Mosquitos in Texas (Austin, Howe: live, mosquito, population)

[wallawallahoohoo]

I've had my fair share of mosquitoes in NY too, in particular, summer rooftop gatherings etc. I'm also "bait"... my best advice is bug spray and tiger balm to apply immediately after getting bitten.

Houston has a lot of mosquitoes, depending on location. Some places are consistently wet and swamp-like, with pools of still water everywhere. Sometimes I'd step out into the yard only to have a dozen bites on my legs in 2 minutes.

[War Beagle]

The mosquitoes in the Gulf coast region are horrible - I mean truly dreadful. We have night-biters and day-biters. We get the giant marsh mosquitoes from the coast a few times a year that hurt like hell.

You're going to find them anywhere there is standing water for long enough for them to lay their eggs. People think the spraying by the city or their MUDs gets rid of them but it only kills the ones in the air when the fogger happens to drive by. The best thing to do is eliminate all forms of standing water but, unfortunately, many neighbors don't seem to care.

[mrfoe]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

that is not quite true. me and my Fiancee have been back in Houston for a year now and neither of us have seen a mosquito here or got bitten. We got eaten alive by swarms in San Antonio and Austin though, but not one in Houston. Before I moved to SA, I lived in Houston for 6 years and had no problems with skeeters.

People over play the mosquito problem in Houston. We live on the SE side, my aunt lives in the south, and we have spent time with my best friend on the southwest side and my brother in the north. I dunno where all the mosquitoes are hiding, but I have never seen one here. never seen a wriggler either. All those darn bayous, streams, tributaries drains, etc are filled with mosquito fish, so I guess they are doing their job. people who get bit my mosquitoes here should get on their neighbors case for standing water in their yards, cause that is just about the only places where the mosquitoes have left to breed.

The way people talk about mosquitoes here you would think you could walk outside and just inhale em, but nope, never seen one here

Its a well known fact that the costal areas and east Texas have the biggest mosquito issue.

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by mrfoe

Its a well known fact that the costal areas and east Texas have the biggest mosquito issue.

Makes me wonder how I am still alive... oh, it's horrible.

My thoughts on this 5 year old thread:

I see it as a no issue issue.


There are years when mosquitoes are a nuisance at certain times of the year and in certain places. When it is dry they are definitely rare except directly at the coast. There are a lot of nuisances in the world. Mosquitoes are a minor 1st world issue for Americans and Texans. I refuse to use bug spray (deet). Fireants pizz me off a lot more than mosquitoes.


These things work in an awesome way. I'll even use them deer hunting:

[wpme]

Come on down, we need more bait for the skeeters, and don't forget they carry West Nile virus too

[justaguy1981]

Rub fabric softener tissue like Bounce on you before you go out to do some yard work. You will be fine.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by justaguy1981

Rub fabric softener tissue like Bounce on you before you go out to do some yard work. You will be fine.

Ants hate those things too.

[wintersbone]

They should be the state bird. They get seriously huge some years. I live in an apartment and we don't have tons of plants and very little problem. My parents house they live in a more woodsy and have tons of flower gardens and tons of misquitoes in the summer.

[sunshinelove0000]

Wow I hadn't considered this. We are also mosquito magnets (I get eaten alive!!). We're considering relocating from NH... Maybe we will reconsider :-/

[DWinTX]

Originally Posted by Newenglander0000

Wow I hadn't considered this. We are also mosquito magnets (I get eaten alive!!). We're considering relocating from NH... Maybe we will reconsider :-/

I don't think I would cancel your plans just because of mosquitoes. They are an annoyance sometimes, but I would think a pretty small factor in deciding whether to pack up the family and move to another part of the country.

I am one of those people who attract them (I hear they like people who drink beer), but they're really only active in the early evening. We sit out on our back patio a lot on weekend evenings and that's when we see them. I spend most weekend days outside as well and don't see them during the day. This is during the spring and summer months mainly. Don't get them in the fall (if it's a cooler fall) and winter.

I'd rather deal with them than the six feet of snow in the winter you guys in the NE are getting now.