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Mosquito control products
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Magnets are great when they are working. They can be a little finicky at times. But if you use them consistently they really knock down the population. Also, the bacteria doughnuts in standing water seem to really help.
zboys
NES Member
I use Backyard Patrol out of Leominster, they spray every 2-3 weeks and last year we were basically bug free.
With any service you will get bugs later in the night that come from elsewhere, but early eve is a joy to be outside.
The Magnets are only getting the bugs that go to it, Spraying kills them where they are
With any service you will get bugs later in the night that come from elsewhere, but early eve is a joy to be outside.
The Magnets are only getting the bugs that go to it, Spraying kills them where they are
fencer
NES Member
I live 300 yards from a river that is marshy and prone to vernal pools. I have had a mosquito magnet for 10 years and once you know where to position it. there is nothing like it. Basically you position it so that female skeeters have to pass by it to get to you. But, to a horny female skeeter, the magnet smells like a Chipndale, skeeter party at a sweaty fat guy night club. And the proof is in the results. The first time you empty the net, you know.
The services are effective but much more so if you can talk your neighbors into participating.
If it is not too annoying, you can always set up a box fan pointing towards your seating area. Mosquitos can't fly for shit and are carried off by the slightest breeze.
The services are effective but much more so if you can talk your neighbors into participating.
If it is not too annoying, you can always set up a box fan pointing towards your seating area. Mosquitos can't fly for shit and are carried off by the slightest breeze.
mibro
NES Member
I picked up four Mosquito Magnet Liberties either cheap on Craig's List or at the town dump.
These units burn propane very slowly through a nozzle with a tiny aperture. All the units I picked up were inoperative due to a clogged nozzle. It's relatively easy to clean the nozzle, there are videos on YouTube. Feel free to PM me for instructions if you have a Mosquito Magnet that won't turn on.
Oh yes, moonbats, these things are carbon dioxide generators, ermagerd.
These units burn propane very slowly through a nozzle with a tiny aperture. All the units I picked up were inoperative due to a clogged nozzle. It's relatively easy to clean the nozzle, there are videos on YouTube. Feel free to PM me for instructions if you have a Mosquito Magnet that won't turn on.
Oh yes, moonbats, these things are carbon dioxide generators, ermagerd.
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And dragonflies and spiders.
I do mosquito sprays as part of my business. They can be effective to varying degrees depending on competence of the applicator, products used and the type of mosquitoes in the area.
Anything else you can add such as magnets, etc will help.
Make sure things like mosquito magnets or the Dynatrap (check it out, they work pretty well) should be placed away from where you are planning to hang out. They attract and kill the bugs, so if you are sitting next to them the bugs will just hop right over to you.
Also check your property for ANY sort of standing water. Empty plant pots, old tires, buckets, anything that can hold the slightest bit of water can spawn hundreds of mosquitoes. Even your gutters or the bilge on your boat in your yard that isnt draining (I've seen it!).
Been doing plant health care and tick/mosquito management for about 14 years now so let me know if you have any questions
How bout homemade permethrin tick tubes?
dontpanic
NES Member
'79 Harley.
Which are both great for reducing the mosquito population.
A friend of mine used to use one of the natural garlic based lawn sprays. It also had clove, mint, and a few other botanical extracts in it. The stuff was amazing and nearly 100% effective instantly. Only downside was it needed to be re-applied often. Easy to apply (hose spray bottle) and not terribly expensive.
Been using Mosquito Shield for a few years now. Early morning and Eves are actually bearable now. Only if you venture to the heavy wooded side of yard later in the night do they find you.
I don’t really know what they use , plenty of other bugs and birds around still.
I tried bat houses, I ended up with wasp/bee nests
I don’t really know what they use , plenty of other bugs and birds around still.
I tried bat houses, I ended up with wasp/bee nests
Whenever I have looked at reviews of Mosquito Magnet, I keep seeing way too many negative reviews so I didn't dare do it. Complains seem to be issues starting it, which I find odd.... Not sure why propane would be difficult to start, but I never used one before. Are they all just idiots or is there a way to be sure it is going to work?
Dennis in MA
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Bat houses are not going to make an appreciable difference. You grow more bats, but big freaking deal. They aren't machines - they will travel to where the hunting is easiest. So if they start decimating your skeeter-population, they are going to go eat your neighbor's skeeters instead. . . . and you get a slight drop-off, but not elimination of the said-skeeters.
"Yup. I ain't been bit by a mur-skeeter in five years. I'm completely mid-tone deaf, but not skeeter-bites!
Spray is the best. I've heard mixed reviews about the garlic stuff. I can't believe it works. Years ago, Wayne. . . . ah damn, what's Wayne's last name - old Bristol Cty Skeetercontrol guy - smart dude. He was hawking a pheromone-based system. Worked like a Japanese beetle trap. But the company folded when everyone decided they wanted to spend $400 on a useless Mosquito Magnet that really doesn't work that well.
I have the house sprayed every 3 weeks but don't go out that much. LOL. I SHOULD have the lake sprayed. That would make a ton of sense, but the amount of wind drift we get, I'm not sure I'd get all of my $ out of it.
I did know a guy on the BC Mosquito Control Board years ago. He said if the state would just let them fix the problem, they could do so with minimal effects to other beneficial insects. Basically, the Hockomock Swamp is the world's worst bird-flyover area. We get EEE and WNV because of all the birds that drop in and take off from the swamp. He said active spraying on a regular basis would control the mosquitos and eliminate all traces of EEE and WNV. Instead, the State waits until there's a PROBLEM, then okay's the spraying.
Stupid!
BC will truck-spray as requested. And we request at the lake (well, maybe that's Plymouth County - I forget) every year. It's only good for about 6 weeks and doesn't SOLVE the problem, but beats it down somewhat. A nice breeze off the lake and those spiral bunny-thingies around us do the rest. I've tried candles and sprays and such, those mosquito-punks are hands-down the best thing. They just work. And they last. Off makes a lantern thingy with the same chemicals. But it's a single-use. Those heater-thingies work well too if I'm night-fishing. Again - single use. Better with the spiral punk thingies.
mibro
NES Member
lol. Don't knock it until you try it. A large fan will pass huge volumes of air and suck up every mosquito that comes anywhere near it. It will clear your yard overnight and is much more environmentally friendly than any kind of spraying.
I like the sound of a quiet fan too. Very pleasant white noise.
I ran two mosquito magnets for a while, then for some reason stopped. We've used a company to spray for them and ticks the past couple years, but I'm not overly impressed. Might try the magnet again and still have the yard sprayed.
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I bought a couple when they first came out. They worked great. I used to save the dead ones and bag em. I would then weigh the bags and figure out how many mosquito's per oz.
Mosquito Barrier Spray Natural Insect Repellent for Yards & Grassy Areas
I use mosquito barrier up at our "camp" which is pretty buggy, and it works really good. Follow directions, use an Indian Sprayer pump thingy.... LOL
The "dunks" are great, specifically target just biting insects. If you can't eliminate standing water, this is the way to go.
Mosquito dunks (or bits) contain Bti, a bacterial toxin that kills blackfly and mosquito larvae. Bti won't directly harm dragonflies (nymphs do feed on mosquito larvae so you are reducing their food source).
I've not seen a reputable test report reviewing the garlic stuff.
Consumer Reports testing found most "natural essential oils" repellents are not worth the money, and can be hazardous to children and pets:
They do find that synthetic oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3,8-diol) is effective against mosquitoes.Consumerist said:
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Dennis in MA
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A nice fan is nice. We had friends that would sit out every night on their deck in Swampville Taunton. Used a big stand-fan set on low to keep the skeeters off. (Didn't worry about squirshing them into mesh on the backside.). It wasn't annoying in intensity or sound.
But that fan in the video??? You could dry a basement with that thing. LOUD! No thanks.
No matter to me. At the lake we get the coils and light lake breeze. At home I have a screen porch.
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Buy yourself one of these. SR 450 Backpack Sprayer | Professional Gas Sprayer
And one of these. Bifen IT
Mix according to instructions. Watch a youtube video on proper technique... you need to get up into the trees.
And one of these. Bifen IT
Mix according to instructions. Watch a youtube video on proper technique... you need to get up into the trees.
ReluctantDecoy
NES Member
Those mosquito magnets are incredible, but if you're by still water ways, there is only so much they can do for you. A good repellent and even adding some things to your diet might help on top. Lemongrass has naturally occurring citronella. Have enough in your diet, and you'll literally sweat citronella. Like Thai food? Garlic and onions help too.
Dennis in MA
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Damn! $700 for the backpack sprayer??? How high does it spray??? At home, it would take me a couple of years to make my $ back on that. An interesting alternative, tho.
Devils Paintbrush
NES Member
Something I have seen in the past few days, not sure it will work as advertised, but worth a try anyway.
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You get what you pay for my friend... it holds 5 gallons. If you read the coverage requirements for Bifen I/T you can see pretty quickly that for any substantial property (say over 0.35 acres), especially a property with surrounding woodland, you need to do a fairly substantial spray. I personally don't want to have to walk back and forth to fill up the tank and mix a new batch of Bifen 10 times.
The smaller Stihl sprayers are the same thing, as someone else noted - just smaller tanks and less power. The ability to get the mist up high makes a big difference.
Some of my friends have purchased the Solo... it works, and I guess it all depends on how much you want to save the $250. There is no question in my mind Stihl is a far superior longer-lasting product.
In terms of payback period... it's MAX 2 years, if the alternative is you were going to pay a service to do it. Where I live (metrowest Concord/Wayland/Sudbury area) everyone charges a premium for everything, so perhaps where you are people charge a bit less. Forgetting about the payback period though, the real advantage is you know what you are spraying, what the concentration is, and if you see too many bugs, you can go out and do another spray on your time. Kids want to go outside to play tomorrow and too many bugs? Go spray again. Friends coming over for a party? Spray again. Candidly.... if you spray correctly you should NOT need to over-apply product. The key with mosquito spraying is to get out early in the season with the right concentration of product (for bifen .09 is more than sufficient) and control the mosquitoes before they breed. Get rid of standing water anywhere you can, or treat that with granules that prevent hatching. If you have neighbors and can spray their property as well you will have even better results.
Those mosquito magnets.... yeah they do work. But they are pricey, you have to empty them, and they are kind of a pain in butt because you really MUST find the optimal positioning. Same is true with those - get them out early! A buddy of mine had like 7 of them on his property to control his mosquitoes, it worked but holy hell what a hassle.
That garlic spray nonsense is complete nonsense bunk in my opinion.... if it's worth solving a problem, solve it right instead of trying to solve it twice.
Dennis in MA
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Damn. I’m reading more into this as water levels are high. That Bifen is nasty stuff. Disrupts bees and fish. I’m gonna have to think on this. Malathion might be better at this point. Lol
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