Mosquito..be gone...

[moolie]

The most recent June/July 2012 Mother Earth News has a whole article on plants that keep mosquitoes away, they recommend:

Lantana (Lantana camara)
Rose sented Monarda (bee balm)
Lime basil (Ocimum americanum or "hairy basil")
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Sacres basil (Ocimum sanctum or "holy basil")
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

 

[cheepo]

thanks 4 being so wonderfully helpfull...
I do have a wood heron..had it place in the garden but will definately move it...
I also have garlic chives...left over from last years planting..will try...good tip..
The yard has some hardy geraniums.....but I will be on the hunt for a mosquito shoo...
for sure...love the thought of a natural cure..thanks 4 the picture
there seems to be lots on the market...
but first I find it confusing...
and second I rarely am at the store...and third..really wouldn.t want to waste money...
but the mosquito magnet was reasonably effective then...
last year there were a few dragon flys..but haven't seen them yet...
It is probably not as hot here as where you are...and i think it was middle of summer I saw then...
hope they come back, because they are lovely to whatch, and now I know can serve a great purpose
great list moolie..!!!
thanks...will have lots to add to my plant/seed wantabee list...

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Anyone tried applying Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis to their property to help control your mosquito population?

Here's another option as well:

Spartan Mosquito - Spartan Mosquito

Spartan Mosquito Pro Tech is an effective, long-lasting, continuous mosquito killing product for up to 30 days.

spartanmosquito.com

Looking to not hate being outside on my own property this summer :/

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

Well it is that season again...
love to be outside...
but good gosh...can't say those blood suckers are making it pleasant..
Has anyone managed to come up with anything reasonably effective

It's Lemon Eucalyptus. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified lemon eucalyptus, a registered EPA repellent, as an active ingredient in mosquito repellent.

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

Well it is that season again...
love to be outside...
but good gosh...can't say those blood suckers are making it pleasant..
Has anyone managed to come up with anything reasonably effective

Oranges, lemons, lavender, basil and catnip naturally contain oils that repel mosquitoes and are generally nice to the nose.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Not spread orange peels on the ground, make a spray bottle of the stuff and spray your clothes.

A friend of mine always put a Bounce drier sheet under her hat and claimed it kept the mosquitos away. It never worked for me though.

Mint is horribly invasive - don't spread it willy nilly all over your property. Put a potted plant of mint by the door and as you leave, you pick some mint leaves and rub the plant oils onto your clothes or skin. I will have to try mint and see if it works for mosquitos.

We have 40 acres of swamp across the street from our place and about 16 million miles of wetland ditches, lol. We have a Mosquito Magnet that we run to keep the area near the house mosquito free. It burns propane to create CO2 and had mosquito attractant tabs also. The yard stays fairly mosquito free, but there is usually a swarm of mosquitos near the device.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Not spread orange peels on the ground, make a spray bottle of the stuff and spray your clothes.

A friend of mine always put a Bounce drier sheet under her hat and claimed it kept the mosquitos away. It never worked for me though.

Mint is horribly invasive - don't spread it willy nilly all over your property. Put a potted plant of mint by the door and as you leave, you pick some mint leaves and rub the plant oils onto your clothes or skin. I will have to try mint and see if it works for mosquitos.

We have 40 acres of swamp across the street from our place and about 16 million miles of wetland ditches, lol. We have a Mosquito Magnet that we run to keep the area near the house mosquito free. It burns propane to create CO2 and had mosquito attractant tabs also. The yard stays fairly mosquito free, but there is usually a swarm of mosquitos near the device.

How fast does it go through a tank? I've been curious about those but they get Spendy real quick

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

Well it is that season again...
love to be outside...
but good gosh...can't say those blood suckers are making it pleasant..
Has anyone managed to come up with anything reasonably effective

You may cultivate lavender in an outdoor garden or indoor planters. Crush the flowers and add the oil to the bite-sensitive areas of your body, such as your ankles and back. Drop some lavender oil on a clean cloth and rub it on the skin.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

About a 3 weeks to a month I think. DH is in charge of keeping it going, but we take the tank in to fill about once a month. We found one at a rummage sale for $10 and snatched it up. It worked really well so when it stopped working a year later - we bought a new one on end-of-season sale. The next spring the old one started working again - turns out the mud wasps had filled in some hole and clogged it up.

If you get one just remember - it is a "Magnet" it works by attracting the mosquitoes to it and then a fan sucks them up into a small bag where they die. Place it away from where you are going to be.
One of our friends says " Oh, those don't work! My neighbors on both sides of our house have one and their yards are just filled with mosquitoes, but my yard is mosquito free!" So the best place to put it is in the neighbors yard, lol.

Yeah. I'd put it a ways away, which also means I wouldn't want one with a cord, which means it'll be $800

We bought a Flowtron Diplomat last year and that killed a lot of bugs, including skeeters. Probably a lot of good ones too. Now THAT is a big bug zapper. It also lights up the night like an electronic blue sun

 

[wyoDreamer]

You really don't notice mosquitoes until you are within 12 feet of the mosquito magnet.