I need mosquito advice

[Keltara]

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[ChooksChick]

Quote:
Huh. It may be worth a try. How often do you need to change out the cotton balls?

It depends how much rain we get, for the ones on top of the posts. I would say a couple of times a summer. We have a long summer. It's humid here- they may need to be refreshed more in a dry environment.

Hubby got all clever and made a spray bottle from one of those misters at the store for keeping cool...put vanilla water in one! He does landscaping and is out in the pterodactyl fields all day...

I think he likes the Lemon Eucalyptus better because it smells stronger...like it's more powerful. I just want the things to stay off me!!

ETA: No, I didn't reapply the spray on the coop- I just used once and it worked for a really long time.

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
Moabite
I see that Cutter makes Picaridin. http://walking.about.com/od/suncare/gr/cutteradvanced.htm Have you put it directly on your birds? I don't really have to worry about West Nile here. Thankfully.

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
Huh. It may be worth a try. How often do you need to change out the cotton balls?

It depends how much rain we get, for the ones on top of the posts. I would say a couple of times a summer. We have a long summer. It's humid here- they may need to be refreshed more in a dry environment.

Hubby got all clever and made a spray bottle from one of those misters at the store for keeping cool...put vanilla water in one! He does landscaping and is out in the pterodactyl fields all day...

I think he likes the Lemon Eucalyptus better because it smells stronger...like it's more powerful. I just want the things to stay off me!!

ETA: No, I didn't reapply the spray on the coop- I just used once and it worked for a really long time.

Great info Renée. I may try it. I love the idea of the mist bottle. At first I thought there was no way this could work, but I'll try. I'll test it out on my kids. They are mosquito magnets. If it works on them, it will work on anything. That way I can spray it on the hens too. Especially at night and it won't hurt them.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
It depends how much rain we get, for the ones on top of the posts. I would say a couple of times a summer. We have a long summer. It's humid here- they may need to be refreshed more in a dry environment.

Hubby got all clever and made a spray bottle from one of those misters at the store for keeping cool...put vanilla water in one! He does landscaping and is out in the pterodactyl fields all day...

I think he likes the Lemon Eucalyptus better because it smells stronger...like it's more powerful. I just want the things to stay off me!!

ETA: No, I didn't reapply the spray on the coop- I just used once and it worked for a really long time.

Great info Renée. I may try it. I love the idea of the mist bottle. At first I thought there was no way this could work, but I'll try. I'll test it out on my kids. They are mosquito magnets. If it works on them, it will work on anything. That way I can spray it on the hens too. Especially at night and it won't hurt them.

Having a magnet scares me to death- hubby is diabetic and they LOVE him. We DO get West Nile here, and I'm just happy he uses anything...don't care what, so long as it's not going to cause cancer.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Suze
I'm really thinking that I'm going to need something "chemical based". It is just too big of a problem here. I want my chickens to be comfortable and not suffering from not only the bits, but the illnesses that can come from those bites. I don't want to risk harm coming to them.

I agree--I thought that was what I had said? Screens are helpful, as is removing mosquito nesting sites and similar things like that, but those measures will not completely solve the problem. There are a number of pesticides labeled for use in animal premises that are effective against mosquitoes.

 

[Moabite]

Quote:
Moabite
I see that Cutter makes Picaridin. http://walking.about.com/od/suncare/gr/cutteradvanced.htm Have you put it directly on your birds? I don't really have to worry about West Nile here. Thankfully.

No, I havent had to because I kill most of the mosquito larvae before they have a chance to become a problem.

It still isn't unsual to see a few mosquitoes in the evening, but thanks to a diligent and effective larvacide program, mosquitoes are usually kept at a tolerable level, (excepting special circumstances). As far as using picaridin, I wore it daily on my face, neck and ears for two months while fighting flood water mosquitoes and I never needed to wear a net with landing rates near 300 per minute. Deet on the other hand, stripped the paint off the ammo cans on my boat. I have not had any luck with any herbal mosquito repellents, what one mosquito doesn't like, another won't mind. I tried one that repelled nearly everything but mosquitoes. If my 18 mo. old daughter needed repellent, I would use picaridin as a first choice, Deet if I had too. I've never heard of a chicken ever dying around here of mosquito born illness, even the flocks that used to be used as bait to detect encephalitis. So, I will risk it.

 

[centrarchid]

Something folks might want to do is look at roosting birds after dark. That is when my birds are getting hammered by mosquitos. That would the time to determine if repellents working.

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
Jim
I hear what you're saying but believe me...my children are like little indians. They spend ALL of their free time playing outdoors. Not on video games, not in front of a T.V., not on the computer. They are outside playing make believe and exploring the woods that surround our home. The woods that no matter what time of day it is, are active with biteing mosquitos. I truly get what you're saying though. At dusk, they are EVERYWHERE. Unless you're locked inside or covered in DEET, you are attacked by those relentless blood suckers. That's why I'm so worried about my precious hens. All that being said, at play, if my children aren't covered in DEET, they are covered head to toe in bites. That's why I think if it works on them, It'll work on the hens. I'm not sure when I'll get to test it out on my children, but when I have my test results, I'll be sure to post it.

I'd test it on myself, but mosquitos don't like my blood. I never get bit. I guess my girls have sweeter blood than me

By the way...what do you use to protect your chickens??

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Jim
I hear what you're saying but believe me...my children are like little indians. They spend ALL of their free time playing outdoors. Not on video games, not in front of a T.V., not on the computer. They are outside playing make believe and exploring the woods that surround our home. The woods that no matter what time of day it is, are active with biteing mosquitos. I truly get what you're saying though. At dusk, they are EVERYWHERE. Unless you're locked inside or covered in DEET, you are attacked by those relentless blood suckers. That's why I'm so worried about my precious hens. All that being said, at play, if my children aren't covered in DEET, they are covered head to toe in bites. That's why I think if it works on them, It'll work on the hens. I'm not sure when I'll get to test it out on my children, but when I have my test results, I'll be sure to post it.

I'd test it on myself, but mosquitos don't like my blood. I never get bit. I guess my girls have sweeter blood than me

By the way...what do you use to protect your chickens??

Presently no protection. Most effort spent countering predators and weather. Parasites are something I would like to do organically. Bite rate from mosquitos may be enough through blood loss to impact growth. Many mosquito born diseases impact song birds and may also chickens.