Spraying for insects

[rancher hicks]

We have a lot of mosquitos since it has been so wet. I do know they carry diseases that can affect chickens. I was going to spray for them but then realized that these sprays also kill beneficial insect too. Does anyone know of any plants i can plant that will deter skeeters?

 

[dan_grow]

Citronella Grass
Catnip
Rosemary
repel mosquitoes i saw it on http://gomestic.com/gardening/five-plants-that-repel-mosquitoes/ these could remove some other bug but its a whole lot better then spraying and potentiality harming you chickens and your self

 

[rancher hicks]

I was reading the "Eco-Friendly" stuff I bought and realized while it didn't say it killed "honey bees" it does. Don't be fooled by the "Eco-friendly" labels. Read the label.

 

[dan_grow]

i don't use anything on my backyard after losing a cat that played in grass that was sprayed with "non toxic" "safe for the pets and kids" insecticide. now i just plant onions and use garlic oil spray it seems to keep the bugs down for me but it takes a while and end up being self defeating. but what ever works for you you should do and if you fined something that works please tell me.

 

[gritsar]

Absolutely the only thing I use for bugs on this place is DE. I have 2 dogs, 2 cats and a bunch of chickens that mean the world to me. Unfortunately DE won't work for mosquitos, but we remove any standing water promptly and encourage the swallows and bats to stick around to eat all the insects (including mosquitos) they want.

 

[Becky1961]

Quote:
What do you use to encourage the swallows and bats?

 

[Tater n Beans]

For bats you make a bat house and put it at the top of a 20 foot pole (they move into these the quickest) or place one in the top of a tree (slower, but they will find it eventually). As far as swallows I would assume that there is a housing solution for them as well.

~Tater

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yes to the bat housing. For the swallows, they just come. We provide them a safe place for nesting - they build their nests on a high shelf under the carport. Close to trees and safe from the rain and wind. Unfortunately not safe from snakes. Couple weeks ago a black snake climbed up there and ate all the baby swallows. I was so mad!

A different type of swallow (the carport ones are barn swallows) have taken up residence in an old abandoned purple martin house.

 

[rancher hicks]

The new Mother earth mag has an article on bats and that's when I thought of building a "belfry" on top of my coop. It would be nice to have one in the woods away from the house.

 

[nitro3custom]

I like the bat in the belfry Idea. But I've got to many to many there all ready. Or so I'm told. But I also think I heard bat droppings are good fertilizer. I'm not sure if that's true. I do know they eat 1000's of maskitos a night.