Mosquito control?

[KrazyKatLady]

HELP! I am on a five acre piece of what should be paradise but has turned out to be a mosquito harboring marsh! While eliminating as much standing water as I can find and can actually do something about (marsh...swamp...more rain in one month than I've seen ino my lifetime), does anyone have any advice to offer. When I go out to care for my beasties I cover myself in a thick jacket, long pants and boots but my face neck and hands are SWARMED and in minutes I come back inside swollen, itchy and shoot myself miserable. Because I am doing all this while preparing to go to work, I can't very well use OFF. As it is, on the days I am not working, I am covering myself head to toe in DEET every 2 or 3 hours just to make it bearable.

Willing to try anything I can afford that won't be harmful to my furry and feathered family.

 

[Fowlfellow]

Muscovy ducks are great for bug control our flock destroys flys, we found Gold fish to be a great addition to the bug control around the homestead. Use a half barrel or something of similar size put 2 or 3 Gold fish in it; place it near your home in a shady area or partially cover it with a piece of plywood. It will be a perfect breeding ground for all the mosquitoes in the area; the fish will eat the eggs an or larva that are laid. The fish break the life cycle allowing you to enjoy your deck, yard or chicken run chemical free. If you have a large homestead place more barrels around the property. We have found the ducks and gold fish have solved our bug problems here in Louisiana.

 

[AllynTal]

I'll tell you what works for me and see if you can take anything away for your situation...

I have to stay on top of cutting the grass. If the grass starts to get even a little bit long, it provides a haven for mosquitoes to hide in during the day out of the intense summer sun. When the grass is short, there is no place for the mosquitoes to get out of the sun.

I have a lot of sub-irrigation planters that hold my garden plants. Each planter has a water reservoir in the bottom and vent holes plenty big enough for mosquitoes to get in and lay eggs. I put a mosquito-control liquid meant for ponds-- just a few drops per container -- in the SiPs and in the rain barrels to get rid of mosquito larvae. It's safe for humans, plants and animals. If you have bird baths, it works there, too.

I am constantly on patrol for things holding water. A few weeks ago, I cleaned out some underbrush and found a stash of old cans. I guess the previous resident was saving them up to recycle them and then didn't. Half of them had some water in them.

I think for me, the biggest thing is keeping the grass cut. If the yard gets long, I can't go outside without getting ate up.

 

[AllynTal]

A few years ago someone suggested vanilla in rubbing alcohol.....

I don't know if it works for mosquitoes, but to keep biting midges (commonly called no-see-ums) from biting, you use natural vanilla extract that doesn't have sugar added. That's real vanilla, not imitation vanilla, which usually has sugar added. That's a very expensive insect repellent.

 

[ldawntaylor]

My goats were too interested in my clothes on baking days for me to even consider trying it. I mean, why intentionally add something to my person that I know the goats are going to try to taste? End result? I've never tried her suggestion. She did say it could be diluted in rubbing alcohol.

But, I certainly agree it would be expensive - plus - the mosquitoes bothered me just as much on those days I baked cookies as they did on any other day.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Keeping grass mowed is huge in reducing the mosquito population!
We bought a Mosquito Magnet at a rummage sale, it works great at reducing the mosquito population, but I can sure tell when we are getting behind on the mowing. Reminder about the Mosquito Magnet - it attracts the mosquitos to it, so place it away from the area that you want to be.

 

[eggbert420]

I'll tell you what works for me and see if you can take anything away for your situation...

I have to stay on top of cutting the grass. If the grass starts to get even a little bit long, it provides a haven for mosquitoes to hide in during the day out of the intense summer sun. When the grass is short, there is no place for the mosquitoes to get out of the sun.

I have a lot of sub-irrigation planters that hold my garden plants. Each planter has a water reservoir in the bottom and vent holes plenty big enough for mosquitoes to get in and lay eggs. I put a mosquito-control liquid meant for ponds-- just a few drops per container -- in the SiPs and in the rain barrels to get rid of mosquito larvae. It's safe for humans, plants and animals. If you have bird baths, it works there, too.

I am constantly on patrol for things holding water. A few weeks ago, I cleaned out some underbrush and found a stash of old cans. I guess the previous resident was saving them up to recycle them and then didn't. Half of them had some water in them.

I think for me, the biggest thing is keeping the grass cut. If the yard gets long, I can't go outside without getting ate up.

Ill try it. We got mosquitos in Texas big enough to hump a turkey, standing flat footed.

 

[AllynTal]

Have you just used the liquid for watery places? I went outside on the porch for literally 20 min yesterday and got no less than 20 bites. we live on a 99 acre lake. I just want to protect my yard and such...we have swampy places in different places around the yard as well.

I am sorry I didn't see this when you posted it. The liquid is actually for ponds and the application instructions give amounts for small to large ponds. If the lake is still water, I imagine you could use it -- it is safe for animals, people and marine life -- but what kind of quantities you'd need for a lake that size, I couldn't say. I don't know how effective it would be to treat the area abutting your property and within about 100 feet on either side.

 

[Kyanite]

Bats! You need bats!
I live on 5 acres and my house is within 50 ft. of a marshy area with a creek. We have bats and in two years I've not been bitten by a mosquito on my property. Our lawn grows long, the brush wild, and it's wet wet wet.

 

[Kyanite]

I'm glad that works for you. We have bats and mosquitoes, so that isn't a sure-fire solution in every situation.

It's an option. The OP said a non-harmful methods. EPA approved doesn't always mean that it poses no threats. Widespread spraying and treating for mosquitoes has killed bees which are very much needed for sustainability.