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2cats_gw

Ridding backyard of mosquitoes

2cats
10 years ago

Is there any suggestions anyone can give us, we are at wits end with the nasty mosquitoes in our backyard every summer. My kids cannot go outside without having bites looking like they've been attacked. I always go around and check the house for ANY standing water. We have arborvitaes next to our deck for privacy, could they be hiding there? I was told they do and was thinking of removing the arbs but want to be sure first. It seems as soon as we come out onto the deck and being outside they're there. It's very annoying to have to go in at dusk or use repellant. We have an inground pool with salt not chlorine, but I don't think that's a suitable place to lay eggs. We have a lot of trees in the back of our yard. I'm just fed up with us and the kids getting eaten alive. We use the fogger, but that just goes away. Any other suggestions? I'll take any advice I can get to alleviate these terrible vampires. Thanks!

Comments (9)

  • blueheron
    10 years ago

    I don't have a solution, but I have the same problem. I love to garden, but this is making it very difficult to go outside....; (

  • chrizty
    10 years ago

    You could make or buy bat house's and put in your tree's. they eat tons every night.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Build a Bat House

  • spaceman13
    10 years ago

    Check your neighbors as well. I had the same problem and found a neighbor with several vessels collecting rainwater to water plants. The containers were FULL of mosquito larva!

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    My neighbor has a large pond and doesn't try to stop skeeters from breeding at all, so we have to cover up to avoid the vampires..

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    I would say adding mosquito dunks, the donut looking things that stop maturing of skeeter larvae would be the best solution, but WHO will pay for these Skeeter dunks?

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    I just may buy some of these dunks. The neighbors with the pond have a lanai, and we don't. I may pay for and add them for June and July, at least. I hear bullfrogs in the evening, but they can't keep up, maybe we need more bullfrogs. I guess I can add some skeeter dunks, but not a lot. The bullfrogs will eat the rest. If I stop all the skeeters from hatching, the bullfrogs will starve. Maybe I'll save up for a lanai, basically a screened in porch.

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    Iin the 70's today, and I was walking around my yard and stopped to talk to a neighbor and had 2 little skeeters land on me. They didn't get a chance to do any blood sucking, I smashed em' in time, but the sure came out of hibernation quick over the 2-3 warm days here. Today we will get some 20's for a while, then back to warmth, maybe the cold will zap some.

  • emorems0
    10 years ago

    Are mosquitoes scent-driven? I think they might be... We've had good success with a product called pcs choice by cedarcide, it's mostly pure cedar oil, harmless to people and animals and doesn't affect sight-driven insects like bees and other pollinators.

    Remedying the source of the skeeters is obviously the best solution, but using the cedarcide around your house and yard may at least help to keep them out of your yard.

  • poaky1
    10 years ago

    Emore, I wonder if pure cedar oil, like you can get from nature stores or some websites that sell aroma therapy oils, would be okay. Of course we would have to dilute it with olive oil or better (but more expensive) Jojoba oil. I may try that. I have the Jojoba oil already. It's a good skin moisturizer.

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