Mosquitos

[Wiped Out]

Today there was an article in our local newspaper saying the only good mosquito is a dead mosquito. I couldn't agree more.

With all of the rain and flooding from the past few weeks the mosquitoes are horrible! I have to spray the yard and myself before even mowing the lawn.

Our poor dog goes out to the bathroom and has mosquitoes hovering all over her. husband and difficult child have tons of bites just from coming and going. By some miracle I only have a few.

I read today that before the rain, these traps to count mosquitoes or something were only catching about 50 a night. The other night, over 3,000!

Anyone else dealing with these nasty bugs?

 

[4sumrzn]

Yes....yes...and yes! They are even sneaking in the house at a higher rate (doesn't help that difficult child holds the door open for them all of the time )

 

[Fran]

I got chewed up by what I now found out is chiggers. Mosquitoes are brutal too. I'm staying in at dusk and dawn, using spray and keeping the screen closed. It's pretty wooded around us though. Good luck.

 

[klmno]

They are really bad here- every year. We have a creek in the back so we can't keep them away. I just make sure the dogs stay on preventative.

 

[everywoman]

Here they are horrible---they always are in the the southern swamplands. For some reason, they don't bite me much, but poor husband and pcdaughter get swarmed. I use citronella candles and torches on the back deck in the evenings. In the daytime it's not too bad, but dusk....they will carry you away.

 

[Abbey]

Oh, gosh...when I lived in FL, we had chiggers galore. They are horrible!!!

I haven't seen a misquitoe in years. I dont evny you.

Abbey

 

[susiestar]

Past years have been terrible. There is a pond on the property next door (and they have a 2yo and a 5yo who are allowed to play outside alone!!), and one on the road behind us in the subdivision. Last year I was at the Farm and Home store and saw these things called Mosquito Dunks. Well, for $4 for 2 of them, I splurged. They lasted 60 days and worked really well with-o hurting any of the frogs, or the cat who drank out of the pond. don't have a clue what was in them, but the vet OK'd it (I am a softie, didn't want the stray cat to get sick - y'all remember Six Dinner Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)?).

this year it is not good, I told hte new owners about the dunks, but they haven't gotten around to doing it. It is on my list for tomorrow.

I am sorry you are all having such troubles with the skeeters.

 

[Hound dog]

Nichole also said that boyfriend's Dad told her that in the fountains and such they have in the yard......They add a bit of veg oil to the water. The misquitoes can't penetrate the water's surface because of the oil so can't lay their eggs.

Has anyone else heard of this?

We're not having a big problem so far. But then, they never bite me. I must taste bad. lol

 

[GoingNorth]

Daisylover, believe it or not, your kidney problems might actually be preventing mosquitoes from biting you, especially if you are anemic.

husband had myelodysplasia (bone marrow failure that eventually killed him), and we could tell what his blood counts were like based on whether or not mosquitoes went after him.

They bite in order to get blood nutrients to produce eggs; if the blood "meal" they find doesn't smell right due to blood abnormalities, they won't bite.

by the way, if you can hear the mosquito in your bedroom, that one won't bite you. Only the males "whine" and the males live on plant juices.

It's the females that go after blood and only if they are ready to produce eggs.

Of course, there is no such thing as one mosquito<g>

I live in the WI Northwoods and skeeters are a huge "issue" up here where it is boggy and forested, so you have my sympathy.

husband used to joke that when he did get bitten it was a skeeter on a diet who was after "blood lite", LoL.

 

[WhymeMom?]

Is that male whining thing only in mosquitos? No male bashing intended, I just deal with facts.......

 

[GoingNorth]

WMM...go to your corner. I am not even going there. husband was not a whiner, but I do understand that males of MANY species do whine, some of them quite a bit<eg>

I just took the dog out and got my ankles chewed raw. I've about had my fill of moskies for the day (I hope!)

 

[Pam R]

Bit of interesting trivia:

If you remove all sweeteners, processed carbs, junk from your diet, the mosquitoes will leave you alone.

I've been off all this stuff for over 6 years and can say it does work. Other people on the food program also have found it works.

But if you eat too much fruit, all bets are off. )

Pam R.

 

[Wiped Out]

Interesting info about the males not biting.

Very interesting, Pam, about the diet info. I don't eat a lot of processed carbs or junk but do get some. I wonder if that's why the will usually bite someone else and rarely me if we are out together. If I'm alone though, I do get bit. I also don't react as badly when I get bit. husband and difficult child both swell up a lot. easy child and I don't.

It's very frustrating this year. You can see lots of standing water as you drive around. Growing up here in Wisconsin you are used to it but this year beats anything I've seen. Even in mid day they are bad!