David:
Yes we purchased two of the mosquito zappers from the origianl company. My son did his science project counting mosquitoes that year. We caught 2500 a day each machine. More then the trial tests in the Florida Everglades!! But it did not make a dent in the population. We were still unable to be outside. I believe they attract the buggers. Contrary to their literature there are several varities of mosquitoes that come from miles away. The machines attract them sooo maybe my neighbors liked our macines better then we did. We had the entire town's population maybe. We sent them both back. We had technical problems also that are supposedly worked out now.....The Ortho stuff worked great for a week. I live in MN swamp land

Thanks Arcy for that valuble experience. I spent many summers in the UP of Michigan and part of one in the Superior Natl Forest near Ely, so I know what mosquitoes and black flies can really be like up there.

Too bad those machines do not attract those flies...they need some hope for those buggers. A gal from our church had a similar experience as we did with those machines...I have yet to hear from someone who swears by them yet they are being sold everywhere now and soooo much cheaper then when we got ours. My sister up in ND bought one the first year they were made and has kept it. I do not know if it really helps them ar jsut makes them feel better........they are ususally att he lake during bug season so how would they know??

Why bother with nasty chemicals or one of those new fangled mosquito magnets from Home Depot that costs around $300 to clear 1/4-1/2 and acre when you could have something incredibly more efficient? Consider getting yoruself an appropriately sized bat house.

We purchased several bat houses that are totally inhospitable to bats due to the fact that they were just way too darn small. Unfortunately, I had no knowledge of size requirements at the time. I found a set of plans on the Internet and downloaded those and was quite excited until a man from the beekeeping forum gently burst my bubble. He did, however, send me a set of plans that were very appropriate for the species of brown bats that we have in my area. If anyone would like a set of those blueprints, e-mail me and I will send them off to you. I did a little poking around back then when I first received my blueprints and learned that I needed to place my bat houses under the eaves at an elevation of around 25' preferably facing sw or se. I believe the height of the bat house will vary from species to species but about 20 seems to be the minimum for all as a 20 foot clearance underneath is required in order for them to release from their upside-down position, unfurl their wings, and to attain lift. Way cool! Makes sense to me.

I learned why many people who install bathouses don't get any occupants. Most mount their bat houses on trees. Bat houses are used as nursery/incubators and they need to be exposed to sunlight in order to create internal temperatures needed for the young to survive (over 100 degrees for many species). Also, bats don't like to have to negotiate branches and things when they're flying in. This would have been why the man who sent me the bat plans instructed me not to install my bat houses in or around trees.

I also just picked up a little bit of information pertaining to the color of the wood. In my climate, I need to go dark to absorb heat. The color differences are requisite to create the proper temperature inside the bat house.

Now hereÂs what is interesting, I had no idea so many species of bats were threatened until recently. More than half of American bat species are in severe decline or already listed as endangered- hmmm, could it be due to all the trucks spraying chemicals to kill mosquitoes??? I also learned that bats are the slowest reproducing mammals on earth for their size, making them exceptionally vulnerable to extinction. I also found out that that one little brown bat can catch 1,200 mosquito-sized insects in one hour. Well, that places bats high on my popularity list. Learn something everyday it seems.

HereÂs a book that might be at a local library-
The Bat House Builder's Handbook by Merlin D. Tuttle, Donna L. Hensley

HereÂs a link to a fancy bat house for anyone who may have a "picky" home ownerÂs association-
http://www.mulberrydesigns.com/vicbat.html

http://www.batcon.org/
Bat Conservation International

There are many reasons to encourage bats, but there is no scientific evidence that they are significant enough mosquito predators to make an impact on populations around homes.

http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/hb/hbmosquito.htm

Hi JAYK, one less mosquito to bite me in the rear? Works for me and we had a blast making the bat houses! Valid point about any standing water. Thanks for posting that site for my state as my husband always thought I was nuts with all the wetlands around us to be worrying about every toy in the sandbox getting drained after it rains. I have mixed emotions about the mosquitoes as they are such an integral part of the food chain. Fortunately, my entire Village refuses to spray and that was a unanimous vote.

And arcy, we've got the super duper propane powered model from Home Depot and it doesn't put a dent in what we've got breeding over here. Best for us to stay inside the screened in porch at dusk and to liberally use repellent sprays.

While the specific impact of bats on certain insect populations has not been studied, bats are thought to reduce general insect populations to some degree. For some bats mosquitos make up a decent percentage of the diet. They are at the very least as effective as "bug zappers". In some parts of the world it has been documented that a decrease in insectivorous bat populations resulted in plagues of insects. Without bats and other insectivores keeping populations in check we might quickly be overrun with bugs.

Don't get me wrong; I applaud encouraging bats in any way, and they certainly consume huge quantities of insects. I was just reporting what I have read regarding their efficacy as a natural mosquito control. I agree that bug zappers are ineffective, and usually don't control the intended target insects anyway. I appreciated the bat links, too.

Hi lycopus, missed you and all of your wonderful posts!

Hi JAYK, I love your posts too! You and I may not interact a lot but I run across what you write quite frequently and it is always a pleasure.

Here's a photo of a few of the bathouses we made. They were unpainted at the time I photographed them.

{{gwi:1354638}}

WE reasearched bats, Purple Martins, Dragon flies..... Bottom line is None of it works well enough. I am hoping the guy in Norway that found a way to sterilize the males works! He hopes to release sterile males out into the population. They in turn will mate with the females resulting in no egg production. The process could potentially irraticate them all! What enviornmental impact will that have? I AM WILLING TO FIND OUT!!!

Hi, my friend just e-mailed me and pointed out that even if you do provide a large enough and properly constructed bat house, at the appropriate height, and in the proper location that it might not become occupied all that fast if ever.

I forgot to mention that I am in an area where bats are taking over entire attics and some people have to call exterminators. We have several different species of bats around here that are losing so much habitat that they seem to long for a bathouse so ours get occupied almost as fast as they can be built/ordered and installed.

As far as the eradication of mosquitoes, that would have a devastating effect on the environment. Might not be a great idea as the consequences far outweigh the benefits. The end will not justify the means on this one.

I just realized that the bat plan files have been too large for some people's e-mail. If anyone else wants the bat plans, just send me an a personal e-mail with your name and address and I will get the blueprints and photos of the interior which shows the cells sent out to you post haste. No need to worry about a SASE. I am glad there has been such interest.

Hey Laura. I was only gone for a week. Been meaning to ask if you got that thicket creeper? Wish I had bats here. At my former residence I was used to seeing them flying around at dusk picking off bugs. Granted they don't selectively feed on mosquitos but they are much maligned mammals which deserve more respect.

Hi lycopus, YES... I GOT THE THREE THICKET CREEPERS. I didn't know who the plants were from though as they were left outside the front by the garages. We have been in and out of here a lot lately. Yippee! I loved those thicket creepers and planted one by each of the three largest habitat brush piles. Thank you so so much. I have a few issues to take care over the next few days and then we have company coming in for about a month from the UK and my washer just broke... is this a bad hair day or what! By the way, your swamp milkweed seed germinated wonderfully for me and I have it planted in the marsh. Yes, I know it doesn't have to be planted in a marsh but I thought it was a great location! Oh, one more thing.....
Every single last cattail on this property is narrow leaf. Now isn't that special. Did you hit that on the head or what! How incredibly depressing. Next time you stop in would you take a few whacks at those narrow leaf cattails- just kidding with you as I know how bad the crap is and I am sure I will learn more about how to deal with it in the very near future. Bye for now- Laura

Laura Zone 5--Why what do those pests/mosquitoes do for us??? What have you heard? I need to know as their reason for being baffels me!!!
Bat: When we investigated putting up bat houses we found you can't just put one up and get bats. They need water/lake so close and other things I can't remember. I too worried we would attract them and then the neighbors would have them in their rafters. Not a great way to begin in a new place!

Mosquitoes don't do ANYTHING for us. It's not all about us. They're important parts of the diets of bats and birds. While i don't encourage mosquitoes, or give them places to breed...they sure do feed lots of critters.

I know they are part of the diet of some birds and bats...but if they are gone would they be missed by anything...there are other things to eat and how could they be that important to a diet of anthing that much bigger then them and still be soooooooo numerous. I'm not believing they are criticle.

Hi arcy, Mosquitoes are one of the few things I'll arbitrarily kill without remorse when they attempt to suck my blood BUT... they truly are an integral part of the food chain and I can not condone the use of spraying chemicals to "control" them. Given what little I know, I would have to say that sending out the trucks is nothing more than a local politician's attempt to stop the phone from ringing off the hook from potential voters demanding something be done. The real means by which to control the mosquitoes responsible for transmission of diseases that warrant concern was referenced in the link provided by JAYK. Seriously, broadcast spraying is a quick fix that shuts people up when they see the trucks come rolling down their street. The vast majority of spraying occurs in areas where population densities are high where mosquito populations would be naturally much lower. This exposes people who reside in those areas to unnecessary health hazards. Elderly, infants & children, people with compromised immune systems, and people who have sensitivities or allergies to the chemicals being used are all at risk not to mention the dumping of yet even more chemicals into the environment. Remember, we are dealing with chemicals here. I am going to insert something from another post I made a while ago-
"http://www.goforgreen.ca/gardening/Factsheets/Fact3.htm

Chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are engineered to kill--that's their purpose. Some are broad-spectrum poisons, which kill a wide range of living organisms, others are targeted to specific species. Often, when we're focused on a particular problem in the garden--weeds, for example--we can lose sight of the other effects garden chemicals might have. Some chemicals, for example, leach into the soil and groundwater, leaving toxic residues. Others may affect non-target species: the chemicals we use to control an unwanted pest may also kill butterflies, for example.

In nature, you can't tinker with one small piece of the puzzle without having an impact--sometimes positive, usually negative--on many other areas--often without realizing it. That's a potentially alarming responsibility for each of us to shoulder, but it's a basic ecological fact. And it's also what makes the ecological web of connections between all life forms so fascinating and intricate!"

My greatest concern would be the cumulative effects of spraying not to mention the fact that what is being sprayed around my area is non discriminatory in that it also kills beneficial insects such as grasshoppers, bumblebees, lacewings, mason bees, butterflies, moths, and a host of others. We aren't dealing with chemicals that target a specific mosquito here.

Backing up to your original question- would they be missed by anything? Absolutely! The life forms that depend upon mosquitoes is longer than my arm and includes many common and less familiar species of ohter insects, birds, fish, amphibians, and quite a few mammals. Sorry to say that we need those blood thirsty little buggers as they are a major component of biodiversity. I have difficulty reminding myself there is an extremely valid reason for their existence when they fly in formation over my body particularly when I seem to be singled out for their dive bomb attacks. Yup, if there were 5 mosquitoes in a room of 10 people in addition to me... every last one of them would find their way to me. It has become a joke around here.

April summed it up quite well when she said it's not all about us as they are in fact critical- sigh.

It is all very interesting and I am not too jazzed about spraying them either...but I still would like to find a way to be outside w/o full body netting on from June to September. It is impossible where I live. I realize they have to be here for a reason i.e. to feed something...but nothing seems to eat enough of them to depleat them that I have found!!

This whole conversation about protecting mosquitos is crazy! I can't believe that they will ever become endangered, or that a smaller population will deprive wildlife.

Over-population of anything is a problem (including overpopulation of people!) I'm sure someone, somewhere, has studied the mosquito population and can speak as to whether we wouldn't be better off without so many of them.

To me, they are a nuisance and obviously spread disease. I HATE THEM! DIE! DIE!! DIE!!!

Denise
(feeling better now)

No, it isn't crazy. It NOT all about OUR comfort. I don't like mosquitoes either, belive me! Face it...1)we're never going to get rid of all of them. 2)lots of birds and mammals depend on the existance of mosquitoes and their larvae.

I have been using the 'NexCare Advanced Skin Cream' by 3M some weeks now. It seems to be very good for me at repelling mosquitos. I put very tiny dabs on my ears cheek, chin, neck etc with a Q-tip and spread it thin before I go out into swamp-land. I dont have to cover all the skin just mark each region. Normally I get dive bombed all over my face, ears, and under my eyeglasses. Havent had a face bite since I used this smelly perfumed lotion. I hate perfumed lotions and would never use this except for the mosquito thing. It does smell less bad to me than the Avon product. It doesn't have a long range. If I don't put it on the backs of my hands too, the mosquitos will go down to my hands. I always put it just outside the ear canal. I hate it when mosquitos buzz the ear and I have a fear of getting a bite on my eardrum. I am a mosquito magnet so this is a good test

Very interesting thread! One issue that hasn't been discussed so far is the type of mosquito and its role in the food chain. The native mosquitos definitely have a place there, but now we have those @#$%^ Asian tiger mosquitos that don't do anything except carry disease and bite ALL day (not just at dawn and dusk, alas).

I garden organically and would never advocate spraying the neighborhood (my neighbors' lawn services do too much of that already), but if someone determined a way to release sterile Asian tiger mosquitos I'll cheer them on. Summer in the DC suburbs is miserable enough without having to fend off nasty little disease vectors that make you itch......

Hi Denise, mosquitoes have been studied and at length. We really can't live without them yet on the other hand...it is difficult living with the little bloodsuckers isn't it? They are so thick around me there are times when I walk my dogs and have to scrape the skeeters off of them and my hands have spots of blood all over them after I do this. Yuck!

Hi jtk, take a second look at the link from JAYK. It briefly touched upon the different mosquitoes. I am with you on what lawn services dump into our environment. My goal over the next 10 years is to methodically and systematically reduce my lawn. Next year I will wipe out a third of an acre. Little steps. If all goes well, I will one day have 10' of grass around the home and that's it.

When we moved to this 2 acres of woods most of it was dense to the point no breeze would get to us. We have been thinnning out and are trying to rid the woods of buck thorn and other unwanted invaders...but grass or woods something has to grow there and if it has leaves mosquitoes seem to hide in them. Right now i literally feel tortured by them and a sure proof chemical is sounding mighty good!

I tried some new insect repellent clothing called buzz off. It really works! It is a little expensive but you can get it from Orvis and Hammacrer Schlemecher. (spelled wrong I know!)

shadowgarden: does it have that Premethine in it? I found an old bottle DH got me last year to spray my clothes with. Turns out to be the same stuff the news is raving about this Premethine. I probably have it spelled wrong. It comes in a hose sprayer bottle several companies have it this year. It makes a marked differance. And it does not smell awful like other sprays do. With all the mosquitoes we have we cannot have enough species that feed off them around so they are useless in my yard I have decided. DH says let them dine at the neighbors if they are hungry what ever these mosquitoe eaters are. We want to be outside the mosquitoes have to go!

Yep, permethrin, it claims it does not contaminate food, or water.

Permethrin is more toxic than DEET. It is considered a carcinogen by the US EPA. Do some reading on it. For example:

Permethrin is highly toxic to fish. This toxicity is due, in part, to the sensitivity of their nervous system. Fish also lack the enzymes that break down permethrin in other animals.
The LC50 (the concentration that kills 50 percent of a population of test animals) is less than 1 part per million (ppm) for almost all fish species tested, and for some fish is less than 1 part per billion (ppb). Agricultural permethrin products called emulsifiable concentrates are about twice as toxic to fish as permethrin alone. Small fish are less tolerant of permethrin than large fish, and it is more toxic in cold water than in warm water. Fish also have a particular developmental stage when they are most susceptible.
Sublethal effects on fish include abnormal swimming, a reduced startle response, and loss of equilibrium.
Permethrin bioconcentrates in fish, so that concentrations in fish are higher than the concentration in the water in which the fish live. Bioconcentration factors (the ratio between the concentration in the fish and the concentration in the water) up to 113 have been measured in brook trout,59 up to 613 in Atlantic salmon,59 and up to 631 in rainbow trout.
Complex effects of permethrin on fish have been documented by the Canadian Forest Service in field studies. They found that diets of trout and salmon were altered when permethrin killed the insects these fish use as food. In some cases, diets were altered for a year following treatment. Reductions in fish growth rates, and migration to untreated areas followed; recovery required four months. The researchers concluded that permethrin is "not an acceptable treatment for large-scale use in forest areas containing fish-producing
water."

It was on the news just last night. It is used by professional chem lawn companies. Highly effective. I think it is amazing how well it works. It sort of repels them. They showed the differance in a field. One spot you could stand and not three feet away they were swarming.

New to this thread - I started reading on the Herbal site as that's what I'm interested in for a repellent. I won't use DEET as it scares me more than the mosquitoes do! I am experimenting with making an herbal repellent using an oil base, rosemary, thyme and mint. Sounds like a good idea to throw in some lemon balm as well. I bought an herbal variety called Crocodile and found it very effective, only got bit where I missed! At least I'll smell good. I've used the net clothes with good results too, but sometimes it bothers my eyes to wear it over my face for long.

Yes, I received a gift of a jacket and a veil to protect my face that is some sort of a microfiber. It works incredibly well. I may not look attractive when I am weeding but I am not getting bit either. I did have to take off the netted head veil when I was planting very small newly germinated plants but that is in part due to vision limitations. I couldn't see well enough to plant them with the mosquito veil on let alone with it off. Thanks for posting the recommendation of the herbal product called Crocodile.

Hello Denise,
Just found this site today (8/18/04). You could try BuzzOff. It's an all natural repellent and smells good. We use it, like it and it's beneficial to your body. It is more effective the more you use it. We spend most of our time outdoors when we go north and after a day's use, they just don't bother you anymore. They still buzz around, but don't bite. It also works well to stop the itching once you've been bit. Heals bites quickly. It can be found on website: www.BuzzOff.us and the product is made from a Native American Woman right here in Maine!

Below is the link for researched and accepted information on Permethrin.

The qualifier words here are "used by professional chem lawn companies". And that's the problem with not doing any other research than watching the news.

Permethrin is toxic in aquatic systems, lethal to bees and toxic to wildlife.
For the most part this is a Restricted Use Pesticide requiring a license to obtain an apply.

All mosquitoes are always bad, period! There are no exceptions. Mosquitoes are wrong to exist. Notice how I haven't specified that they are wrong to bite me. They are wrong to exist. No more passenger pidgeons (for instance), but who who sets up hugh threads to cover them? Sure its sad that they're no longer around, but their absence doesn't bring misery. Mosquitoes do. They are wrong to exist.

I know my post is a little stronger than some, but I get targeted more than most.

Am I wrong in hearing short of buying things like guinea hens...... that you can kill mosquiros with nematodes..... the nematodes you spray in the soil and they eat mosuquito eggs ????? :) beneficial nematodes I mean..... :)

I don't know flowersandthings but if you find out for sure PLEASE post. I am realy miserable and beginning to loathe my passion for gardening by the time July hits and here in VA Sept is not going to get rid of them w/ the weather for the year. ~Vallari

I do not care how you feel about mosquitoes right to exist. I refuse to accept that ethically I must allow them to bite me. The buzz off clothing does work and by wearing it you do not appreciably affect the environment. I have a long sleeved tee shirt a hat and socks while wearring them I have not been bitten except once on the hand. The mosquitoes were buzzing around me in frustration but THEY DID NOT BITE!!

I didn't read all the responses, but have my own solution. Make a big bat house and nail it to a tree. Bats eat there weight in skeeters per night. This is the true non-pesticide solution. I made a bat house 39" X 24", it holds 150 bats approx. I used scrap plywood and stained it ebony. There are many plans available on the web, to make it correctly. Good luck!

As noted earlier in the thread, while it is good to encourage bats, there is little scientific evidence to show that doing so impacts mosquito populations around homes. It certainly cannot be termed the "true" solution in any case. Sounds like you sure have built successful bat houses though!

Flowerkitty- perhpas what you are using is no different than a chemical that is toxic to an organism, kills the small organisms quick and has possible side effects which occur in geometric channels.

Never before have humans had the convience of so many chemicals to use in so many diverse ways...the toxic levels are becoming more tolerated, that is the part that scares me, the tolerance is in attitude and not in an evolved sense of way or immune sense.

Today I was thnking that what theheck is the purpose of mosquitoes?! As I pondered the idea, I thought about the animals who brave the mosquitoes daily as I rush indoors to shelter from the little vampires. I was then thinking how grateful it was other animals who could fed the mosquitos, rather than I or my family memebers and friends and friends I have yet to meet. And how that all helps my garden. Their is alot of nitrogen in mosquitoes, bat guano is great stuff...

I love the mosquito garb for gardening !

Please understand what the chemicals are that you are applying to your skin...your skin is the largest organ of your body...what youapply to it soaks in and is ingested sort of speak. Are you causing your body to repair and heal from toxic usage or are you nuturing yourself with something that causes no side effects or risks?

Also there is ways to dance with the mosquito in my mind. The woods is the most difficult as this shades moist environment is a fav for these creatures to live and breed.

I find that on windy days I can usually move about outside with less mosquito confrontations. Also, I learn to dress appropriately,too. One learns not to be fashionable when fending from mosquitos. So, sorry, cover up and protect with clothes instead of the chems for me.

I have empathy for folks in very warm climates where covering up for protection is extrememly uncomfortably and too warm to function.

The never ending perils of mosquitoes biting people.

Eating fresh grown garlic has been the greatest relief I have ever noticed in mosquitoe control and of course the netting garb outfits! I dont get the same results with older garlic that had been harvested and stored for awhile, and especially I dont feel any results for processed garlic or garlic salt. It has to be juicy fresh out of the ground and darn that I cant grow it to be on a constant harvesting all through mosquito season!

regards and cheers

You need to go back and read ALL the posts here. This thread is four years old and there are many comments about this contraption. BIG WASTE OF MONEY is the bottom line. Three years ago my town began to spray after taking a 20 year hiatus. It has been heaven on earth since they did. I garden w/o full netting as discussed earlier and have purchased no cans of DEET for two years. This spring is a lot wetter and they need to begin spraying, but it is still 1000 better. SO IMHO get the town to care and it is the cheapest, best way to fight mosquitos.

I sure hope you still read this, but a good thing thats safe for all aplications, is a think called mesquito dunks, they are little donught shaped pellets you put in any standing water that kills the larvae of the mesquito, it says it is safe for ponds with fish, so im sure its ok for anything, you should check it out online or at a lowes or homedepot as im sure most places care them MEQUITO DUNKS

I use Yard Guard by glade. I live in the woods with a creek in my backyard - water means skeeters. When I go out to garden, there are virtually no skeeters around me. I would rather spray the skeeter repellant in the air than on myself. I worry about poisons on my body.

From the Montgomery County mosquito control web page:

DEP and DHHS are concerned about
premature, excessive, or unnecessary
applications of soluble pesticides which,
while controlling the Culex mosquito,
could have potentially toxic effects on other
aquatic life and untargeted biological
species, especially if applied improperly. If
widespead spraying of pesticides were
considered, County health officials may
also have concerns about aerosols triggering
respiratory reactions or other adverse
effects among certain at-risk populations.
At present, we have no reason to think
that stormwater management ponds in
the county pose a great enough risk to
warrant large scale pesticide application
or dewatering actions, as some have
suggested.

IMHO it is me or them. There is no point in my living here in the woods if they cannot be enjoyed. Prudence is needed but when it come down to it in nature bigger, smarter, meaner wins...I intend to win my battles.

We have used an all natural product called Buzzaway while hiking and biking in the woods. and seem to work just as well if not better than the deet products. Cedar oil products can also a great solution and works on many other insects as well.

Having read some of your post with interest but also some concerns I take the liberty of bringing the following information to your attention:
"Conventional" repellents are normally not repellents but pesticides. Pesticides kill, normally rather indiscriminately. The majority of pesticides are based on neuro-toxic action, which is harmful not just to insects, but to anything which comes into contact with the substance.

Present reports about the harmful effects of DEET are available on the internet and a simple search will bring you to thousands, if not millions, of results about "dangerous" or "harmful DEET". In addition many pesticides are petroleum based.

As manufacturer of an ALL NATURAL mosquito repellent, which is not only effective but actually PLEASANT to use, I take a personal interest in the usage of harmful pesticides, not only for my own sake, but also for the sake of my fellow living beings on this planet.

May I invite you to have a quick look at our website, and peruse our information. Our dogs, especially our ten year old bulldog insists on it before he is willing to go for his morning walk. If he doesn't know, how does.

I apologize for sending an unsolicited message, but I hope it will be of interest to you and all group memebers.

Yours truly,

M. Meyer
Dir. Sales & Marketing
mack@mosquiroff.com
www.mosquiroff.com

Problem solved. Our town sprays now. Life is wonderful when you can enjoy the great outdoors!!

I use deep woods off sparingly. squirt bottle 12 oz lasts 2 of us 2-3 years. I spray my pant legs a 4 inch band, my shirt cuffs, my collar, and I wear a hard hat with a light coat of chainsaw bar and chain oil. When I come in from mowing the orchard (6 hours once a week) the hat is black with bugs. No neighbors can see me mowing (1/2 miles into the woods ) so I don't feel foolish wearing a hard hat on a mower. the bar and chain oil thing came from an old logger who said it worked when they were so thick you only had to swing a fry pan 3 or 4 times threw the air to kill enough for lunch. He also said they feed on plants and only the females needed blood to breed. He was old and single so I took that with a grain of salt.