Controlling mosquitoes

[ll]

I have put screen over the vents in my hen house ....

QUESTION !!!

Why doesn't everyone screen in their coops/runs ??

Is there a specific reason?

 

[CupOJoe42]

There is a mosquito plant and a citronella geranium that are supposed to work great. Someone on another site said that she had no problem with the geranium as far as toxicity to chickens goes - she even hung leaves of it around the coop and sprinkled leaves in the nests. Might be something to look into anyway...

 

[Heathero617]

Quote:
I'm putting the coop and run under a cedar tree, so it will be an attractive mosquito haven if I don't screen it. I don't want to torture my birds or allow them to be a nightly feast for the blood sucking fiends! I have left over screen from when I bought my house...former renter had dogs that ruined all the patio screen so I bought the giant roll. I did purchase a roll of the aluminum screen, though. The "pet resistant" stuff was too pricey. And if I ever get rid of the chickens, it will be a nice little storage area....

My coop and pen are under 2 large cedar trees, as a matter of fact we lag bolted into the trees to act as the 2 corner posts of the pen. Thing is...from everything i've ever read or heard, cedar is suppost to repel bugs but ya couldnt prove it by me!!! I was serious about screeining it in. I went out just a few minutes ago to clean up and eyeball for the new perch i want to install and was nearly carried away by them >the skeeters<

 

[ll]

I was in my local nursery/greenhouse today and saw 3 different mosquito machines, one was made by Rubbermaid - they

are pricey but control 1/2 acres of mosquitos.

 

[Arielle]

Our lovely dragon flies have arrived for the summer. THey came a out 2 days after the onslaught of mosquitos! Hope to get more bat boxes up for the summer. I miss the quiet moments just after the sun is down where the bats are swooping to collect the yummy mosquitos. In years past we would tcount about 35 bats--disease has killed off most of them! On a good night last summer the count was 4.

 

[polishchickens111]

In my area, where there are admittedly not that many dideases, I just let the chicks eat them when they're out there.

 

[flnatv]

Quote:
I don't know much about the machines you are talking about... love to hear about them.

I tried some buckets with mosquito attractant pellets in them... after they laid eggs, the new mosquitoes couldn't get out. I must say... I was not happy with these. I think I got them at the local co-op and there were 3/4 buckets in the box. This was just my experience.


The Geraniums are supposed to work wonderful. I have planted Painted Daisies that are the plants they make dog flea/tick dip from.... hoping these will help me as they are perennials and not annuals like the Geraniums.

Read something about Lemon Grass as well, but will have to order that.

 

[Kikiriki]

Quote:
I'm putting the coop and run under a cedar tree, so it will be an attractive mosquito haven if I don't screen it. I don't want to torture my birds or allow them to be a nightly feast for the blood sucking fiends! I have left over screen from when I bought my house...former renter had dogs that ruined all the patio screen so I bought the giant roll. I did purchase a roll of the aluminum screen, though. The "pet resistant" stuff was too pricey. And if I ever get rid of the chickens, it will be a nice little storage area....

My coop and pen are under 2 large cedar trees, as a matter of fact we lag bolted into the trees to act as the 2 corner posts of the pen. Thing is...from everything i've ever read or heard, cedar is suppost to repel bugs but ya couldnt prove it by me!!! I was serious about screeining it in. I went out just a few minutes ago to clean up and eyeball for the new perch i want to install and was nearly carried away by them >the skeeters<

Ha! My cedar has termites and carpenter ants! I imagine bugs breed so fast they can become immune to anything over time...

 

[dawj]

Citronella plants..we use them under our pic nic table and they work great most agways sell them but they are poison to eat so keep them away from chickens. They look like tomato plants.