Subject: Re: Mosquitos..die,die,die!

From: [email-masked] (Joe Kusterer)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 13:36:55 GMT

In <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Rudy Willis) writes:
>Recently moved to Northwestern Minessota, on a river no less.  Is
>there anything that will kill mosquitos in mass quantities?  I am
>thinking of installing a system of the "Bug Zappers" all over,
>but wasn't sure if mosquitons are drawn to light.  Maybe if I
>cover the light with chicken blood, gross thought.  Anyway, I am
>looking for ways to kill these beasts, any suggestions?
>

Bats, Bats, and more Bats !!!

Joe Kusterer                   Loral Federal Systems - Manassas
Team OS/2                               [email-masked]
---------------------------------------------------------------

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From: [email-masked] (Graham Thurston)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 16:15:14 GMT

>Bats, Bats, and more Bats !!!

I have seen a couple of posts here extolling the virtues of bats for mosquito 
control.  Sure, bats eat a lot of mosquitoes but they also eat tons of other 
stuff.  Bats will preferentially go for larger prey like moths.  Unless you 
can saturate an area with bats you are really going to get very little in 
mosquito population reduction.   Putting up suitable shelters for bats is a 
great idea but it will not give you any noticeable reduction in mosquitoes.

As for bug zappers:  they do not work!  (Unless you get a perverse 
satisfaction out of hearing insect bodies sizzle as they are electrocuted and 
enjoy the smell of roasting chitin).  Many different insects are attracted to 
the lights of bug zappers, mosquitoes included.  However, analyses of the 
catch of these units show that considerebly less than 10% of the victims are 
mosquitoes.  The bulk is made up of moths, flies and beetles.  Moreover, the 
lights serve to attract insects in from the surrounding area so you are 
effectively attracting more mosquitoes (along with everything else) to the 
area you are trying to eliminate mosquitoes from.  Where bug zappers work 
extremely well is in confined areas.  Their use in such places as dairies and 
barns is justified because the influx of new insects into the area is limited.

Probably your best bet for control of mosquitoes in your yard is screening.  
If you want to sit outside in the early night (when mosquitoes are the worst) 
sit in a screened porch or gazebo.  (The commonly-sold citronella candles and 
pyrethrum coils are not very effective where any breeze at all can dilute 
their smoke -- although I use the coils to disinfest my tent before crawling 
in to enjoy a bugless sleep).

Unless the river near your property is unusually stagnant for a river, it is 
not the source of the mosquitoes.  Mosquitoes generally breed in calm pools, 
swamps, forest ponds, and any other source of standing water.  The best method 
for eliminating mosquitoes from an area is a municipal campaign to 1) 
eliminate as much standing water as possble (i.e. unused automobile tires, 
barrels, drinking troughs, etc.) and 2) treat infested waters with Bacillus 
thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) before the adults emerge.  This product is 
registered for mosquito control in Canada and, I believe, in the USA.  To be 
effective this tactic must be done on a large scale, one person in a 
neighborhood will have little effect on the mosquito problem.

I hope this is of some help.

Graham Thurston

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 02:33:23 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Rudy Willis) writes: 

>Thanks,
>Rudy
>P.S. Keep in mind, these things are so huge they should file
>flight plans.
>
>
>--
>From the home of:
>Rudy & Dafni Willis
>and the dogs: Joey, Rosie, and James
>==============================
>             GUN CONTROL IS A FIRM GRIP ON YOUR "MAGNUM"
>

The only really effective method of killing mosquitos is to
kill their larvae . . . which means draining wetlands -- not a
great idea ecologically.  I have had good luck with using
citronella oil to drive them away.

Chris Owens

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From: [email-masked] (AIRD MELANIE DAWN)
Date: 23 Mar 1995 15:20:23 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Jeremy Hickman) writes:
>From: [email-masked] (Jeremy Hickman)
>Subject: Re: Mosquitos..die,die,die!
>Date: 22 Mar 1995 00:54:52 -0500
>[email-masked] (John Woodworth) writes:
>
>>What I'd love to see is a pill you can take to make you less tasty or less 
>>attractive to these airborne nasties. 
>
>>John
>
>I've heard (actually read from Organic Gardening magazine) that taking Vitamin
>B1 every day or so will make you less "tasty."  Rubbing crushed lemon thyme 
>leaves on you is supposed to work well too.
>
>Jeremy
>
apparently garlic does the same thing.  eaten on a regular basis, although 
you may want to chase it with some parsley for the benefit of the people 
around you.

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From: [email-masked] (George VandenBerghe)
Date: 23 Mar 95 09:26:27 CST

> P.S. Keep in mind, these things are so huge they should file

     You have just made the acquaintance of the 
Minnesota State Bird.  (Despite this I would
like to live in Minnesota)

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From: [email-masked] (Jeremy Hickman)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 00:54:52 -0500

Jeremy

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From: Cynthia Cowling Champion <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 09:42:39 -0500

Would love to hear about joining Bat Conservation group- I live near a 
creek and here in the South we are overrun by mosquitos six months out of 
the year- Help-would love to have bats!

Cindy 
Decatur GA

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From: [email-masked] (Bess Haile)
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 23:40:31 GMT

[email-masked]  writes:
> One way to control them is to keep your grass short and brush to a minimum. 
> This will deter *daytime* attacks (they're brave if the have a place to make a 
> quick retreat). 
> 
> Other than that, the best weapon you have is DEET, long sleaves and pants. 
> I've noticed some people are mosquito magnets and others are rarely bothered. 
> Does anyone know why this is so?
> 
> John
> 
> "Epater les bourgeios"

Smithsonian did an article about mosquito magnest (human
variety) several years ago.  They said that some folks skin
produces less lactic acid than others and mosquitos don't like
them....those who produce more than average are the magnetic
types.  Since a mosquito will bit anyone else rather than taste
me, I presume I'm a low-lactic type.  

But I also grow the smelly artimesias and tansy which help keep
bugs at bay

Bess Haile
zone 7 VA

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From: [email-masked] (John Woodworth)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 11:56:39

John

"Epater les bourgeios"

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From: [email-masked] (John Bachman)
Date: 23 Mar 1995 20:00:54 -0500

>Would love to hear about joining Bat Conservation group- I live near a
creek  
>and here in the South we are overrun by mosquitos six months out of the
year-  
>Help-would love to have bats! 
> 
>Cindy  
>Decatur GA 
 
Contact Bat Conservation International, P. O. Box 162603, Austin, TX 78716.
 For $15 they will enroll you into their national bat research project and
send you lots of literature including "The Bat House Builders Handbook."  I
think that they are somehow associated with the Univ. of Texas. 
 
Good Luck Batperson!-- 
John Bachman

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From: [email-masked] (Graham Thurston)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 16:15:14 GMT

Graham Thurston

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 02:33:23 GMT

Chris Owens

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From: [email-masked] (AIRD MELANIE DAWN)
Date: 23 Mar 1995 15:20:23 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (George VandenBerghe)
Date: 23 Mar 95 09:26:27 CST

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From: [email-masked] (Jeremy Hickman)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 00:54:52 -0500

Jeremy

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From: Cynthia Cowling Champion <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 09:42:39 -0500

Cindy 
Decatur GA

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From: [email-masked] (Bess Haile)
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 23:40:31 GMT

Bess Haile
zone 7 VA

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From: [email-masked] (John Woodworth)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 11:56:39

John

"Epater les bourgeios"

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From: [email-masked] (John Bachman)
Date: 23 Mar 1995 20:00:54 -0500

creek  
year-  

Good Luck Batperson!-- 
John Bachman

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From: [email-masked] (Dave Clark)
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 08:34:57

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (AIRD    MELANIE DAWN) writes:
>From: [email-masked] (AIRD    MELANIE DAWN)
>Date: 23 Mar 1995 15:20:23 GMT

>you may want to chase it with some parsley for the benefit of the people 

garlic capsules sometimes allow the bennefits without the bad breath.  
Drinking black tea also helps.  Main thing is to avoid sweets and sweet drinks 
like soda and kool-aid.  NOTE, If you're the only food source they will attack 
no matter how bad you tase.  The key is to take the garlic and tea for 
yourself and give the sweet drinks to others so they attract the mosquitos 
away from you.  Don't tell them you're doing this however or it may cost you 
some friends :-) (not that I really think the smiley is needed but I'm sure 
someone will read this and be offended that I'm suggesting setting up your 
friends as a mosquito main course)
--------------------
Dave Clark - Data General Corp. Westboro, MA
[email-masked]

Opinions expressed are my own.  Any resemblance to other opinions
living or dead are purely coincidental.
--------------------

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From: [email-masked] (Eiko Naito)
Date: 30 Mar 1995 03:00:55 GMT

[email-masked]>
qqDistribution: 
: garlic capsules sometimes allow the bennefits without the bad breath.  
: Drinking black tea also helps.  Main thing is to avoid sweets and sweet drinks 
: like soda and kool-aid.  NOTE, If you're the only food source they will attack 
: no matter how bad you tase.  The key is to take the garlic and tea for 
: yourself and give the sweet drinks to others so they attract the mosquitos 
: away from you.  Don't tell them you're doing this however or it may cost you 
: some friends :-) (not that I really think the smiley is needed but I'm sure 
: someone will read this and be offended that I'm suggesting setting up your 
: friends as a mosquito main course)

Isn't it true that drinking booze keeps insects away?   If you drink 
vodka, that buggers carefully stay away.  Is that just a myth?  Seems to 
work for me.

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From: [email-masked] (Eiko Naito)
Date: 30 Mar 1995 03:00:55 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (John Bachman)
Date: 30 Mar 1995 19:12:11 -0500

>Isn't it true that drinking booze keeps insects away?   If you drink
vodka,  
>that buggers carefully stay away.  Is that just a myth?  Seems to work for
me. 

Nawww!   You just don't notice  <grin>

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From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 1 Apr 1995 21:12:08 -0500

Aw, c'mon, Minnisota mosquitoes are not so bad, they are actually
delicious.  They have six drumsticks, and all white meat too!  You imply
that you have the best means of killing them (you have a Magnum, right?)

   If more people caught on to this and would use this resource, it
wouldn't be such a problem.

Dave Green          [email-masked]
PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC    29554