not the problem . Ignorance and urban legends are the problem . Bats are the greatest insect control mechanism with birds being second . We need to protect them not villify them . I have a bat house in my back yard with 60 bats . It took three years to get them and they make a difference . As someone said, hummingbirds are a big help as well . Their main diet is mosquitoes, bats, and small spiders . Nectar is their energy source not the protein and minerals they need . If you are interested in bat houses , search the internet for Bat House Builders Handbook and download the PDF file. This is all you need to get started .
fine, maybe the rabies thing is overblown but there's no denying that bats and vampires are closely associated with each other
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I saw a big swallowtail in my alley the other day and I told it to fly over the fence to my backyard, but I don't think it understood English. 
I could not go 2 feet in my front yard garden area without one or the other physically attacking me. They have a nest in one of the cherry trees out near there and have been protective of that but this was much more so than before. They actually seemed to conference and then come in from 2 sides at times. You haven't lived until you've been hit on the back by these kamikazes! Well I finally figured out what they were so obsessed about after turning the hose on them whenever they got close. One of the babies had fallen/jumped out and was hiding under one of my plants. Sometime this morning it and its nest mate(s) must have finally left the front yard because now they are guarding an area further away.
