Mosquitos
Help — I can’t go out in my backyard — really it’s ridiculous — two minutes out there and I’m swarmed and my 2yo is covered with them — I don’t want to spray chemicals all over my herbs and tomatoes, but I’m planning a BBQ on Saturday. Any suggestions that really work?
Help — I can’t go out in my backyard — really it’s ridiculous — two minutes out there and I’m swarmed and my 2yo is covered with them — I don’t want to spray chemicals all over my herbs and tomatoes, but I’m planning a BBQ on Saturday. Any suggestions that really work?
This is actually the first summer I can remember where we can actually go in the backyard during daylight hours in August. So, the bad news is that in other years it’s been worse.
For your BBQ, make it lunch, rather than later in the day when the mosquitoes are most active. Fans might work, although I’ve never tried them. Have multiple cans of Deep Woods Off around. The “Family” Off has too little Deet (~7%) and isn’t very effective. Deep Woods is 25% Deet.
Deet is pretty safe, but if you are concerned about using it on your 2 yo, then indoor fun is your best bet. “Swim” in the tub, make oatmeal or lentil “sandboxes.” He can really swim in local public pools that have “wading pools” that are 1″ deep. Double D Pool at Douglass & Nevins has one. The Red Hook pool doesn’t have a wading pool, but it does have a huge area of sprinklers.
It’s definitely not as bad this year as summers of ’08 or ’07, but still very annoying. I recommend one of the repellants that advertise “clean feel” and contain Picaridin (not Deet). Get the highest percentage of Picaridin you can find. I am extremely susceptible to bites (can be in a room full of people and one mosquito and the thing only bites ME), and we were outside all day yesterday — doused in the Picaridin stuff and no one got a single bite.
who still has citronella in stock? couldn’t find at home depot or pathmark, and pathmark had tons on previous visits. seems like they aren’t stocking anymore.
We use a hand held device called a Themacell. It is popular with hunters and campers. It only works in a 15 square feet area around the device, but it works well.
also keep in mind that dusk and dawn are the times of day that mosquitoes are most active.
im not a medical doctor, but mosqitoes are most attracted to people who eat a lot of potassium. do you eat a lot of bananas and stuff? if you eliminate a lot of potassium in your diet, they will stay away, but im not sure that’s such a healthy thing.
*rob*
Go with SkeeterVac. Comes in different sizes. The US government uses them. No chemical except for the propane tank that fuels the system.
We got a “SkeeterVac” at the beginning of the summer, and it’s really helped. That a few splashes of Off, and I’m miraculously 98% bite free this summer.
The mosquito traps, electric or C02, seem to work fairly well. Our neighbor 4 doors up is using one (they have a very lush back yard, pond, etc.) and it seems to help everyone in a 200 yard area.
Not to say there’s still not a few buggers out there, but nothing like year’s past.
And agreed with Arkady, standing water is a #1 culprit.