OCD anti-Zika mosquito control

Parent Cafe
1

Let’s share some ideas about things we can do to combat mosquitos. Late summer and fall can be a bad season for them. Some mosquitos can hatch in a week in as little water as fits in a soda bottle cap.

Here are some of the things I’ve done that may be new to some people:

Downspout “condoms” - mosquitos can breed in the trough of the corrugated plastic pipes that people use to extend their down spouts. I tried to cover the opening with flexible screen held by a giant rubber band but couldn’t get it to work. I used knee high pantyhose instead and changed them once a month or if I saw that they had ripped.

Gutters - one of their favorite places although they usually can’t reach the second floor or higher. Keep them cleaned out and properly canted so they drain.

Portable basketball set ups - if you have one of these in your driveway and it’s filled with water to weigh it down, mosquitos are probably going in and out. Duct tape all the openings and change them once a year. If yours is filled with sand, it might have a layer of water on top. Duct tape.

A gate post that has a pole that is recessed into the ground. Pour some salt into the hole every couple of weeks.

Bird baths and ponds - fish, mosquito dunks and moving water will do the trick. You can blast out the old water in a shallow bird bath once a week too.

Bromeliads and other plants that cup water - get rid of them or have them only as houseplants.

Drains and sewers - if you suspect water is sitting in there, throw in a mosquito dunk once a month. You can cut them smaller for smaller areas (one full size mosquito dunk is good for 100 square feet). They are completely harmless but prevent mosquito eggs from hatching).

Big leaves - if it rains a lot and you have big leaves around, like magnolia leaves, they may be holding enough water to cause trouble. Rake them away or cover them with something relatively level.

Trampolines - we used to have one and the outer piece that covered the springs was picked apart by birds. Could water get in each opening for each spring? And travel down the legs and accumulate there, just waiting for mosquitos? It seemed far fetched but I duct taped across everyone one of those openings, just in case.

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If you hire a mosquito spray company to come to your house:

They usually use pyrethrums, which are derived from some part of the chrysanthemum but are still toxic (at least to bugs).

They will kill other insects too, especially the ones that lurk in dark and damp places like spiders.

Most cities spray for mosquito control at night, partially because bees will be back “home” by then and are less likely to be hurt. Still, I’ve seen bees asleep on the underside of a random leaf so they don’t all go home.

ETA - I’ve considered getting this service but I live in close quarters with my neighbors so it would only make sense if at least a few of us did it together.

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My neighborhood has been swarming with mosquitos since last weekend. I wish there were something I could do. It’s horrible. I go out only to walk the dog, and she is surrounded by mosquitos every time she slows down.

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If you have a pool or hot tub, keep it covered if it’s not used frequently.

Carefully check any and all screens in your house (window screens, screens in your doors, etc). Even a small rip can allow them into your house.

I have horrible reactions to mosquito bites so I’ll be following this thread with interest.

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I had ALL the screens surrounding my pool replaced. I keep no flower pots upturned, so no water left ripe for mosquitoes. Local news have been urging everyone to get rid of outside debris, like tires, etc. I even moved my watering cans and buckets inside.

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In Southern California we have all been encouraged (with rebates) to install rain barrels under gutter spouts. Just the other day I realized that these have just become giant mosquito breeding barrels. I only periodically hook up the hose to water plants.

What can I put into the standing rain barrel water? Otherwise I’m just going to open them up and release all the water and defeat the whole “water saving”

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If you have a pond/water feature, consider getting a handful of tiny goldfish babies even if you have koi or carp. Bigger fishes are not interested in mosquito larvae, but for the tiny ones it is yummy food.

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Maybe I’m just pessimistic, but is turning every possible thing over actually helpful once you get to pools smaller than bird baths? It just seems like, once you’re worrying about bromeliads and magnolia leaves, there are a lot of details that are out of our control.

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@coralbrook - you should be able to use mosquito dunks, even cut into quarters. My rain barrel has a diverter that is cut into the down spout so not the whole downspout empties into the rain barrel. I used the pantyhose trick on the connecting part, just in case. How are the mosquitos getting into your barrel? Mine has a lid that is also a planter.

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It has a portion on the top full of holes for overflow output and it’s needed during heavy rains (not that we have many occurrences of heavy rains!)

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I live on a lake with a heavily wooded yard. I get daily bites. Today’s hatch was especially nasty. Ouch!

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@coralbrook, maybe you can put some kind of screen over those holes.

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@usualhopeful - that’s why I call it OCD!

@romanigypsyeyes - I don’t think we need to worry about chlorinated or salt pools or hot tubs.

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Most of us in our neighborhood have been having our yards sprayed with garlic every month. It makes a huge difference. The first year we did it, we went from being divebombed every time we went outside, with mosquitos even getting into the car, to not having any. Toward the end of the 4th week they start to come back.

The garlic spray is completely benign, and it is supposed to control ticks, too. Right after they come, there is a whiff of very strong garlic, but it goes away within hours.

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Who do you get who does that? I haven’t heard of it before.

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How long does your yard smell like garlic?

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Not very long. You may notice it the next day if you try very hard.

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Wow, love the garlic idea. Did a company do this for you?

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I have some granules that you are supposed to sprinkle around your yard that naturally repel mosquitos. No garlic in them that I remember. I figure it’s like a citronella candle - it works a little but not as good as drenching yourself in DEET - and it’s hard to always drench yourself in and chemical.

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I only smelled the garlic if I happened to go in or out soon after they sprayed. Even then, it was barely noticeable. We had a company do it, but I don’t think it would be hard to do it yourself with a garden sprayer. You can find the solution online.