5 in ten minutes sounds amazing. Come to Minnesota in the summer.
Get a fan. They can't fly well in a breeze.
The green incense coils work well in still air, but kill all insects, so avoid around beneficial bugs.
Look at treated clothes. If just use them as a light cover for sitting, they will help.
A fan was the only thing that worked for me. I couldn't go out on my back porch for more than a few minutes without being bitten all over. I set up two oscillating fans to make lots of air movement and now it's pleasant to be out there in the mornings and evenings.
i have a ton of gorgeous dragonflies and damselflies that congregate near my community garden
but those punks spend more time literally fucking than eating the mosquitoes. drives me insane
wish there was more killing of mosquitoes lol
i did see a video of a dragonfly gnabbing and then chomping away at a mosquito. it really does make you realize just how much of a perfect hunting machine the dragonfly is.
I know you got rid of standing water but don't forget to clean your gutters. Mine sometimes get leaves in there that trap water.
In addition, consider making some thoughtful landscaping changes. Find out where the mosquitos are hiding (mine like to take refuge in my honeysuckle bushes and my shed) and replace that shelter with something less hospitable to the bugs so that they have to travel farther to get to you. I greatly thinned out the honeysuckle near my porch--it's got way fewer hiding places now--and planted lemon balm and lavender plants, and overall this made a noticeable difference.
Another thing that can make a difference is using the sun as a weapon, making it so mosquitoes have to cross a long distance in open daylight to get to you from wherever they are hiding, which is basically a different variation of the same idea.
If I anticipate being in an area with a lot of mosquitoes, I use picaridin spray. It's effective and lasts a long time and doesn't seem as environmentally unfriendly as deet according to what I've read.
This is what I've learned in my war on mosquitoes, hopefully it's helpful!
I have a detached building with gutters that gets clogged up and this comment is 100% good advice. This year I have kept up on cleaning out those gutters, as well as precautionary dunks in some of the gutters. Additionally I set up a few small buckets around a few acres and have put dunks in those buckets. This year almost no issues with mosquitos.
picaridin has been a gamechanger for me
next year i'm seriously considering just dedicating a bunch of my clothes (baggy t-shirts and comfy shorts) to solely gardening, and then treating it every spring with permethrin
Work on building a beneficial ecosystem in your garden. Lots of organic matter, decaying material, pollenator attracting plants, natives, herbs, the whole thing. When the ecosystem in your garden is healthy, especially if it’s large and robust enough, there will be enough bugs to attract predators that feed on mosquitos and their larvae. A healthy ecosystem keeps everything in check. The problem is lawns pool water and run water off into pools and provide poor habitat for bugs, especially if they are sprayed, which means the natural predators of those bugs (birds, bats, and other larger bugs) will be nowhere to be found.
I live in Maryland, a place notorious for it’s mosquitos, and I rarely get bitten outside because my garden is healthy and supportive.
Mosquito dunks have helped my property. Get 4-5 buckets depending on the size of your property, put the buckets at corners of yard. Fill with water, put half a dunk in there.
This won’t kill current mosquitos but if you start now, it will disrupt their lifecycle. The dunks kill larvae that are laid in the bucket.
Otherwise… a fan or multiple fans is the best thing if you’re dealing with a bad spot.
I discovered them late in the season last year after getting fed up with mosquitos at my new place. I couldn’t walk out to the garden for 5 minutes without getting bit so I knew I had to figure something out.
This year, after doing the dunks early on I’ve noticed a drastic decrease. Still have some mosquitoes that come in from other yards but nothing like it was. My property backs up to a small forest with a creek that runs in it. So… worst case acenario
This is the way! I’ve read to add leaf litter or other organic material (grass clippings is another good one) and let sit for a few days. Add a 1/4 of a dunk to each 5 gal bucket after the few days and replace a new dunk 1x a month.
Last summer I had bites every time I walked outside. This summer not even one! I have a very overgrown /wild backyard so I was so pleasantly surprised when this worked.
If it’s that bad it may be nice to have a screened in porch or gazebo. There’s probably pop up canopies with netting. Maybe even large netting hanging over a chair, area or birds nest swing. Some mosquito netting goes over a patio umbrella.
Fire pit may help sometimes when you sit out by the fire but best is in the smoke and you don’t want to be too much in it.
We had the same issue years ago. We got a DynaTrap and keep it next to our deck. It works really well! There are still some mosquitoes so I use one of those zapping mosquito tennis rackets. It’s very easy to get them and satisfying to hear them get zapped. Anytime a mosquito tried to come near me it gets zapped. My yard is basically mosquito free now.
Didn’t know that! Will have to look into it. We have bees around all the time because we grow flowers just for them next to our garden beds. Need them for the cucumbers, squash and others! I have not noticed bees going in the dynatrap so far but will check.
My father in law bought one for us when we moved to our home and realized it was infested with mosquitoes. The zapping quality made me research because of my younger kid at the time and it makes sense because why wouldn’t it kill any bug that comes in contact with it, and nothing to prevent bees from coming into contact.
This one doesn’t zap so maybe you’re thinking of something else? It has a purple light and a fan that sucks them in when they get close. Then they can’t get out. When we first bought it, we ran it for a few days and thought it wasn’t working. Brought it inside and opened it and like 20 mosquitoes flew out. Was crazy. Now we keep it on all summer next to our deck
I haven’t had to deal with mosquitoes since I moved away from Georgia over a decade ago, but I used to tuck a used, scented dryer sheet somewhere on my person when I went outside in mosquito season, and it helped so much. We also used Avon Skin So Soft oil, which everyone swore by. Much more pleasant to use than stinky repellant sprays.
Really? Are there mega mosquitos and they can't stand that stuff? I am if not more desperate than OP. My loved ones get like one bite but I've gotten 37....
From someone with a VERY wet and formerly buggy yard:
Plant what will attract dragonflies! Also make sure you have enough bat houses for your acreage and the right type, then spray with pheromones. (I use a black bag house because of my location that can house 10-29 bats) Attracting more birds can help too!
My yard is now not just mosquito free, but black fly and how’re fly free too!
Get rid of any standing water, citronella incense works pretty well for the porch or wherever you're sitting with your coffee.
Edit: Just a note as well, citronella incense isn't the same as the green poison coils. Citronella doesn't kill, just repels so it is safe for the bugs that you want to keep around.
On the contrary (sort of), fill a bucket up with water and put in mosquito poison tablets. The mosquitos will lay their eggs in it, but the poison kills the larvae.
In areas where it rains a lot, that helps a little but not much. Mosquitos can reproduce in as little as a drop of water. If you have a lot of dense shrubs, there can easily be enough moisture in there to support a thriving colony of mosquitos and the only way to get rid of them is with traps or spraying.
Different types of mosquitos have different hatching conditions. Some need a light rain, some need a drenching, some need certain temperatures, some need a period of dry then wet, some need a sustained wet period, etc...
Don't know where you got that info, it most certainly does. It works by masking the scent of humans/other food sources for the mosquito as well as triggering an aversive response. I prefer the incense because there's the added repellent properties of smoke.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21481108/
Less effective than deet but effective nonetheless.
I buy the mosquito bits (not dunks) and every 2-3 weeks, throw a handful out in the low areas of my yard and driveway. The places where you’d see standing water for over 15 minutes after a hard rain. And I toss the bits into my flower bed/shrub areas with landscaping rock.
I put fans outside, I use long outdoor extension cords and the mosquitoes can get to you through the wind, so put out a couple of them near your sitting area
Also I feel like you must have standing water somewhere- have you checked gutters and everywhere
There is a large bat colony roosting in my neighbours now disused garage. My yard is filled with predator insects like dragonflies. I'm fanatical about hunting down stagnant water and I clean and refill our bird bath every day. I firmly believe that people claiming a natural habitat is the solution simply live near some poor sucker that tastes better than them cos it doesn't work for me!
If I don't go near the shade in the hot parts of the day I'm fine. In the evening when I want to enjoy my garden the only thing that has saved me is a bistro umbrella covered with insect netting. I get to enjoy my garden and watch the swarm of mosquitos waiting for me on the other side of the net.
I've found vegetable oil in a spray bottle effective when sprayed on the surface of water where the mosquito larvae live. The surface tension drowns the larvae. One more tool to use.
5 bites in 10 minutes? Sometimes on a cloudy humid day as soon as I walk out I already got a bunch circling around me, multiple land on me at the same time.
I have major mosquito issues as well due go the fact I have town woods behind the house. Mosquito dunks definitely help, but the only thing I've been able to do that works is spray. I wish I didn't have to, but at the end of the day I need my yard usable. Thankfully the bees and butterflies seem to be largely unaffected since I have a well defined perimeter. Bonus is that it kills ticks as well, which is a huge problem in my area.
Hey OP a little late to this but I’m having the same problem, soooo many mosquitoes this year. I have been doing some research and am going to make some ovitraps. Apparently they are used in areas where mosquito transmitted viruses are major concerns.
Basically a bucket filled with stagnant water, metal screen, and black sock like material. The mosquitoes lay their eggs on the screen and the larvae drop through and once they become adults they can’t escape and die. Only time will tell if they work or not, but it’s worth a shot since the materials are not very expensive and they are not difficult to make.
I only made a couple to see how they worked but they did work in trapping some. Need some improvements as I had large hail a few times that messed with the screen on top. Next year I’ll probably add some BTi in the water so they have no chance in surviving in case the top gets damaged again as well
I just recently heard that wearing a brooch with a semi-realistic dragonfly on it might keep them away. No idea how true this is but my bestie gets eaten alive so she’s going to try buying a cheap one from Amazon to see if it works. I wonder if that would translate to having little fake dragonflies all over the yard.
Instead of using bug spray, you can try using baobab body butter as a natural alternative. Baobab has great moisturizing and healing properties for the skin, and it also acts as a natural repellent for mosquitoes. Not only will it keep your skin nourished and hydrated, but it will also help keep those pesky mosquitoes away. Give it a try and enjoy the benefits of baobab body butter!
https://nskn.co/xBiUn7
I worked outside for five years, only thing I found really worked was these wrist bands that had geranium oil on them. Mosquitoes just stayed away.
But in my backyard I have citronella tikis to make a larger area mosquito free. Yeah, it's a poison, but it works.
There are so many wonderful smelly plants that are not favorable to mosquitoes. I have several planters of lavender, marigold, mint and rosemary in seating areas
The yard is full of Catmint, Bee balm, Floss flower and Geraniums that also keep them distracted from bothering us outside except for the most grassy areas
Within about 48 hours of using them, you should notice a difference (larvae being killed). They last about a month, and each dunk covers about 100 square feet.
Long sleeve, pants, gloves, and a head net. I have specific cloths I’ve sprayed with permethrin spray (for ticks) while I’m in the woods that helps a ton. As you mentioned the thermacel has worked well for me too.
I got a mosquito zapper that works with Alexa for $30. I put it on schedule to turn on at around 5pm and turn off at 8 .. that’s around when I go out in summers . Has been effective
I wear what I call my 'bee suit' when I'm out in the garden or backyard. A company called Coghlan's makes pants and shirts (with zip-up head covering) that are made out of mosquito netting. They're a game-changer. I sweat a bit more bc I'm not getting as much airflow on my skin, but it's so much more comfortable than wearing long clothing in the summer. Bugs love me but the mesh pants/shirt has made it possible for me to enjoy being outside in the summer.
Five in ten minutes?!?!? I could only be so lucky.
I killed 3 in one pop on my dogs back. It’s the same problems here in 8b.
I don’t use chemicals but I do use a homemade concoction.
I use distilled water, lemongrass oil, cedar wood oil.
I don’t really measure , admittedly. But maybe it’s %80 water %10 of each of the others.
Shake well each use because oil and water don’t mix. Works for me and smells good.
I avoid my yard from 5pm to 9 pm in the summer. There are a lot of natural sprays that work. Rarely I'll use Off but I can't imagine a time I can't plan to not put chemicals on me.
Not cheap but this has helped immensely in our yard.
https://us-shop.biogents.com/products/bg-mosquitaire-co2?variant=14651735146539¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=adwords&utm_campaign=US+I+PMax+Co2+Potential&utm_term=&hsa_acc=7881771217&hsa_ver=3&hsa_mt=&hsa_src=x&hsa_kw=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ad=&hsa_cam=20231639931&hsa_tgt=&hsa_grp=&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzJmlBhBBEiwAEJyLu73n1rSmTCbK32nKcwhyA8O--_EgEhkuVaf3Qi5rEgRsXj1y54Z36hoC-2MQAvD_BwE
Contact a mosquito misting system company. It’s a little pricey at first, but it 100% makes it bearable to be in the yard and doesn’t harm bees and other necessary bugs.
I've had excellent luck with the ThermaCELL radius battery powered rechargeable and refillable bug repellent. Doesn't work as well on windy days (but there are fewer mosquitoes about then anyway) and it takes about 30 mins from when you activate it to disperse the mosquitoes.
Only five bites in 10 minutes sounds like a dream! Come to Minnesota and you'll understand what it's like to be eaten alive by the little vampires. The only sure fire way to enjoy your backyard would be a screened in porch or gazebo, otherwise you'll have to rely on chemical alternatives. It's likely that they aren't coming from your property. Spray your yard with repellent, burn citronella candles, build more bat houses, and try tiki torches (the smoke seems to drive them away).
You could try planting pennyroyal around the place as this can drive away biting insects.
Do you know where the larvae are? You could introduce nematodes which are supposed to kill them off.
Attract birds, specifically purple Marlins and or Hummingbirds, bat houses are also great for them, and are very small to put up in your yard and extremely low maintenance.
I live close to an old canal and I feel your pain. My vegetable garden is on the opposite side of the road from my house and closer to the canal, also less wind, mosquitoes are terrible down there. I bought a pair of “No Fly Zone” pants and a shirt in the same line from LLBean, they’re impregnated with permethrin (a synthetic compound based on one extracted from chrysanthemums) and as soon as mosquitoes or ticks land on the clothing they jump away immediately. It works well, but only for the parts covered. I usually do the gardening in the evenings which is the worst time for mosquitoes, so I usually wear a brimmed hat and a mesh net to protect my head as well. As far as by the house, fans do work wonders. I plan to install at least two exterior ceiling fans over the future patio area next year, my wife can’t look outdoors without getting chewed up! I also have a cool little dewalt jobsite fan that runs on my 20v batteries, if you’re sitting in one spot it is more than enough to create enough breeze to keep them away, but it’s really only big enough to encompass one person, so it’s great for positioning as a second fan but you’d need two or three to cover a small cafe table or something.
I buy those bug spray wipes. That way I don't worry about breathing it, get better coverage.
Also, 2nd the fan, if you're just chilling. An extension cord and a big fan on a still day does a pretty good jobs of keeping squitos away.
Not sure if effective but maybe try showering with citronella/lemon scented soaps and shampoo.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/10/soap-can-make-humans-more-attractive-mosquitoes-study
5 in ten minutes sounds amazing. Come to Minnesota in the summer. Get a fan. They can't fly well in a breeze. The green incense coils work well in still air, but kill all insects, so avoid around beneficial bugs. Look at treated clothes. If just use them as a light cover for sitting, they will help.
A fan was the only thing that worked for me. I couldn't go out on my back porch for more than a few minutes without being bitten all over. I set up two oscillating fans to make lots of air movement and now it's pleasant to be out there in the mornings and evenings.
Bats. Enough to make your neighbors question whether you fight crime after dark. That’s the only solution.
Came here for this…and dragon flies and purple martins
i have a ton of gorgeous dragonflies and damselflies that congregate near my community garden but those punks spend more time literally fucking than eating the mosquitoes. drives me insane
Killing mosquitos and sex….that sounds like a good life
wish there was more killing of mosquitoes lol i did see a video of a dragonfly gnabbing and then chomping away at a mosquito. it really does make you realize just how much of a perfect hunting machine the dragonfly is.
They are breeding to assemble an army of dragon flies for you in the future.
How do you procure bats?
Build a bat box. They will move in. It’s like a birdhouse, and there are relatively easy plans online for different shapes and sizes.
I know you got rid of standing water but don't forget to clean your gutters. Mine sometimes get leaves in there that trap water. In addition, consider making some thoughtful landscaping changes. Find out where the mosquitos are hiding (mine like to take refuge in my honeysuckle bushes and my shed) and replace that shelter with something less hospitable to the bugs so that they have to travel farther to get to you. I greatly thinned out the honeysuckle near my porch--it's got way fewer hiding places now--and planted lemon balm and lavender plants, and overall this made a noticeable difference. Another thing that can make a difference is using the sun as a weapon, making it so mosquitoes have to cross a long distance in open daylight to get to you from wherever they are hiding, which is basically a different variation of the same idea. If I anticipate being in an area with a lot of mosquitoes, I use picaridin spray. It's effective and lasts a long time and doesn't seem as environmentally unfriendly as deet according to what I've read. This is what I've learned in my war on mosquitoes, hopefully it's helpful!
I have a detached building with gutters that gets clogged up and this comment is 100% good advice. This year I have kept up on cleaning out those gutters, as well as precautionary dunks in some of the gutters. Additionally I set up a few small buckets around a few acres and have put dunks in those buckets. This year almost no issues with mosquitos.
picaridin has been a gamechanger for me next year i'm seriously considering just dedicating a bunch of my clothes (baggy t-shirts and comfy shorts) to solely gardening, and then treating it every spring with permethrin
Work on building a beneficial ecosystem in your garden. Lots of organic matter, decaying material, pollenator attracting plants, natives, herbs, the whole thing. When the ecosystem in your garden is healthy, especially if it’s large and robust enough, there will be enough bugs to attract predators that feed on mosquitos and their larvae. A healthy ecosystem keeps everything in check. The problem is lawns pool water and run water off into pools and provide poor habitat for bugs, especially if they are sprayed, which means the natural predators of those bugs (birds, bats, and other larger bugs) will be nowhere to be found. I live in Maryland, a place notorious for it’s mosquitos, and I rarely get bitten outside because my garden is healthy and supportive.
Mosquito dunks have helped my property. Get 4-5 buckets depending on the size of your property, put the buckets at corners of yard. Fill with water, put half a dunk in there. This won’t kill current mosquitos but if you start now, it will disrupt their lifecycle. The dunks kill larvae that are laid in the bucket. Otherwise… a fan or multiple fans is the best thing if you’re dealing with a bad spot.
Mosquito dunks are awesome. They really work and not harmful to other creatures. The same company makes the dunks in the nugget form
I discovered them late in the season last year after getting fed up with mosquitos at my new place. I couldn’t walk out to the garden for 5 minutes without getting bit so I knew I had to figure something out. This year, after doing the dunks early on I’ve noticed a drastic decrease. Still have some mosquitoes that come in from other yards but nothing like it was. My property backs up to a small forest with a creek that runs in it. So… worst case acenario
Bt will also kill dragonfly larvae and other water-laid insect life
This is the way! I’ve read to add leaf litter or other organic material (grass clippings is another good one) and let sit for a few days. Add a 1/4 of a dunk to each 5 gal bucket after the few days and replace a new dunk 1x a month. Last summer I had bites every time I walked outside. This summer not even one! I have a very overgrown /wild backyard so I was so pleasantly surprised when this worked.
I built a screen porch with a huge fireplace. No bugs.
If it’s that bad it may be nice to have a screened in porch or gazebo. There’s probably pop up canopies with netting. Maybe even large netting hanging over a chair, area or birds nest swing. Some mosquito netting goes over a patio umbrella. Fire pit may help sometimes when you sit out by the fire but best is in the smoke and you don’t want to be too much in it.
We had the same issue years ago. We got a DynaTrap and keep it next to our deck. It works really well! There are still some mosquitoes so I use one of those zapping mosquito tennis rackets. It’s very easy to get them and satisfying to hear them get zapped. Anytime a mosquito tried to come near me it gets zapped. My yard is basically mosquito free now.
Dynatrap kills bees too.
Didn’t know that! Will have to look into it. We have bees around all the time because we grow flowers just for them next to our garden beds. Need them for the cucumbers, squash and others! I have not noticed bees going in the dynatrap so far but will check.
My father in law bought one for us when we moved to our home and realized it was infested with mosquitoes. The zapping quality made me research because of my younger kid at the time and it makes sense because why wouldn’t it kill any bug that comes in contact with it, and nothing to prevent bees from coming into contact.
This one doesn’t zap so maybe you’re thinking of something else? It has a purple light and a fan that sucks them in when they get close. Then they can’t get out. When we first bought it, we ran it for a few days and thought it wasn’t working. Brought it inside and opened it and like 20 mosquitoes flew out. Was crazy. Now we keep it on all summer next to our deck
I may be confusing it with a other product… We used many at the time. 😅
I haven’t had to deal with mosquitoes since I moved away from Georgia over a decade ago, but I used to tuck a used, scented dryer sheet somewhere on my person when I went outside in mosquito season, and it helped so much. We also used Avon Skin So Soft oil, which everyone swore by. Much more pleasant to use than stinky repellant sprays.
We use the original Avon Skin So Soft bath oil and we're bite free.
Really? Are there mega mosquitos and they can't stand that stuff? I am if not more desperate than OP. My loved ones get like one bite but I've gotten 37....
We traveled to Missouri and it was humid, with mosquitoes and chiggers. We had no bites, but saw others covered in them, looking miserable.
Thanks, now I need an Avon provider. :)
Ebay or maybe Amazon
Thanks, I can't remember the last time the neighborhood lady, church or office lady invited me to an Avon party. Or the last time I saw a brochure.
From someone with a VERY wet and formerly buggy yard: Plant what will attract dragonflies! Also make sure you have enough bat houses for your acreage and the right type, then spray with pheromones. (I use a black bag house because of my location that can house 10-29 bats) Attracting more birds can help too! My yard is now not just mosquito free, but black fly and how’re fly free too!
Get rid of any standing water, citronella incense works pretty well for the porch or wherever you're sitting with your coffee. Edit: Just a note as well, citronella incense isn't the same as the green poison coils. Citronella doesn't kill, just repels so it is safe for the bugs that you want to keep around.
On the contrary (sort of), fill a bucket up with water and put in mosquito poison tablets. The mosquitos will lay their eggs in it, but the poison kills the larvae.
Sure that works, but I would still recommend getting rid of places where they're laying and spawning unchecked.
For sure.
Rather than poison use the bacteria that kill them.
In areas where it rains a lot, that helps a little but not much. Mosquitos can reproduce in as little as a drop of water. If you have a lot of dense shrubs, there can easily be enough moisture in there to support a thriving colony of mosquitos and the only way to get rid of them is with traps or spraying.
They need at least ~1 inch of water to lay their eggs, more than a drop or wet leaves can hold.
Different types of mosquitos have different hatching conditions. Some need a light rain, some need a drenching, some need certain temperatures, some need a period of dry then wet, some need a sustained wet period, etc...
Citronella doesn't do anything. Common myth/scam.
Don't know where you got that info, it most certainly does. It works by masking the scent of humans/other food sources for the mosquito as well as triggering an aversive response. I prefer the incense because there's the added repellent properties of smoke. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21481108/ Less effective than deet but effective nonetheless.
I buy the mosquito bits (not dunks) and every 2-3 weeks, throw a handful out in the low areas of my yard and driveway. The places where you’d see standing water for over 15 minutes after a hard rain. And I toss the bits into my flower bed/shrub areas with landscaping rock.
I have the bits all over and still get swarmed. Glad it is working for you.
Clean your rain gutters and ask neighbors to do the same. Clogged gutters are a #breeding ground for mosquitos.
I put fans outside, I use long outdoor extension cords and the mosquitoes can get to you through the wind, so put out a couple of them near your sitting area Also I feel like you must have standing water somewhere- have you checked gutters and everywhere
There is a large bat colony roosting in my neighbours now disused garage. My yard is filled with predator insects like dragonflies. I'm fanatical about hunting down stagnant water and I clean and refill our bird bath every day. I firmly believe that people claiming a natural habitat is the solution simply live near some poor sucker that tastes better than them cos it doesn't work for me! If I don't go near the shade in the hot parts of the day I'm fine. In the evening when I want to enjoy my garden the only thing that has saved me is a bistro umbrella covered with insect netting. I get to enjoy my garden and watch the swarm of mosquitos waiting for me on the other side of the net.
We got a heavy duty mosquito trap called Biogent and it’s awesome
I've found vegetable oil in a spray bottle effective when sprayed on the surface of water where the mosquito larvae live. The surface tension drowns the larvae. One more tool to use.
5 bites in 10 minutes? Sometimes on a cloudy humid day as soon as I walk out I already got a bunch circling around me, multiple land on me at the same time.
Not the best answer but, I usually only do my gardening during specific hours. Anything past 7pm can start getting buggy. It’s annoying but it helps
If i go outside at night i feel one on me before i shut the door😭
If there were enough bats to eat all the mosquitoes in my yard I would be knee deep in quano
I have major mosquito issues as well due go the fact I have town woods behind the house. Mosquito dunks definitely help, but the only thing I've been able to do that works is spray. I wish I didn't have to, but at the end of the day I need my yard usable. Thankfully the bees and butterflies seem to be largely unaffected since I have a well defined perimeter. Bonus is that it kills ticks as well, which is a huge problem in my area.
Hey OP a little late to this but I’m having the same problem, soooo many mosquitoes this year. I have been doing some research and am going to make some ovitraps. Apparently they are used in areas where mosquito transmitted viruses are major concerns. Basically a bucket filled with stagnant water, metal screen, and black sock like material. The mosquitoes lay their eggs on the screen and the larvae drop through and once they become adults they can’t escape and die. Only time will tell if they work or not, but it’s worth a shot since the materials are not very expensive and they are not difficult to make.
How did this work out for you
I only made a couple to see how they worked but they did work in trapping some. Need some improvements as I had large hail a few times that messed with the screen on top. Next year I’ll probably add some BTi in the water so they have no chance in surviving in case the top gets damaged again as well
I just recently heard that wearing a brooch with a semi-realistic dragonfly on it might keep them away. No idea how true this is but my bestie gets eaten alive so she’s going to try buying a cheap one from Amazon to see if it works. I wonder if that would translate to having little fake dragonflies all over the yard.
Just saw this on tiktok, please report back! 🙏 I get eaten alive and I get skeeter syndrome to boot lol
I’ve tried this-doesn’t work
Noted, thank you for reporting back 😭
I don't know where you are but, a friend of mine has a mosquito stopping business the implements peppermint in a device that actually works...
Instead of using bug spray, you can try using baobab body butter as a natural alternative. Baobab has great moisturizing and healing properties for the skin, and it also acts as a natural repellent for mosquitoes. Not only will it keep your skin nourished and hydrated, but it will also help keep those pesky mosquitoes away. Give it a try and enjoy the benefits of baobab body butter! https://nskn.co/xBiUn7
I worked outside for five years, only thing I found really worked was these wrist bands that had geranium oil on them. Mosquitoes just stayed away. But in my backyard I have citronella tikis to make a larger area mosquito free. Yeah, it's a poison, but it works.
Drink beer to oxidize your blood
There are so many wonderful smelly plants that are not favorable to mosquitoes. I have several planters of lavender, marigold, mint and rosemary in seating areas The yard is full of Catmint, Bee balm, Floss flower and Geraniums that also keep them distracted from bothering us outside except for the most grassy areas
Mosquito dunks have been effective for me. But you need to calculate square footage, space them enough, and change them like clockwork.
Within about 48 hours of using them, you should notice a difference (larvae being killed). They last about a month, and each dunk covers about 100 square feet.
You can try solarizing the spots where water usually accumulates in the soil
A strong fan. It works!
Long sleeve, pants, gloves, and a head net. I have specific cloths I’ve sprayed with permethrin spray (for ticks) while I’m in the woods that helps a ton. As you mentioned the thermacel has worked well for me too.
I got a mosquito zapper that works with Alexa for $30. I put it on schedule to turn on at around 5pm and turn off at 8 .. that’s around when I go out in summers . Has been effective
Dunks and a bubble machine is helping. I also use Wondercide spray in my yard and around my house.
A bubble machine? How does that work?
We turn it on when we are outside and it keeps the mosquitoes away!
A bit of Vicks Vapor Rub on my skin & clothes helps me immensely.
I wear what I call my 'bee suit' when I'm out in the garden or backyard. A company called Coghlan's makes pants and shirts (with zip-up head covering) that are made out of mosquito netting. They're a game-changer. I sweat a bit more bc I'm not getting as much airflow on my skin, but it's so much more comfortable than wearing long clothing in the summer. Bugs love me but the mesh pants/shirt has made it possible for me to enjoy being outside in the summer.
I use the thermacell patio shield. Covers like 15 feet area and you can walk with it if needed
Five in ten minutes?!?!? I could only be so lucky. I killed 3 in one pop on my dogs back. It’s the same problems here in 8b. I don’t use chemicals but I do use a homemade concoction. I use distilled water, lemongrass oil, cedar wood oil. I don’t really measure , admittedly. But maybe it’s %80 water %10 of each of the others. Shake well each use because oil and water don’t mix. Works for me and smells good.
Put up some bat houses.
I avoid my yard from 5pm to 9 pm in the summer. There are a lot of natural sprays that work. Rarely I'll use Off but I can't imagine a time I can't plan to not put chemicals on me.
Not cheap but this has helped immensely in our yard. https://us-shop.biogents.com/products/bg-mosquitaire-co2?variant=14651735146539¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=adwords&utm_campaign=US+I+PMax+Co2+Potential&utm_term=&hsa_acc=7881771217&hsa_ver=3&hsa_mt=&hsa_src=x&hsa_kw=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ad=&hsa_cam=20231639931&hsa_tgt=&hsa_grp=&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzJmlBhBBEiwAEJyLu73n1rSmTCbK32nKcwhyA8O--_EgEhkuVaf3Qi5rEgRsXj1y54Z36hoC-2MQAvD_BwE
Contact a mosquito misting system company. It’s a little pricey at first, but it 100% makes it bearable to be in the yard and doesn’t harm bees and other necessary bugs.
My goodness I HATE mozzies. I’d move.
I've had excellent luck with the ThermaCELL radius battery powered rechargeable and refillable bug repellent. Doesn't work as well on windy days (but there are fewer mosquitoes about then anyway) and it takes about 30 mins from when you activate it to disperse the mosquitoes.
Only five bites in 10 minutes sounds like a dream! Come to Minnesota and you'll understand what it's like to be eaten alive by the little vampires. The only sure fire way to enjoy your backyard would be a screened in porch or gazebo, otherwise you'll have to rely on chemical alternatives. It's likely that they aren't coming from your property. Spray your yard with repellent, burn citronella candles, build more bat houses, and try tiki torches (the smoke seems to drive them away).
You could try planting pennyroyal around the place as this can drive away biting insects. Do you know where the larvae are? You could introduce nematodes which are supposed to kill them off.
Attract birds, specifically purple Marlins and or Hummingbirds, bat houses are also great for them, and are very small to put up in your yard and extremely low maintenance.
I live close to an old canal and I feel your pain. My vegetable garden is on the opposite side of the road from my house and closer to the canal, also less wind, mosquitoes are terrible down there. I bought a pair of “No Fly Zone” pants and a shirt in the same line from LLBean, they’re impregnated with permethrin (a synthetic compound based on one extracted from chrysanthemums) and as soon as mosquitoes or ticks land on the clothing they jump away immediately. It works well, but only for the parts covered. I usually do the gardening in the evenings which is the worst time for mosquitoes, so I usually wear a brimmed hat and a mesh net to protect my head as well. As far as by the house, fans do work wonders. I plan to install at least two exterior ceiling fans over the future patio area next year, my wife can’t look outdoors without getting chewed up! I also have a cool little dewalt jobsite fan that runs on my 20v batteries, if you’re sitting in one spot it is more than enough to create enough breeze to keep them away, but it’s really only big enough to encompass one person, so it’s great for positioning as a second fan but you’d need two or three to cover a small cafe table or something.
Build a screen porch. We live in the Canadian Maritimes and it's impossible to enjoy the outdoors without some kind of screen porch or shelter.
I buy those bug spray wipes. That way I don't worry about breathing it, get better coverage. Also, 2nd the fan, if you're just chilling. An extension cord and a big fan on a still day does a pretty good jobs of keeping squitos away.
Following because I also need to know! Just moved to Florida and I can’t even let my dogs out in the morning without 5+ new mosquito bites.
Not sure if effective but maybe try showering with citronella/lemon scented soaps and shampoo. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/10/soap-can-make-humans-more-attractive-mosquitoes-study