I had a bat house up for about two years, followed the mounting directions to a tee, oriented it in the right direction, no obstructions in front, a certain number of feet off the ground, blah, blah, blah. No bats.
My neighbor had the mosquito magnet, maybe he used the wrong bait, but at the end of two tanks of propane, we had gotten about three mosquitos total (there’s a little mesh filter that you pull out to clean so we knew exactly how many we were getting).
I’ve had mosquitos actually perch on the plants that are supposed to ward them off, so the next step for me is toads. The problem so far has been finding a source for them. Once I get them, hopefully I can entice them to stay. We’ll see.
I bought a Mosquito Magnet this year with the Lurex attractant (despite what so many people think we definitely have daybiters in Brooklyn). So far I have had it running for 3 weeks. We still have mosquitos but their numbers are decreasing (and we have the dessicated bodies to prove it). The product isn’t cheap, and of course it sucks power and propane 24/7 which some people might not be happy with – but so far I am a believer. it’s better than avoiding the backyard or fogging.
Last year I planted a few scented geraniums, as well as lemon verbena – both to ward off mosquitos. I did not find them to work at all, but then again we have the Asian Tiger Mosquito which is particularly aggressive. I bought them at Liberty Sunset in Red Hook.
This geranium is native to South Africa, and not to the U.S. It is worthwhile to be cautious about planting non-native species which are often destructive to the local ecosystem. There is a good chance that you will find a seasonal specimen in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Fragrance Garden. For more information, try the BBG Gardener’s Help Line: 718-623-7270. Staff will answer questions by phone from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Also see the BBG’s Gardener’s Resource Center: http://www.bbg.org/lib/grc.html
If you can find a place to buy it, be aware that it won’t grow outdoors all year here – they are only hardy to zone 9. You could try growing them indoors, or at least bringing them in during the winter. As for their effectiveness against the bugs – it seems like the bug repellent qualities come from the leaves when crushed or dried, not sure if the live plant would repel them.
If you find success – please post about it. The skeeters are eating us alive.
I had a bat house up for about two years, followed the mounting directions to a tee, oriented it in the right direction, no obstructions in front, a certain number of feet off the ground, blah, blah, blah. No bats.
My neighbor had the mosquito magnet, maybe he used the wrong bait, but at the end of two tanks of propane, we had gotten about three mosquitos total (there’s a little mesh filter that you pull out to clean so we knew exactly how many we were getting).
I’ve had mosquitos actually perch on the plants that are supposed to ward them off, so the next step for me is toads. The problem so far has been finding a source for them. Once I get them, hopefully I can entice them to stay. We’ll see.
Anyone have a bathouse/ batbox? I want to try one of those.
I bought a Mosquito Magnet this year with the Lurex attractant (despite what so many people think we definitely have daybiters in Brooklyn). So far I have had it running for 3 weeks. We still have mosquitos but their numbers are decreasing (and we have the dessicated bodies to prove it). The product isn’t cheap, and of course it sucks power and propane 24/7 which some people might not be happy with – but so far I am a believer. it’s better than avoiding the backyard or fogging.
Last year I planted a few scented geraniums, as well as lemon verbena – both to ward off mosquitos. I did not find them to work at all, but then again we have the Asian Tiger Mosquito which is particularly aggressive. I bought them at Liberty Sunset in Red Hook.
This geranium is native to South Africa, and not to the U.S. It is worthwhile to be cautious about planting non-native species which are often destructive to the local ecosystem. There is a good chance that you will find a seasonal specimen in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Fragrance Garden. For more information, try the BBG Gardener’s Help Line: 718-623-7270. Staff will answer questions by phone from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Also see the BBG’s Gardener’s Resource Center: http://www.bbg.org/lib/grc.html
Here is some info about this plant: http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Pelargonium+quercifolium
If you can find a place to buy it, be aware that it won’t grow outdoors all year here – they are only hardy to zone 9. You could try growing them indoors, or at least bringing them in during the winter. As for their effectiveness against the bugs – it seems like the bug repellent qualities come from the leaves when crushed or dried, not sure if the live plant would repel them.
If you find success – please post about it. The skeeters are eating us alive.