Mosquito Control

I've found Ultricularia gibba (bladderwort), a aquatic carnivorous plant, is very effective at keeping mosquitoes from breeding in aquaculture tubs, plant pot saucers, and other small containers of water where mosquitoes normally like to lay their egg rafts. Bladderwort's bladder trap catch and eat mosquito larvae. Mosquitoes can apparently detect and refuse to lay their eggs in water where Ultricularia is growing. It is especially good for locations where predators such as frogs keep eating your mosquito fish and rosy red minnows. U. gibba is native throughout the world from the tropics to as far north as Canada.

Mosquitoes are here, that's a fact (the inhabitants of this town, Meppel, are even called 'Meppeler muggen', meaning 'mosquitoes from Meppel'). There's a lot of water and wetlands in the regio.
I don't think it's useful here to try to do anything against mosquitoes. I have a mosquito net to cover my bed, so they can't reach me when I sleep. But what's more important: it seems like I have a natural insect repellent in my body. Insects seem to not like me. I don't know if it's in my skin or what ... Maybe because I am 'no-poo'? (not using soap or shampoo at all)

Interesting article.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mosquito-blood-type#mosquito-repellents

There is a product ('Tarsul'), developed by a doctor for a different purpose.  The ingredients are cream of tartar and sulphur.

Years ago I lived in Louisiana. The state bird is a mosquito.  I visited with an older gentleman who had worked in the Mississippi pine barrens doing lumber work when he was first married.  He said the chiggers were ferocious. Their low tech solution to that was to start eating a tablespoon of powdered sulphur each day about 2 weeks before the chigger season started in the spring.  They never had an issue with chigger bites.

Try taking Tarsul and see if that doesn't keep the chiggers and mosquitos away

Keep in mind that mosquito fish consistently out compete native minnows and as such are considered a dangerous invasive. Not an issue if it's a home pond that never connects to local waterways, but they will wipe out any other minnows or small fish.

Bladderworts may be a better option. A family of carnivorous plants with native species found in most parts of the world. There's a post on here with  more info

https://permies.com/t/50444/Bladderwort-Ultricularia-effective-mosquito-control#:~:text=Bladderwort%20is%20a%20carnivorous%20plant,yellow%20flowers%20in%20the%20spring.

Love the bat houses, I am looking at putting up Blue bird houses to hold down the grasshoppers.
The Bat house should work on night pest.

I used to be a mosquito magnet until one year I noticed I was getting far fewer bites.  I commented about it to a friend and was asked if I were taking vitamin B.  They said it repels mosquitoes.  At the time, I was taking a prescription strength oral vitamin B complex, so apparently, I was getting a great side-benefit that made me less attractive to them.  Prior to taking the B supplement, I had been very B-deficient.  (May want to get your levels checked if you attract lots of mosquitoes).  The prescription strength B-complex I was taking is no longer available, but I've continued taking it through over-the-counter options.  I've since learned, though, that you have to be conscious of how much B-6 you consume.  It's a blood thinner.  When combined with other blood thinners such as garlic, turmeric, vitamin E, and others I can't remember off the top of my head, it can cause easy bleeding and bruising.  I was prompted to research it when I started having nosebleeds for no apparent reason.  A consultant at a health food store helped me figure out the cause.  She recommended reducing the amount of blood thinning foods and supplements, and  adding vitamin K complex.  It worked!  No more nosebleeds!  I've heard there is a topical form of vitamin B that can be applied shortly before going outside but haven't tried it.  Garlic is not only a blood thinner, but also lowers blood pressure.  That's a good thing unless you consume too much.  A friend who was eating a lot of raw garlic passed out driving and had a bad wreck.

As far as the recommendation of bats, I live in an area where Histoplasmosis is endemic.  Bats carry it and it is found in their poop.  Where their droppings enrich the soil, the fungus thrives.  Spores are released, (more so when the soil is disturbed), that can travel airborne for long distances.  I already lost the central vision of one eye because of a Histo infection, so attracting bats is not a good option.  The CDC website has a map showing where Histoplasmosis is endemic, as well as a list of sources and activities that increase risk of exposure.

I'm trying ovitraps this summer
https://mygreenmontgomery.org/project/make-you-own-mosquito-trap-ovitrap-for-50-cents/

My field is covered in swale ponds this time of year but not any mosquitos. The ponds are full of tree frog polliwogs.

An ultimate repellent is a mixture of J&J baby oil and vanillin. Works on humans, even works on dogs.

Try 10+ drops of tea tree oil to a spray bottle

I leave buckets of water for them to breed in. One by each garden gate, two on the patio, places where I can easily check them every day. When I see the wigglers, I dump it or water something with it and refill the bucket. I figure giving them a nice breeding spot where none actually survive to maturity is better than having them do it some place I don't know about. I don't know it it's really effective in lessening their numbers, but I hate the little bastards and get a kick out of murdering them in mass. Dumping them on the hot concrete of the patio on a sunny day and watching them squirm around is particularly satisfying.

I thought this article from USDA ARS about killing mosquito larvae with mustard seed meal was interesting. If it isn't harmful to dragonfly larvae, this could really be something.

Goldfish and axolotls will eat the larvae in the water, if a pond is the source, won't work in a puddle obviously. Probably many other aquatic animals. You mentioned snow, axolotls wont take much cold, they taste good, like crab. Goldfish are edible but "watery" apparently.

I have eaten the larvae but they are tough, frying helps to weaken them, makes them crisp from memory, baking probably too.

All supposed plant repellents don't work according to online science.

Perhaps carnivorous plants, Venus fly traps, pitcher plants, bladderworts, but probably insufficient. Just thought of that, have not read about it.        

I wear a loose fitting, light colored, denim jumpsuit sprayed with deet, a mesh hat, and a N95 mask.  

The mask and light colored clothing (fully covering any skin) definitely works for short trips to the garden, I feel invisible until my breath starts to escape the mask.  Otherwise I cannot be outside during mosquito season where I live (very wooded area). I instead go to the lake or near a canal where I am not bothered by them.

Last year we had almost no mosquitos!  I am convinced it had something to do with a new neighbor moving in - maybe he threw those mosquito dunks in the water on his property.  

Having so many mosquitos here I have learned their patterns. They usually approach and land on something behind you before they attack. I always thought about setting up fake plants coated in oil behind my chair to see if they would land on them. Once their wings touch the olive oil they can no longer fly.  A paper plate with olive oil rubbed on it can be used like a fan if they are flying around you. It is really easy to catch them on the oil coated plate.

Using scented dryer sheets seem to work for me1 I just fold one and stick 1/2 of it down my collar in back.
I really get big welts when a Mosauito zaps me, up to the size of a dime, so I'm really aware that I need one of the sheets especially when I mow the lawn. Being around the garden area they don't really seem so bad. though.

For those talking about bats:
Would bats be bothersome to me if I had bat houses and tended to garden at night?  Don't really want them dive-bombing near my head or landing near me.  
Thanks, J

we found this product to be very good, it is also organic and not harmful to plants, animals or humans.
https://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Magician-Natural-Repellent-Concentrate/dp/B077YR1CBZ/ref=asc_df_B077YR1CBZ?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80058242182206&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583657821767963&th=1

Michal Eldridge wrote:we found this product to be very good, it is also organic and not harmful to plants, animals or humans.
https://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Magician-Natural-Repellent-Concentrate/dp/B077YR1CBZ/ref=asc_df_B077YR1CBZ?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80058242182206&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583657821767963&th=1

Not available in Canada (that's nothing new. Ugh). Just checked. We have a  defogger  but can't find anything to use with anymore.
Thanks anyway

I've read and seen lots of natural mosquito repellents that just don't seem to work for me.
One summer evening I'm working on my veggies garden getting eaten alive. It was bad. I pruned back a basil that was a bit to big for the space. A few minutes later I noticed I didn't have nearly as many mosquitoes bothering me.  It's not magic, I still got some bites, but a few compared to tons.
Now if the mosquitoes are bothering me I rub basil on myself and it helps a lot. I get to smell like basil which I like instead of yucky chemicals.