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You COULD get a few bat houses, and that would do a lot for the mosquito population, or put up a purple martin house (to late for this year, but next year get it out by March) as they eat nothing but flying bugs and are wonderful to watch build their little communities of families!
I find that taking Vit B complex each day for about 5 days and then they don't bite me anymore at all...seems that Vit B makes a "smell" that the female mosquito does not like. Trust me, I live in S Texas (San Antonio) and when I forget my B Vitimans for a day or two, they REMIND ME quickly to get back on it. Again, takes about a week before totally effective, so give that a try! You can buy any Vit B complex at Walmart or HEB cheap. Just need the one per day.
Living near a greenbelt area is wonderful, except for these darn critters that want to eat you alive!!!
Hope this helps!
Good points. I will add the following: also have a couple of bird feeders around the yard.
Use a professional service every 4 weeks or more as needed. That stuff is evidently not good enough.
We live in northeast Texas across from a creek, and we use a professional service every four weeks during the breeding season. Zero mosquitoes and we can enjoy our shaded patio and lush green back yard for all of spring, summer and fall. Prior to using this service, we did have a significant mosquito issue.
Sigh....just an update. Another round of rain and this time the ground is so wet it can't hold anymore. cue in standing water. Yesterday, my friend stood outside waiting for us to arrive home and she was bitten three times. Applied "natural repellent" (ecosmart) on her and we went outside to enjoy the sunset and we actually watched the mosquitoes zoom in on us and harass us, even with repellent on. In a span of several minutes, she received an additional eight bites, I received two. Eventually I had to turn to DEET. Ugh. She, unfortunately, broke out in huge puffy welts and had to take Benadryl. I feel awful...
The mosquito service (which is also our regular pest control service, which is excellent) isn't working. They spray this fruit juice and garlic mixture and obviously it isn't as appealing as humans. I give up. We have a beautiful, large backyard that we can't use without smelling like OFF! I'm actually going to use myself as bait and go outside with the citronella candle. I'll try anything at this point...
Sigh....just an update. Another round of rain and this time the ground is so wet it can't hold anymore. cue in standing water. Yesterday, my friend stood outside waiting for us to arrive home and she was bitten three times. Applied "natural repellent" (ecosmart) on her and we went outside to enjoy the sunset and we actually watched the mosquitoes zoom in on us and harass us, even with repellent on. In a span of several minutes, she received an additional eight bites, I received two. Eventually I had to turn to DEET. Ugh. She, unfortunately, broke out in huge puffy welts and had to take Benadryl. I feel awful...
The mosquito service (which is also our regular pest control service, which is excellent) isn't working. They spray this fruit juice and garlic mixture and obviously it isn't as appealing as humans. I give up. We have a beautiful, large backyard that we can't use without smelling like OFF! I'm actually going to use myself as bait and go outside with the citronella candle. I'll try anything at this point...
Bats and dragonflies will eat thousands of mosquitoes. You should try to attract both to your property (although be aware, bats will also eat dragonflies!)
Something cheap, a big fan. Mosquitoes and wind don't mix so long as the wind is strong enough. Just stay in one place, but that might get old.
This is exactly what we did when I lived in the Everglades. You cannot hang out outside without dealing with a TON of mosquitoes. All that stuff, the lights, the sprays, the Skin So Soft, the citronella candles, the electronic stuff that emits some kind of sound...NONE of that stuff worked.
What worked?
A fan.
We had a fan outside. For us, it was in our seating area outside, and you didn't get a single bite the entire night.
If the mosquitoes are coming through a door, like the back door, put a fan out there, position it to the side so it blows across the door way, not in to it. The mosquitoes can't fight the fan. (Should be one of those fans that has a pole, not a fan that sits on the ground.)
Problem will be solved and you don't have to slather anything on you, or spend ridiculous amounts of money in the never ending fight with every gadget known to man.
I never understood why people complained about mosquitoes at our old house. I never had a bite. My husband used to sit next to me claiming that I must have been sitting in the "no mosquito zone" - and then I'd get a couple bites. So I started reading. Someone upthread referred to genetics - and they are right - it is blood type. Os are attractors; I'm an A - one of the big no-bite types. I empathize with those of you who suffer.
think I'll try the fan...though like the other poster said, it sucks when you have to get up and walk around If I stand outside in the garage area talking for longer than 1 minute, you'd better believe there will be bites in my future.
Bats and dragonflies will eat thousands of mosquitoes. You should try to attract both to your property (although be aware, bats will also eat dragonflies!)
Bats eat mosquitoes, but they are a really poor method of controlling mosquito populations.
Quote:
Whenever the subject of mosquito control comes up, someone gives a fervent argument for installing purple martin houses and bat houses. Stores that cater to bird enthusiasts often tout the purple martin houses as the best solution for keeping your yard mosquito free. Bats, which may not be the most beloved of mammals, are defended with the claim that they consume hundreds of mosquitoes per hour.
But here's the truth: neither purple martins nor bats provide any significant measure of mosquito control. That's not to say that they don't eat mosquitoes - they do. But mosquitoes make up a very tiny portion of their diets.
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Good points. I will add the following: also have a couple of bird feeders around the yard.
