Pests

It seems that the mosquito population has increased this year. I am itchy all over. Mosquitoes are one of the biggest nuisances I can think of and I thought I'd share some information I have collected on how to limit their bite.

The first thing to do is to keep the mosquitoes from reproducing. Mosquito larva live in standing water, so if you have any standing water, dump it. If you can't dump it, use one of the ways below to keep them from laying eggs in the water.

Mosquito Dunks are a non-toxic method of controlling the larva. It kills larva, but is safe for birds, fish, cats, dogs, etc. Just drop them into your bird bath, pond, water barrel, etc. They last 30 days and will cover 100 square feet. Dunks are not a quick mosquito control method. If you want something that will kill the pests today, then you need Mosquito Bits. They work the same way as the dunks, but within 24 hours, instead of 2 weeks.

Another good long term mosquito control option is fish. Some fish will snack on mosquito larva, and get rid of them that way. In Portland we have a place called Vector and Nuisance Control. It is their job to control the population of mosquitoes and other pests. Anyone in Multnomah County can drive up to their door and ask them for mosquito eating fish and they will give you a bag full. If you don't live in Multnomah County check for a Nuisance Control in your neighborhood and they may have some fish for you too. I got 10 for my pond.

Both those methods work for controlling them once they are born, but what about when you are sitting out on your deck and getting swarmed by them. Or, like us, trying to enjoy a Movie in the Park and they attacked. Ouch. Well, there is Deet spray (like off), but if you want to avoid the harsh chemicals, there are some natural alternatives. If you want to control mosquitoes on you and you do not want to use deet, there are a couple of options. One is Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent Pump Spray. This is a spray with plant extracts. Like deet sprays, you spray it on your skin. It, unfortunately does not work as well as deet. But if you are trying to avoid deet, you can use it. I've also heard that eating a lot of garlic will help. I've had mixed luck with that. You don't want to eat so much you stink either. If you know of any other methods for mosquito control, please share!