I need mosquito advice

[ChooksChick]

Moabite, do you know what is in the repellent you can get to put on tents and campgear? I recall seeing a product for use on things that wouldn't be in contact with your body- that was supposed to be a long lasting repellent for gear- it would supposedly work for a small radius around the area sprayed.

I'm wondering if something like that couldn't be used as a perimeter barrier for the roosting area if you put it on the wall or ceiling surfaces that the bird won't be on...I think we do a great job controlling them around here with our concoction, but I think it's worth looking at alternatives. I also remember a gal at work telling me about her brother who was in the military and how he was given a single application of some super-repellent and it worked for months...like Frontline for humans. Wonder what that was!?

I've thought about putting screen on the windows of the coops. It could be done with el cheapo tulle from the fabric store, if nothing else!

I feed mine garlic, cayenne, turmeric and cinnamon in their feed- lots of it. I wonder if that doesn't help a bit?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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.

Fowl pox, wet form

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
Try this. http://www.austinkayak.com/products...ing-Insect-Repellent-Trigger-Spray-24-oz.html I think I may try it "inside" the coop.

 

[Moabite]

Yeap Keltara, That's the stuff. The US millitary has the stuff in their battle fatigues. It's also the same stuff in the barrier spray. I used some around my yard in 2008 and it worked very well, I didn't see a bee, butterfly, dragonfly, or grasshopper for nearly 3 weeks and the few mosquitoes that got through, were easily swatted. It kinda freaked me out so I'd rather avoid the stuff if possible. It's highly toxic to cats and aquatic life and is believed to be a carcinogen. I'd only use it if I had too. I try to avoid using any poisons if I can. I believe that most effective, long lasting, and inexpensive solution would be to thoroughly mosquito screen and seal your whole coop, and the few that will still get in will have even a harder time getting back out. Even while managing mosquito larvae habitats (stagnant water), I prefer to introduce fish, or just grab a shovel and drain the site Vs. pesticide. Mosquitoes are much easier to find and destroy in the larval stages than as flying adults, although it still isn't easy.

 

[DOnSoCalOC]

When mosquito season comes, I put lavender and red thyme essential oil on cotton balls next to our beds on the night stand. When we go outside I dab a drop around ankles, wrists and neck. Sometimes I will put drops of it on a paper towel streamer and hang it by the window or sliding door to repel them from trying to enter the house. It works great for us, hopefully for our peeps also. Maybe putting these oils on a strip of cloth tacked to the coop edges on the outside would work. That is what I am going to do when our gals are old enough to go outside, in just a few more weeks.

How about planting lavender and red thyme in pots and place around or hang by the coop?

 

[DOnSoCalOC]

You can place the repellent you make on strips of cloth around the coop, house windows, hanging from tree branches, etc. There are lots of EO recipes you can find the the Net. EO are my "drug" of choice for many maladies and I will use them to prevent infestation around our peeps.

Insect Repellent
Here is an easy repellent to make that has a shelf life of around six months. Label jars “mosquito,” “tick,” etc. for quick identification.
10 to 25 drops essential oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (olive oil is fine)
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel (optional)
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar. Shake to blend. Dab a few drops on your skin or clothing.
Here are some suggestions for your choice of essential oils:
Bug Repellent Essential Oils
Caution: Pregnant women should consult with their doctors before using.

Ticks First Choice: Rose Geranium. Other: Palmerosa, bay, eucalyptus, European pennyroyal lavender, tickweed (American pennyroyal)
Mosquitoes: Pennyroyal, lemon balm (citronella), thyme, lavender
Blackflies: Sassafras, lavender, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, cedar, lemon balm (citronella), peppermint
Head Lice: Tea tree, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, rose geranium
Fleas: Orange oil
A note about wasps and yellow jackets: Don’t wear perfume, hair spray, or scented deodorant. Avoid wearing bright colored clothing

 

[DBMW]

Tried to find the Dancy vanilla online and did on amazon but I also found this warning regarding the mexican dancy vanilla http://idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6207

 

[LogCabinChicks]

For long-term skeeter protection, set up purple martin housing. Purple martins love eating skeeters in large quantities and they will run hawks off, too, which is added protection for your flock, not to mention they're nifty to watch. Here is a site that explains how to attract purple martins and keep them coming back season after season.

I realize this is an old post, but it doesn't change the fact that mosquitoes are swarming my Cornish X's and I was looking for solutions. This BYC member posted this site and I read it....they don't eat mosquitoes.

"Martins, like all swallows, are aerial insectivores. They eat only flying insects, which they catch in flight. Their diet is diverse, including dragonflies, damselflies, flies, midges, mayflies, stinkbugs, leafhoppers, Japanese beetles, June bugs, butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, cicadas, bees, wasps, flying ants, and ballooning spiders. Martins are not, however, prodigious consumers of mosquitoes as is so often claimed by companies that manufacture martin housing. An intensive 7-year diet study conducted at PMCA headquarters in Edinboro, PA, failed to find a single mosquito among the 500 diet samples collected from parent martins bringing beakfuls of insects to their young. The samples were collected from martins during all hours of the day, all season long, and in numerous habitats, including mosquito-infested ones. Purple Martins and freshwater mosquitoes rarely ever cross paths. Martins are daytime feeders, and feed high in the sky; mosquitoes, on the other hand, stay low in damp places during daylight hours, or only come out at night. Since Purple Martins feed only on flying insects, they are extremely vulnerable to starvation during extended periods of cool and/or rainy weather."

 

[centrarchid]

I realize this is an old post, but it doesn't change the fact that mosquitoes are swarming my Cornish X's and I was looking for solutions.  This BYC member posted this site and I read it....they don't eat mosquitoes.  

"Martins, like all swallows, are aerial insectivores. They eat only flying insects, which they catch in flight. Their diet is diverse, including dragonflies, damselflies, flies, midges, mayflies, stinkbugs, leafhoppers, Japanese beetles, June bugs, butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, cicadas, bees, wasps, flying ants, and ballooning spiders. Martins are not, however, prodigious consumers of mosquitoes as is so often claimed by companies that manufacture martin housing. An intensive 7-year diet study conducted at PMCA headquarters in Edinboro, PA, failed to find a single mosquito among the 500 diet samples collected from parent martins bringing beakfuls of insects to their young. The samples were collected from martins during all hours of the day, all season long, and in numerous habitats, including mosquito-infested ones. Purple Martins and freshwater mosquitoes rarely ever cross paths. Martins are daytime feeders, and feed high in the sky; mosquitoes, on the other hand, stay low in damp places during daylight hours, or only come out at night. Since Purple Martins feed only on flying insects, they are extremely vulnerable to starvation during extended periods of cool and/or rainy weather."

I have had lots of concern about mosquitos. Best control measures when possible is eliminating habitat for aquatic life-stages. Bats are also something that eats them but even though you have good temporal allignment they fly at different altitudes. Consider the use of repellents which may prove very effective in a coop or tractor.

 

[LogCabinChicks]

Thank you for your reply. I guess my biggest concern is that I move the tractor everyday (its a hoop house design) and if I am spraying the yard not only will it kill beneficial insects as well (lady bugs--need them in my 1/4 acre garden!). but my meaty birds scratch at the ground, eat the grass...the grass that would have been sprayed the day before. I really don't want to use any strong pesticides in my yard. We got a yard fogger years ago so we could enjoy our hot tub at night, however after a few weeks usage, we notice there were no more lightning bugs at night, ...so we stopped using it because while it was controlling mosquitoes, it was controlling all the good bugs too... we got a screen house for over the hot tub. I just wondered if anyone had ever found a really effective spray on their birds. I wish I had know they were an issue while building the hoop house, I would have purchased mosquito netting!

My husband went out to check on them last night and he said they were all sleeping in their chicken pile and there was a swarm of mosquitoes all around them but it didn't seem to be affecting them. I'm sure they are bit up like crazy and wondering -- what the heck! I was fine in the brooder!

I would love a bat house! We only have 1 darn tree in the yard and I really don't want to attach it my house!

So, that will have to wait until the outdoor kitchen/coop/garden shed is built -- its in the process right now. And it can take up to a year to get bats to move in. I'm definitely going to get one...it just doesn't help me right at this moment.

I'm still looking for suggestions! I'm going to try to vanilla cotton ball thingy...but I have my doubts for that swarm...

(My yard: 50 acres, we mow 6 or so...the rest is all tall brush. Used to be farm land 20 years ago...now its overgrown grasses/brush. We're taking back the farm though! Slowly as we go!)