Mosquito Control

Deb Rebel wrote:Okay... I am type II diabetic and vegan now; I behave because I feel better if I eat like I'm supposed to. The mosquitos laugh at citronella, lavender, and jalapeno pepper juice. They ignore garlic I scarf. If there is one in the whole block she has me for lunch. Only thing that chases them so far is 95% deet, used liberally on clothes and hat, footgear, and bare skin. I am talking close to half an ounce will douse a 'bug outfit' for a week, and adding to the bare areas (ankles, backs of hands, forehead, back of neck) a few times a day. Any more suggestions? Yes I do environmental control but. If there was a non-deet way I'd love it.

Hi, Deb....maybe check out this thread of John Elliot's also........HERE ...."the 'just say no' to DEET thread"

Thank you for the responses!

Long sleeves and pants don't work well in 100f/38c... I have heat-coretemp problems.

I am eating low carb because of type II diabetes, they find me just as tasty.

lemongrass 'notes' in perfume, that perfume turns so sour on me I don't want to be downwind of myself. So, I guess I will try the clove oil, and see if it works like the industrial grade deet. Thank you everyone

i rushed over to report the same as Corrie. when I stopped drinking beer I noticed an immediate reduction in my mosquito magnetism. continuing on with low carb Paleo, etc I very rarely get poked, even in groups where people complain about getting mauled. just a guess, but maybe it has something to do with blood sugar

Mosquitoes completely eliminated from 7+ acres in Hawaii

I've embedded that video below.

This is really cool, need to stock my mini-ponds in the garden with some kind of fish fry. Wonder if it helps in the area where there is a lot of "wild" water bodies around though.

Living in the Canadian North I have become well acquainted with Canada's national bird

Since we get about 6 months of freezing winter, I am yet to find a mosquito eating fish that will survive in this climate. I have been racking my brain recently thinking that the clouds of mosquitoes indicate a low population of it's natural predator in this ecosystem.

So I started thinking about what natural predators live in these parts. There are the migratory birds, but I just knew I was overlooking the main predator. Then it stuck me - Dragon Flies.

Northern Ontario is generally swampy and wet which suits dragonflies. I then discovered that they love mosquitoes:
http://www.dragonfly-site.com/what-do-dragonflies-eat.html

If there is plenty of food, then a lack of suitable habitat might be the issue:
http://www.derbyshire-dragonflies.org.uk/create.php
and
http://www.wikihow.com/Attract-Dragonflies

Nick, dragonflies will survive. The nymphs take two years to mature, and moult several times, getting bigger every time... and they can PINCH when they get big. If you are keeping a pond with fish, they will eat the baby fish hatchlings

On ponding, you may have to take your fish indoors, dig a very deep section of pond to get water deep enough it won't freeze to the bottom to give the fish a place to overwinter, or have to use a heater to keep water warm enough it won't freeze to bottom or... put a hoop house or greenhouse cap over your pond to help protect it. I have a friend that grows pumpkins in Alaska in 10.5' freeze, yes almost permafrost; and the things he has to do to get the ground thawed (and he uses a sheltering greenhouse)... Fish keeping may not be the solution for you but.

Where there are fish there are no mosquitos, they think the larvae to be candy

Nick Kitchener wrote:Living in the Canadian North I have become well acquainted with Canada's national bird :-)

Since we get about 6 months of freezing winter, I am yet to find a mosquito eating fish that will survive in this climate. I have been racking my brain recently thinking that the clouds of mosquitoes indicate a low population of it's natural predator in this ecosystem.

So I started thinking about what natural predators live in these parts. There are the migratory birds, but I just knew I was overlooking the main predator. Then it stuck me - Dragon Flies.

Where I grew up some people called dragonflies "mosquito hawks." We have clouds of them here in Alaska. Last year they were horrible and I was getting eaten alive--went and visited a friend's place, and there were dragonflies cruising about by the hundreds. Not one bite; I didn't even see a mosquito. I need to create some habitat for them to breed. Up here it sometimes takes several years before they pupate.

We always knew a sort of 'crane fly' that was better than an inch (3cm) in size, as a 'mosquito hawk'. (I grew up just south of Manitoba, I'm an honorary Canuk... )

Dragonfly nymphs eat mosquito larvae, I believe. ...

Had a friend that lived in Alaska for a long time, and was near Juneau in summer, in a trailer house... she said she could hear this noise, and it was the mosquitos OUTSIDE.

In colder northern climates, gambusia is probably not the best species for mosquito control. Here's a pretty nice paper about a comparison between gambusia and some native fishes.

http://www.scmac.org/PDF/Effectiveness%20of%20using%20selected%20Michigan%20fishes%20for%20mosqui%E2%80%A6.pdf


and put in a dragonfly pond--no fish. Doesn't have to be very big. Tons of resources on the web. The UK has a bunch of dragonfly watchers, like we have birders...


troy

Deb Rebel wrote:We always knew a sort of 'crane fly' that was better than an inch (3cm) in size, as a 'mosquito hawk'. (I grew up just south of Manitoba, I'm an honorary Canuk... :) )

Dragonfly nymphs eat mosquito larvae, I believe. ...

Had a friend that lived in Alaska for a long time, and was near Juneau in summer, in a trailer house... she said she could hear this noise, and it was the mosquitos OUTSIDE.

Yeah, I've heard that noise...once I looked out the window and there were hundreds swarming the window screen. A big hornet was plucking them out of the air and devouring them one by one. I've had dragonflies swarm around me providing a zone of protection, even zooming in to pluck mosquitoes right off my skin.

I don't know. We have tons of dragon flies around the house. And I mean TONS! And bats. Lots!
Too bad the mosquitos are still nastier than nasty. You can slap your shoulder at any time and kill at least 5 mosquitoes without even looking.
We tried a lot of different stuff and can't get rid of them. Even Off spray with DEET lasts only like 20 minutes or so.

Oh that reminds me. What do Permies think of mosquito dunks? It's some sort of bacteria. I haven't tried it yet but I am tempted. Not sure how (PC) safe that is though...

BT = Bacillus Thurengiensis

Generally considered a decent/good/wonderful way to reduce the mosquito population.

So far as I could tell, most sources suggest that it has little or no effect on dragonflys, but there was some uncertainty there.



troy

Josey Hains wrote:What do Permies think of mosquito dunks? It's some sort of bacteria. I haven't tried it yet but I am tempted. Not sure how (PC) safe that is though...

I know organic growers that use bt v. Kurstaki, which kills all lepidoptera caterpillars.
Bt v. israelensis kills mosquito, and I think some other fly larvae.

I don't know enough about it to make a statement.
I do know there's bt-resistance appearing in the USA, as it's become part of the gmo/roundup ready etc etc thing.
So that makes me a bit nervous...
I think if I was getting eaten alive by mozzies and I'd taken all reasonable steps, I'd seriously consider using it though.

Paleo worked for me, too! Less sugar in the blood, I guess. They still swarm, but rarely bite. Meanwhile, my colleagues are covered in bites.

My father lives in South America and he doesn't have a problem with Mosquitos but his skin has become very sensitive to the sun. Now even in the tropics there he wears long sleeves a hat long pants tucked into his shoes. They sell long sleeve shirts that are very light. They also sell hats with mosquito netting hanging down. I know the op said that wearing long sleeves is not an option but perhaps you need to find long sleeve shirts made of the right fabric?

My problem is altitude, I have more UV... and also core temperature issues; hence wearing long stuff is not an option. I have SPF 100 to use...

Paleo for a dietary choice is fine if you do not have genetic cholesterol issues and are not able to take anything for them (so it must be dietary controlled).

The clove oil has worked middlingly; they still like me. A lot. Garlic scarfing they seem to lick me first to appreciate the flavor enhancement... sigh. My diet is also low carb and... I am resigned to being a mosquito snack bar I guess or reaching for the hated 95% DEET.

Lemongrass oil just made me reek like perfume gone bad and they still snacked. I also led a neighborhood 'dump the water' drive...

Thanks everyone for good suggestions.

Amy Stross wrote:Paleo worked for me, too! Less sugar in the blood, I guess. They still swarm, but rarely bite. Meanwhile, my colleagues are covered in bites.

Interesting! How long do you think one needs to eat paleo before noticing a chance? I mean if I start now, would I notice the difference before summer is over or are we talking months or years?

Before the summer is over but read up so you can avoid issues of carb withdrawal aka the Atkins Flu.

My father lives up high around the Andes. His problem is also sunlight. Even 100 SPF isn't enough for him.

i noticed a difference in my mosquito magnetism with the "no beer followed by paleo" within a couple of weeks. if you get the low carb blues, just eat a sweet potato with dinner then get back on the program.

I am a mosquito candy red head. DEET works for me, but I hate it and refuse to wear it any more. The original bug shirt, made right here in Ontario is what I use now- either the full bug shirt or the head net and a regular long sleeved shirt, depending on the bug ( both mosquito and black fly) intensity. It is the best I have found in a lifetime of looking.

www.bugshirt.com/

Thank you for that link. That is the best thing I've seen in a long time, and if it will keep the small buffalo flies from chewing me to a booger, sold! They are coming out now (about half the size of a housefly, and they will land on you and want to sit there for about a minute. If chased, they circle and land literally exactly where they just were; and will persist until they get a minute of sit time then bite you and draw blood. They especially love the backs of your knees). When those get going the keeping mosquitos away is only a mere trailing by a long ways issue.

You won't be disappointed, Deb. It really works and will last for many decades of use.

If the weather is warm, wear either nothing or something small like a tank top under it. I find I need to put my hair under a banada to keep it out of my eyes when wearing this.

Our black flies love to bite you behind the ears, under your hair and on the neck - creepy! They are the worst for me - blood streaking down my neck and bites that take 2 weeks to heal!

Usually the black fly season is only 4 to 6 weeks long, but this year, they seem to be haging on a long time - likly due to our weird cool,damp weather that still feels like spring even though it is mid summer.

Deb Rebel wrote:Thank you for that link. That is the best thing I've seen in a long time, and if it will keep the small buffalo flies from chewing me to a booger, sold! They are coming out now (about half the size of a housefly, and they will land on you and want to sit there for about a minute. If chased, they circle and land literally exactly where they just were; and will persist until they get a minute of sit time then bite you and draw blood. They especially love the backs of your knees). When those get going the keeping mosquitos away is only a mere trailing by a long ways issue.

I might have to buy one of these. What about your legs though?

If you look they sell more than shirts! My order is going in as soon as I can afford it.

Deb Rebel wrote:If you look they sell more than shirts! My order is going in as soon as I can afford it.

Oh, I didn't see that. I went straight to store finder and the store at my location has only the shirts.

Thanks!

They sell mail order anywhere. and yes they sell bug pants, gaiters and hoods. Check out "canoening in the north" type blogs - everyone there will agree this is the best brand for real protection and durability.

Some people say that higher doses of B Vitamins taken 2 weeks before and during exposure help. Most often mentioned is B1, but also B3, B5, B6, and B12. Slow release doesn't work well, maybe not enough is excreted on the skin. Some people even dilute it in water and spray on the skin. However it seems to work for some people and not to work for the others -like one review said the whole family used it and for half it worked, but not for others. Possibly some people are more deficient in it and less is excreted on the skin?
I didn't try this. However I made my own repellant with several essential oils and witch hazel and it worked well, but I hated having it near my eyes on the face since it is sticky a bit.
Here is recipe, in case someone needs it:
Bug Repellant
* 2 ouces or more(depends on the container) distilled witch hazel
* 10 drops each(for larger than 2 ounces use more):
eucalyptus, citronella, tea tree, and rosemary essential oils.
You can also use peppermint, cedar, lemongrass, catnip, clove, cajeput, lavender essential oils -any combination.
Mix, shake in atomizer spray bottle.

Just to add one more layer of complexity, let's not forget that your attractiveness to mosquitoes is almost certainly determined genetically. I got the full dose, as does my son...


http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/04/23/study-being-tasty-to-mosquitoes-is-genetic/

Troy Rhodes, thank you. I've unofficially believed this for a good deal of my life, as no matter what I do I seem to be the preferred lunch in the room. My father used to say he always knew when there were mosquitos around, but for his 2-3 bites I was easily into double digits. And they seemed to think mosquito repellant was marinade or flavor basting, until I started getting nearly pure DEET to liberally apply everywhere. No matter what I've eaten, sprayed on, slathered on, or worn; I'm lunch. Thank you for the link, I actually think I'm going to contact them, and offer myself for science.

Deb Rebel wrote:Troy Rhodes, thank you. I've unofficially believed this for a good deal of my life, as no matter what I do I seem to be the preferred lunch in the room. My father used to say he always knew when there were mosquitos around, but for his 2-3 bites I was easily into double digits. And they seemed to think mosquito repellant was marinade or flavor basting, until I started getting nearly pure DEET to liberally apply everywhere. No matter what I've eaten, sprayed on, slathered on, or worn; I'm lunch. Thank you for the link, I actually think I'm going to contact them, and offer myself for science.

Did you actually tried repellant made with my mentioned essential oils in those amounts? I am always the one who gets bitten a lot (although I have to say, that when my youngest brother was nearby, I would get some relief as they liked him even more), and with that repellant I was not bitten at all, although mosquitos would still come quite close and that was annoying.
When I had a plantar wart on my foot, it took me several years to find what works - tried vinegar, duct tape, nail polish, freezing at doctors (6 or 7 times!), over the counter stuff, essential oils, and probably some other things I am forgetting. I spent probably couple hundred dollars in the process and the solution was already in my kitchen - simple aspirin with fish oil, and got rid of it in a few days, and it didn't come back either -that was several years ago. Sometimes it takes a while to find the solution, but it always exist.

Essential oils are 'flavor basting' to them. Yes I've tried all sorts of things. I had most of that on hand from last time I tried an organic, and they licked it off then had lunch. Thank you, though, Joy Oasis.

I cooked a wart off the end of a little finger once with the secondary treatment for an infected earlobe (had ears pierced for second time and one didn't want to behave) as I would have to soak the earlobe in hydrogen peroxide and clean it with a lot of 99%rubbing alcohol. Head over sink and I would hold that finger straight out to let the stuff drip off there and into sink while holding the little cup up to do the dip soak then to do the sterilizing. It disappeared in under a month, when two cryo freezes at the doc hadn't gotten rid of it.

As I type this I am standing in the shade of my car port in Tallahassee Florida, a couple days after a rain. One mosquito every fifteen or twenty minutes will land on me and give me plenty of time to swat before being bitten. I have a rain garden and rain barrels nearby that still attract more mosquitoes than dragonflies and other predators (we feed hummingbirds and have bat houses), but the mosquitoes have a hard time finding me standing only a dozen feet away.

My husband can NOT be in any part of our yard any time of day or night unless clothed head to toe against mosquitoes. Within seconds after being bitten, he gets a large red welt at every bite site and begins frantically scratching. I, on the other hand, spend most of my day outside scantily clothed.

Over decades all over the US, I've been vegan, paleo, fruitarian, flexitarian, and my diet does not seem to affect how little I get bitten. If I enter the most infested parts of our yard, the shade, tall weeds, wet mulch, mosquitoes will land on me but not bite sometimes for many minutes at a time. If I do get bitten, sometimes I get a tiny bump that doesn't even itch.

Yet, I am one shade of tan above being albino, my skin almost translucent and rather delicate, my hair the lightest shade of blond all over.

What are some other differences between my swarthy husband and I? He has a rapid resting pulse rate and higher blood pressure than I do. I tend to be a very slow breather, not shallow, just really slow. I notice this about myself compared to most people. I became an even slower breather when I took up wind instruments as a hobby.

I shower much more frequently than does my husband, but my body odor is always TERRIBLE. I recently googled "body odor that smells like copper". Maybe TMI, but my pits will smell like they were filled with old pennies all night long unless I spritz some magnesium oil or dust with baking soda, both very effective neutralizers. My husband just gets cheesy feet and he never goes without socks. I am barefoot all mosquito season long.

I don't use any synthetic or natural fragrances, including repellents. Neither does my husband. I react to fragrances the way my husband reacts to mosquitoes, but he has had no luck with all kinds of mosquito repelling fragrances.

We are both highly chronically anxious people, with similar faulty metabolic genetics (identified via genetic profile tests). However, I am at my calmest when doing yard work, while he always has one foot pointed back to the safety of the house. I've always lived mostly outside, and he is a city boy office worker. I trust my immune system. He gets nightmares from watching Monsters Inside Me. I often wonder if he is trapped in a psychological vicious cycle of some kind. Easy for me to say when I am the one NOT getting bitten all the time!

He is going to try a daily dose of nutritional/brewers yeast to see if that helps him. He's also a tick magnet, and guess what, I am not.

Lisa Powers wrote:What are some other differences between my swarthy husband and I? He has a rapid resting pulse rate and higher blood pressure than I do. I tend to be a very slow breather, not shallow, just really slow. I notice this about myself compared to most people. I became an even slower breather when I took up wind instruments as a hobby.

I shower much more frequently than does my husband, but my body odor is always TERRIBLE. I recently googled "body odor that smells like copper". Maybe TMI, but my pits will smell like they were filled with old pennies all night long unless I spritz some magnesium oil or dust with baking soda, both very effective neutralizers. My husband just gets cheesy feet and he never goes without socks. I am barefoot all mosquito season long.

He is going to try a daily dose of nutritional/brewers yeast to see if that helps him. He's also a tick magnet, and guess what, I am not.

Hmm, do you think copper smell might e not something they like? Does that mean you have lots of copper in your sweat? Because B vitamins seem to work because of the smell as do all the repellants.

Joy Oasis wrote:

Lisa Powers wrote:What are some other differences between my swarthy husband and I? He has a rapid resting pulse rate and higher blood pressure than I do. I tend to be a very slow breather, not shallow, just really slow. I notice this about myself compared to most people. I became an even slower breather when I took up wind instruments as a hobby.

I shower much more frequently than does my husband, but my body odor is always TERRIBLE. I recently googled "body odor that smells like copper". Maybe TMI, but my pits will smell like they were filled with old pennies all night long unless I spritz some magnesium oil or dust with baking soda, both very effective neutralizers. My husband just gets cheesy feet and he never goes without socks. I am barefoot all mosquito season long.

He is going to try a daily dose of nutritional/brewers yeast to see if that helps him. He's also a tick magnet, and guess what, I am not.

Hmm, do you think copper smell might e not something they like? Does that mean you have lots of copper in your sweat? Because B vitamins seem to work because of the smell as do all the repellants.

I strongly suspect it is either my low CO2 from being a slow breather, or how much copper I may be sweating out, or both. I read somewhere that the copper smell on our fingers after handling pennies is actually our skin chemistry interacting with the copper.

metal odors and the body

I do believe I have copper issues, am always needing zinc supplements, for sure!

About the B vitamins, I have to take a complex daily with the methylated version of folate because I have a genetic defect for my methyltetrahydrofolate reductase metabolic "pathway". And interestingly enough, so does my husband. However, all bugs bite him even on days when he is peeing so yellow it is orange from the B pills.

For any of you who make compost tea, you might find this bit of video interesting.

Dr. Elaine Ingham was telling me how the protozoa (if it is in your compost tea that is) will become parasites to mosquito lavae.

https://youtu.be/ntpZoDLFds0

You'd have to spray many times at the beginning as female mosquito will lay so many eggs.

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/are-you-mosquito-magnet?page=2

Thought that might shed a little light on some things. Anyone know of any zone 5 water plants they don't like?

Here in Africa, I use Eucalyptus oil I bought in America that was imported from Australia. I pour in on invading ant paths too and they hate it. The mosquitoes don't bite me. Also, planting lemongrass and citronella plants in summertime helps to deter them. Dragonflies are definitely the best skeeter eaters. Can you dig the drain field outlet a little deeper so it drains more? Mosquitoes live off of nectar and sugary fruits in between bites, so make sure your compost is covered so they don't have any fuel while biting to reproduce.