Mosquito spraying co or DIY spraying?

[StephMK]

We are having DD's grad party next weekend at night and will have tables outside. I want people to be comfy and worry about the mosquitos. There is a groupon for $20 for a mosquito yard spraying. Or there are sprays you can buy for the yard and apply w/the garden hose.

Has anyone tried either method? Do they work? We have kids & dogs so I want it to be safe & really don't want to harm the "good" bugs in the yard either. I just don't want our guests to be crammed into our house to avoid getting eaten alive in the backyard.

Thanks in advance for any advice or tips!

 

[disneyhand]

I don't know about the sprays but here is a tip my husband read in a magazine (don't laugh, but I think I heard him say it was Popular Mechanics....)

Anyway he read that basil is a natural mosquito repellant. The article suggested using basil plant in he yard. So I recently went and purchased 4 plants and have them strategically placed in pots around my patio. We'll see if it works! I sure hope so because the mosquitos can be really annoying here. I may even buy a couple more plants they aren't expensive and I love the taste, so win win! I hope it does work because basil is cheap and easy to grow!

 

[NikiM20]

See if your parish/ county has a mosquito abatement program. We pay with our tax dollars, but they will come spray for free.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We have used Cutter lawn mosquito spray for many years and love love love it. It last a long time.

This is what we use
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=199CAQE67T6HRGDX8WV8

Marigold plants also keep them away.

 

[Fly4free]

Check out this website. I have been searching for mosquito control myself and am thinking of ordering this (may be too late for your party though) b/c it's not toxic like some other sprays. mosquitobarrier.com

I'll post back after I use this, or another product.

 

[disneydeal]

my mosquitos story..... at our old house we use to have mosquitos everywhere, go outside and they they were...as we had lots of shade with 4 big trees...... well we moved 2 years ago only maybe 4 miles from our old house, well this house has 1 medium tree in front yard and 1 in back. front yard is 70% shade back yard is 25% shade BUT we have NO mosquitos i mean ZERO .. it's all got to do with shade trees.... at least that's my theory.

we can play basketball on back patio or baseball in yard with sun going down with no problems at all..

 

[Sadie22]

See if your parish/ county has a mosquito abatement program. We pay with our tax dollars, but they will come spray for free.

It's worth checking to find out what is offered in your area. There may be spraying and there may also be programs of pellet distribution in water sources such as drainage ditches with standing water. The pellets prevent the larvae from developing, or something like that.

A good preventative is to make sure you have no sources of standing water on your property, such as in unused containers (turn them upside down or cover them).

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

The mosquito remedy for us was purple martins! We have a few bird houses,and my parents who live beside us also have a few. Every year the purple martins come just in time, and in the evenings they get really busy flying and taking care of those mosquitos. I am serious, we never have to buy mosquito spray unless they fly out too early in the season. We do live out in the country on alot of acreage, so not sure this would work for everyone.

 

[Zhoen]

Howdy from Maryland, where mosquitos are the state bird... (not really, but they should be...) I can't vouch for any sprays, we haven't tried those yet, but I can speak to the "lots of shade=badness" theory.

Only female mosquitoes bite, and that is because there is some hormone in the blood that they need to produce eggs. The rest of the time, they go after nectar like most other flying bugs. During the day, they hide on the underside of leaves to keep cool and they come out at dawn and dusk to feed... so lots of green shade is inviting to them... add some flowers or a veggie garden, you're in mosquito paradise... they don't need much water to breed... a cap from a soda bottle can do it, so check, check and triple check that you're not giving them a nursery on your property to go with all that free housing and food they're already getting near most homes...

As for the "pellets" someone mentioned, if you have a pond or such on your property, there are pellets/donuts available that float on the water and are great... they will not harm fish or wildlife in/around the pond, and the mosquito larvae will still be in the pond, it kills them when they start to change from larva to bug... not quite sure how it works, but it's a hormone thing...

And with the plants, citronella is sold labelled "mosquito plant", but I prefer to just buy the candles or the oil that goes in tiki torches... I can't ruin candles with my brown thumb

let me know how the spray thing works out... I'm so sick of getting bitten every time I go to pick from my garden...

 

[lindsmom]

Check out this website. I have been searching for mosquito control myself and am thinking of ordering this (may be too late for your party though) b/c it's not toxic like some other sprays. mosquitobarrier.com

I'll post back after I use this, or another product.

We have used this product for years, and love it. While I ran my daycare and we had a dog, we wanted a non toxic choice. Your yard smells like an italian restaurant for a couple hours afterwards, and you need to repeat between 4 and 6 weeks (we found we have to do the first application twice, about a week apart to get the scent started). But to have something that won't harm the children, yet it seemed to work on not only mosquitos, but flies, bees, ticks (and we live in the tick capital of the country) makes it all worth it!

 

[Sadie22]

Howdy from Maryland, where mosquitos are the state bird... (not really, but they should be...) I can't vouch for any sprays, we haven't tried those yet, but I can speak to the "lots of shade=badness" theory.

Only female mosquitoes bite, and that is because there is some hormone in the blood that they need to produce eggs. The rest of the time, they go after nectar like most other flying bugs. During the day, they hide on the underside of leaves to keep cool and they come out at dawn and dusk to feed... so lots of green shade is inviting to them... add some flowers or a veggie garden, you're in mosquito paradise... they don't need much water to breed... a cap from a soda bottle can do it, so check, check and triple check that you're not giving them a nursery on your property to go with all that free housing and food they're already getting near most homes...

As for the "pellets" someone mentioned, if you have a pond or such on your property, there are pellets/donuts available that float on the water and are great... they will not harm fish or wildlife in/around the pond, and the mosquito larvae will still be in the pond, it kills them when they start to change from larva to bug... not quite sure how it works, but it's a hormone thing...

And with the plants, citronella is sold labelled "mosquito plant", but I prefer to just buy the candles or the oil that goes in tiki torches... I can't ruin candles with my brown thumb

let me know how the spray thing works out... I'm so sick of getting bitten every time I go to pick from my garden...

http://www.mda.state.md.us/plants-pests/mosquito_control/index.php

 

[Fly4free]

We have used this product for years, and love it. While I ran my daycare and we had a dog, we wanted a non toxic choice. Your yard smells like an italian restaurant for a couple hours afterwards, and you need to repeat between 4 and 6 weeks (we found we have to do the first application twice, about a week apart to get the scent started). But to have something that won't harm the children, yet it seemed to work on not only mosquitos, but flies, bees, ticks (and we live in the tick capital of the country) makes it all worth it!

Thanks for the positive feedback on the Mosquito Barrier. I hadn't made up my mind if I should take a chance on this product before reading your post, but I ordered it and can't wait for it to arrive now.

I also agree with the shade is bad, (or good if you are a mosquito.) We had very little sun in our back yard so last fall we cut a tree down and trimmed back some others and we have less mosquitoes, but still they are a problem since there is woods behind the house. At least now my deck is getting sun and I can grow more tomato plants and herbs. I also put marigolds in some pots and have basil. I've heard that repels them, as well as rosemary.

 

[Fly4free]

Just wanted to come back and report on the Mosquito Barrier. Ds sprayed day before yesterday and IT WORKS!!. He started in the back and I was around front and man was I getting bit up. He must have chased them all to me. The smell was strong but after a few hours it went away. Wonder what the neighbors thought I was cooking.

I did notice a few skeeters when I was on my deck yesterday so I sprayed the grass near the deck and gave a quick spritz to my flowers and plants on the deck. Well not 1 mosquito today and dd & I sat outside after dark!