Mosquito Control

[GP-9_Man11786]

My favorite time to run trains is right around dusk. Unfortunatly this is the mosquitos' favorite time to have dinner too. I use "Off!" which has deet in it and it's very effective but smelly and unpleasent to wear.

[tangerine-jack]

That depends where you live. As a 20 year veteran of the Army, I have encountered mosquitos of every type. I can assure you that there is no one remedy that works for all species and areas. I prefer Skin-so-soft as it has a nice smell, keeps about 90% of the skeeters away, and mixes nicely with cammo face paint. I have tried everything imaginable from home remedy, commercial products, diesel fuel, not bathing, smoke, fire, electricity, exhaust fumes, some worked, some didn't.

Cintronella works if there is no breeze and the mosquito population is small, it's better to use in a screened porch area. Deet is not effective against ABT's (Air Breathing Threats), it is better for arthropods (ticks and chiggers) and other things that crawl. Bug zappers are good against the "bombers" ie: dragonflies, moths, and beetles, but nearly useless against the skeeters. "Off!" works fairly well unless you get the kind with a picture of a family on the can-that stuff is useless. Stick with the "deep woods" variety and you should be OK. I prefer the pump bottle to the aresol can, less waste and more controlable aplication.

Caveat: Mosquitos are like the tax man- eventualy they will find you and suck your blood.

Hope this helps.

[oX)]

[Anonymous]

I find that copious amounts of alcohol works wonders.You still get bitten but you're far to pissed to care and the blood sucking monster won't be able to fly after you for another go.

[Anonymous]

I USE OFF , But around the pond i use mosquito donuts you put in the water and are good for up to 30 days ,I get these at Lowe's lumber yard. Ben

Tangerine- jack I see your back .

[ghelman]

All the above. Another one that my wife is pushing at the moment is fabric softner. You know the sheet type. Rub one all over and there you go. Skeeters like me so I am not sure any works 100%.

[Curmudgeon]

Stogies.
Started years ago when we had a real problem, still have some issues at times of the year, multiple stogie sites keeps them away.
Helps with bees and wasps, too.
TOC

[CandCRR]

I'm like George (Rusty G) and use all of the above, but I have been told the fabric softners just need to be folded into the collar of your shirt ( or shoes...) to keep them away from your face, and they are reusable that way. My problem is that I am allergic to something in them so I can not have them near my skin. So I mostly use "bug spray" and the candles.

Jaime

[BudSteinhoff]

Where I live , in the Florida swamps, Repellents are useless.
The mosquito's are thick and big.
My frogs and lizards are as abundant and do a good job of keeping the bugs under control in my screened in train section area.
The outside train area is not where you do not want to be at dusk but during the day if the sun is out is acceptable.
Bud[8D]

[vsmith]

Citronella candles and torches work OK for me. I have a zapper but it really doesnt seem to phase the little beggers if theres a live person out there, but if you turn it on and leave the area, it does draw them in for the big zap! Leave it on for a while before going out and it clears them out pretty well. Smoke from a charcoal grill also works good to clear out the little beasties.

[Tom The Brat]

Around here, mosquitos have learned that where they smell citronella, there are people!

[Rene Schweitzer]

Ben has a good point--I use mosquito dunks in areas that have standing water (bird baths, etc.) They do last 30 days are are safe for pets, animals and people. I've seen these appearing in more stores in the last couple of years.

[Rastun]

If I have to use a repellent I usually find the one with the highest deet conent I can get. That being said our mosquitos here aren't all that big but those ones in Nevada, they need to call air traffic controll for landing clearances! [(-D]

I think I am going to build and put up a few bat houses this year and see if I can attract me some natural mosquito predators. [:D]

Jack

[Anonymous]

Lucky this way. We have almost 0 skeeter population. I probably don't see 10 skeeters a year. My pond is the only water source in about a mile, and the gold fi***ake care of any hatched larve.

[GP-9_Man11786]

Incense is also effective and it has a nice smell.

[Anonymous]

I don't worry about mosquitos in winter time.


ian

[Anonymous]

I got a mosquito magnet last year. Works great, cleans out mosquitos, black flies and no seeums.

Gary

[Anonymous]

Well...here in Florida, we use shotguns, howitsers, baseball bats, and the local naval base fighter aircraft. Haven't lost but a couple of the aircraft lately. Tried using brickbats, but they kept catching them, and throwing them back.
[:D][swg]

[ttrigg]

We only have about one "skeeter" every four or five years. No standing water of any kind within 30 miles. (Unless you want to count the Pacific Ocean, but its too salty anyway.)

Tom

[grandpopswalt]

Two things .... I use "Off" personal spray, this seems to keep the majority of them away and to create a mosquito-free zone I use the green "mosquito coils". The smoke is pungent but completely effective.

Walt

[Anonymous]

I agree with Troy, get pissed just in case one happens by. When I holiday in Greece I up my garlic intake before I go and eat plenty of local Tzatziki when I'm there, tastes bloody good, nobody comes near me because I reek of garlic and the mosi's leave the room when I walk in.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[tangerine-jack]

Seems we have a lot in common, cpt Turk! The local F-16's from Fentress and Oceana Naval Air stations keep thier combat skills honed on the anti-skeeter missions- tough and dangerous work. I caught half a dozen blood suckers the other day practicing kung-fu and urban combat skills. I killed them, had no other choice.

Howitzers don't work, I spent 17 of my 20 years in the Artillery and it was quite a bloodbath battle against the "buzzbombs" and I think they won. Sprays don't work very well, I saw a platoon of skeeters in gas-masks giving first aid to the rest of the bunch. Killed one and the rest came to the funeral.

I've seen some in the Dismal Swamp with red-heads that nothing at all worked on. Those b-stards bite through your uniform and leave a welt the size of a quarter. We tried everything, diesel fuel, cintronella, exhaust fumes, burning gunpowder, cig and stogie smoke, nothing worked.

OK, so I'm getting a little silly, but hey, if we don't laugh at ourselves then we will be laughed at by total strangers!

[oX)]

[Anonymous]

We even tried running over'em with the truck, but they kept poking holes in the tires[4:-)]

[Tom The Brat]

One night at a Boy Scout campout, I was tenting with Chris and there was a commotion in the next tent. Two mosquitos were arguing over Mike, who was a heavy sleeper.

"Should we eat him here or take him home?"

"Better eat him here. If we take him hone, the big mosquitos will take him away from us."

[markperr]

Citronella candles and torches: Great for lighting their way when they are looking for something to eat.

Off smoke ring: Works real well if your standing directly downwind

Skin-so-soft: Seems to work okay

Any repellent with a greater concentration of DEET than 20%: Works best

Mosquito Magnet: WAAAAAAYYYYYY outta my price range.

Mark

[Anonymous]

I never realized that mossies were metallic.
I'm going to build a mossie electromagnet.
Let's hope there isn't a power cut.They'll eat me alive !!!

[GP-9_Man11786]

I think this is one of those cases where an ouce of prevention is worth a pound of citronella. As long as water is't allowed to collect in things such as drainege pans and the like, there are fewer places for the little bloodsuckers to breed.

[GP-9_Man11786]

QUOTE: Originally posted by capt_turk

We even tried running over'em with the truck, but they kept poking holes in the tires[4:-)]

Have you tried driving steaks through their hearts? Or maybe even silver bullets?

[Anonymous]

The stake through the heart works, ....but you gotta have two guys to hold them down while you do it. Where do you get silver bullets? Got no silver to melt down since they took all the silver out of US coins.[(-D]

[Anonymous]

Go out and get a mosquito magnet . Picked up one last year and haven't gotten bit yet .KNOCK ON WOOD !!! Gotta start it up early cuz it interups their breeding cycle . Had to get it cuz some moms dont like spraying 1 year old babies with chemicals .

[ghelman]

"mosquito magnet" I heard they were good for a 1/2 acre. I keep trying to convince my neighbor into buying one. [:)]