backyard bugs
I am a new owner of a garden co-op. After finishing up work on the inside, I am finally able to turn my attention to the yard. Unfortunately, every time I work in the yard, I am being bitten by bugs that I can’t see or obviously identify. I have a pretty large fly and…
I am a new owner of a garden co-op. After finishing up work on the inside, I am finally able to turn my attention to the yard. Unfortunately, every time I work in the yard, I am being bitten by bugs that I can’t see or obviously identify. I have a pretty large fly and mosquito problem to begin with, but those bugs are around every day (and don’t seem to increase in number just because I have stirred up the yard) and using OFF seems to work well enough against those bugs. However, each time I get close to the fence, dig in the dirt, water the new plantings, etc., I find a red rash on my legs that itches incessantly and feel like I am being bitten- these are much smaller bites and don’t swell up like your typical mosquito bite. Any idea what might be causing this? I had thought poison ivy or something similar, but as I said, it’s happening even when I water and am not brushing up against anything. Also the rash and itching subside after I wash up. I have pets and it’s definitely not fleas as I know what fleas look like and would certainly know when any of my pets has fleas. I am desparate for any suggestions since I have to continue water or will lose all of the money in plants I just invested in my yard and, hey, enjoying the yard might be nice too! Thanks in advance.
I have not had a problem in my backyard with invisible insects, just with the darn asian tiger mosquitoes which are getting worse and worse year by year.
At this juncture I cannot even go into the backyard anymore without them swarming me and creating nice nasty welts for days that are horribly itchy.
I would not go spraying madly. You have an ecosystem. You can’t kill pests without disrupting it. You could just wear jeans …
I have this problem in my vegetable garden. I wash up when I get itchy. Planting marigolds helps a lot. Keeping planting from getting too dense helps.
I hate to say it but I think bruce is right. It does sound like chiggers and as someone who has had chiggers before that is not fun.
It sounds like chiggers to me, but I live in the country.
If you look real closely, they are real small, but sometimes they will move on your skin.
A dog can get them and transfer them physically to you. I don’t believe the dog is bothered by them much.
We can’t go in the woods in summer because of chiggers. Google them.
Usually when a dog goes in poison ivy they get the oil from the poison ivy on their fur, but that usually shows up knee level etc, not ankle.
Yard Guard or the other Ortho products that you use as a spray can fogger or attached to your hose.
Keep pets away and don’t do the veg/herb garden
These are the only things that really work and they are not readily available in Brooklyn. I assume HD and Lowe’s sell them but I just brought them up from the country in PA when I came back.
I’ve been getting the same thing, on my lower legs…..I figured it was an allergic reaction to the weeds or whatever it is I’m brushing up against in my own back yard. Its weird….and those tiny no-see-ums are vicious right now!!!!