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Also, a few friends down the mtn use a fan(s) on their deck: a small pole fan or one of those Dyson like air blade fans.
Doesn't have to be a movie set storm fan; just some air movement that tends to keep 'squtioes, gnats, et al away.
Later this Autumn look out for the ladybug invasion. They tend to try and come in/squeeze in, en masse, to coop for the winter. Actually, not a real problem other than for the squeamish, or the Omg, they are in my basement, type.
It must be our elevation or micro clime, or...but other than pesky gnats, (in the yard, not on our deck), we have very few annoying insects up here. Lots of species, but just not many that we get excited over, and very few that bite.
GL, mD
We live in a log cabin on the north east flank of Cold Mountain at about 3500 feet elevation in the middle of a forest.
When we purchased our cabin, it had been neglected for the previous 2-3 years and the yard and woods surrounding the cabin were completely overgrown. As a result, there were a lot of insect annoyances in and around the cabin including gnats, mosquitoes, spiders, millipedes, yellow jackets, wasps, carpenter bees, ticks, etc. We came from FL, so we're used to insects, but our real adventure started on (literally) our first morning (funny story, below). In hindsight, we underestimated the capacity of this kind of forest environment to harbor and nurture insect pests - especially when unchecked.
So let's start there. What is your desire and expectation?
You might start by listing your top 5 living areas, activities and the pests you want to control for each living area/activity. Then develop a plan for each area setting a time and budget. Some situations will be cheap, fast and easy. Some will not. Once you have your list together then you can make decisions and set your expectations reasonably. There will likely be some interdependence among the areas/activities/bugs on your list, where action in one area can benefit other areas.
Some thoughts about the pests you mentioned...
Wasps/Yellow Jackets: This is probably the worst time of year for wasps and yellow jackets. I've found that they become a bit more aggressive as summer wanes. I've managed to reduce their populations around my living space only through diligence. See a nest starting under your roof? Knock it down early. Yellow Jackets also nest in the ground, so you have to watch for that - especially if you're doing yard work. They're most active when it's warm/light, so control them early morning or evening when they are less active. Be careful in late afternoons when they are at there most active. You might reduce insect activity around your hummingbird feeders if you position the feeders in an area where they are shaded in the afternoon when insects are most active. But as mD mentioned, the hummers I've seen have no problem moving the bugs out of the way.
Bees: leave the honey bees and bumble bees alone as they are beneficial and don't really bother you - unless you have a hive/nest in your living area. We have professional bee removers in FL, probably here, too.
Carpenter Bees are another story. I kill them without mercy or pity. CBs look a lot like bumble bees, except the back end of a CB is shiny and not hairy. CBs are usually not aggressive in my experience (though the males tend to be territorial with each other), but the problem is that the females like to bore nesting galleries in wood. Not a problem unless they like the wood that is your house (or other structure). You will know the problem when you see a small, quarter-inch hole in wood that the females use for entry/exit to the gallery where they lay their eggs. Having these CBs is bad enough, but the real damage happens when the woodpeckers drill more holes in your house to get to the galleries to eat the larva.
I remember that when we purchased our cabin, the carpenter bees had gone unchecked. I'll never forget waking up at 6am on my first morning to the incessant hammering of wood peckers ripping holes in our cabin trying to get to the CB galleries. Some repairs were easy (replace fascia), but some took longer and were more expensive.
They key once you make a repair is to take steps to dissuade the female bees from coming back. I accomplish this through a series of steps including carpenter bee traps, NBS 30 stain additive, Cyonara insecticide in the Spring, BB gun and about 8 badminton rackets positioned at strategic places on the porch. As an aside, I must say that it is immensely satisfying to squarely connect on a flying carpenter bee with the badminton racket and send the bee carcass down the mountain in a nice parabolic arc.
An electric bug zapper is great for clearing an enclosed area - like a garage or basement - of larger flying insects. Gnats are probably too small, but moths, mosquitoes and such can be cleared from a room using the zapper. But there are a few cautions...
Remember that the bug zapper works by attracting flying insects to the light. So if you have a windowed or screened room where you hang the zapper, the bugs will try to fly in to your enclosed space from outside - not what you want. So avoid hanging the zapper spaces with windows or in screened rooms. In addition, the flying bugs will attract spiders to the light so they can snare their meal before it's zapped. Lastly, you'll have a pile of dead insects below the light - which can create a problem for anything below the light (an open window or sun roof on your car) and attract other "clean-up" insects.
One of the harder areas to get control of are wooded areas - for obvious reasons. We had some mosquitoes/gnats that lived in the woods surrounding our cabin. A nice mountain breeze around the cabin that is common in the evening usually keeps these bugs in check, but it can be a problem on a still night. I have had some success controlling these mosquitoes by clearing out the underbrush in the surrounding woods. Not only does the forest look better (to me), it allows more air to circulate which seems to keep the mosquitoes further back. I have also noticed that the bats are able to penetrate the woods better and maybe that helps since bats will eat bugs. Whatever the reason - maybe a combination - I've found that reducing the underbrush has significantly reduced the mosquito/gnat problem around the cabin.
FWIW - my brother lives in a wooded area near Conover (Rockbarn) and in the summer he pays for some kind of spraying service that will keep the mosquitoes at bay for the season. It's probably something similar to the aerial spraying that was used to control mosquitoes in the Florida Keys back when I lived there (maybe they still do it?). So if that kind of solution appeals to you, maybe contact a local pest control service and see what they offer. I've also seen some a propane-based mosquito trap. I think the propane is simply used to attract the mosquitoes to a trap.
More recently I've had to deal with a population of millipedes. Apparently they don't like wet weather and so migrate to a dryer location when the ground is wet. For my situation, that dryer location means they like my garage...and then into the basement. The interior pest service treatment stops them there, but it's a PITA to clean them up. I recently sprayed a little Cyonara at the garage threshold and that stops them at the garage.
For yard work - especially in the woods - jeans, boots, heavy long sleeve cotton shirt, gloves and a hat work well. Ironically, the heavy, long sleeve cotton shirt actually helps keep you cool and offers protection from the sun, bugs and briers. Stay away from bright colored shirts. I've found that bright yellow shirts are especially problematic - the color seems to attract wasps and yellow jackets. I have a couple of those yellow dri-fit shirts. They work well when fishing in FL, not so well doing yard work here in WNC.
To be honest it's a constant battle. But with the right plan and proper expectations, you can probably hold your own.
We call the bugs here "Ninja Bugs" as they seem to bite you silently, without warning and quite often. Even the house fly's here bite! We previously lived in what some would call "the bug capital of the world", aka Florida and the state has nothing compared to the bugs here in WNC. Think daddy longleg spiders and bees should be on the state flag. Lol.
There's nothing over the top threatening here but be prepared to be bitten ... by something ... at some point daily. It may just be our experience (we're outside a lot), but the only defense we've found is wearing long pants and shoes. But since we're a shorts and sandals type of family, we just deal with having a constant "bite here, itch there". Good luck!
We call the bugs here "Ninja Bugs" as they seem to bite you silently, without warning and quite often. Even the house fly's here bite! We previously lived in what some would call "the bug capital of the world", aka Florida and the state has nothing compared to the bugs here in WNC. Think daddy longleg spiders and bees should be on the state flag. Lol.
There's nothing over the top threatening here but be prepared to be bitten ... by something ... at some point daily. It may just be our experience (we're outside a lot), but the only defense we've found is wearing long pants and shoes. But since we're a shorts and sandals type of family, we just deal with having a constant "bite here, itch there". Good luck!
The flies are actually not house flies, they are biting black flies. They do look like an innocuous house fly, but man they bite like crazy. We are from Michigan originally and had a lot on an island in Lake Michigan and camped there every summer. The biting black flies there were horrible. If the wind wasn't from the right direction, you could not be outside. Even DEET sprays didn't keep them away.
The "ninja bugs" are no-see-ums. You literally can't see them because they are skin colored and they bite like crazy! We have them here at our elevation, but only in the sun on non windy days. The gnats up here don't bite, but they love to fly into my eyes, ears and nose. When I walk the dogs in the morning, I have to keep moving or else I am fighting gnats the entire time.
We move here from SW FL and bugs not longer bother me . Hummers cantake care of them selfs and if you hang a trap for wasp and bees your killing needed insects so Deal with the problem . depending on where you like no cockroaches and no Mo-sketters . Beside its getting to get cooler soon and what buggies we have will go away for the most part .
...and about 8 badminton rackets positioned at strategic places on the porch. As an aside, I must say that it is immensely satisfying to squarely connect on a flying carpenter bee with the badminton racket and send the bee carcass down the mountain in a nice parabolic arc.
I'd bet that you'd also find the use of a "Bug-A-Salt" gun satisfying.
I'd bet that you'd also find the use of a "Bug-A-Salt" gun satisfying.
Thanks, yes. In fact I have one: the Lawn & Garden model - which is apparently a bit beefier than the other models. They are somewhat effective knocking CBs out of the air at close range (no more than 2 feet), but then you have to finish them off with another method (e.g., sledge hammer or aerosol flame come to mind). I typically only use the Bug-a-Salt in tight spaces or where you can't get a good swing with the badminton racket.
FWIW - CBs aren't very difficult targets to catch on the wing. The badminton racket is easiest to use...but I've knocked them out swinging a screw driver handle or my hand when I'm up a ladder on the side of the house working on some project. This last Spring I was pretty handy with a little BB gun out to about 15-20 feet (someone queue the Man with No Name leitmotif, please). But, you do need to be very aware of your aim and what's behind the target. I'm on 15 acres so I have a bit more flexibility with that method than someone with close neighbors.
Thanks, yes. In fact I have one: the Lawn & Garden model - which is apparently a bit beefier than the other models. They are somewhat effective knocking CBs out of the air at close range (no more than 2 feet), but then you have to finish them off with another method (e.g., sledge hammer or aerosol flame come to mind). I typically only use the Bug-a-Salt in tight spaces or where you can't get a good swing with the badminton racket.
Have you tried using a type of salt that is more coarse than regular table salt, like kosher or coarse sea salt? I'd think that it would be like going from bird shot to 00 buck.
^^Yep. Use kosher salt.
Those CBs are tough little buggers.
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Form a plan, have realistic expectations...
