Mosquito control DIY

Hey all,

The skeeters at our new place are pretty bad. The wife looked into a mosquito control company for treatments every 3 weeks, and they want $750 for the rest of the summer!

I figure I could probably buy my own fogger for less than that. Does anyone have any experience doing this in your own. I’m looking for a fogging system that knocks them down for weeks, not just an afternoon.

Also, we have lots of flowers and thus lots of bees. Is there anyway to kill skeeters without killing the bees?

Thanks

I can’t speak for companies that come and apply chemicals, but I do know that any standing water on the property whatsoever is a breeding ground. I’ve heard that a wheelbarrow full of water can produce as many mosquitoes as acres of swamp.

We usually have them here and there, but with no rain in weeks I haven’t seen one

How big of a yard do you have? Mine is an acre and it cost me about $350 for the summer and they will come out and retreat it for free.

Fog in tall grass, under you decks and then fog the lawn it’s self. I would always fog and let the wind drift it over the yard if I could. You won’t stop them with a basic fogger. I will fog every evening before lighting the fire. It maintains things pretty well. I have also heard there are some granuals you can sprinkle on the lawn that helps. I’ve never tried that so I can’t say it works.

We’ve got about 1/2 an acre. There is a pond directly behind our lot which the helicopters treat every so often, but not enough.

snelson223 wrote:

How big of a yard do you have? Mine is an acre and it cost me about $350 for the summer and they will come out and retreat it for free.

Who does your spraying? How long does each treatment last on average?

I have not found anything that kills them without killing bees. I have stopped spraying at my house for that reason and stick to thermacell. I would assume if you avoid the flowers it might help, but wherever you are looking to nuke them long term is going to effect all insects.

And on the 6th day the Lord said, “I will make Mosquito’s, they will sever no purpose whatsoever except to irritate man and remind him who is boss.”

I’ll take the skeeters every day over the deer flies.

walleyevision wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>snelson223 wrote:</div>
How big of a yard do you have? Mine is an acre and it cost me about $350 for the summer and they will come out and retreat it for free.

Who does your spraying? How long does each treatment last on average?

TruGreen does it. They say it last 35 days. I’ve had Mosquito Squad do it before and theirs only last 21 days and if it rains it doesn’t last as long. TruGreen is in town where Mosquito Squad was 45 mins away.

lindyrig79 wrote:

I’ll take the skeeters every day over the deer flies.

X2. I’m in the Hayward area and the deer flies have gone nuts in the last 4-5 days. The dog doesn’t even want to be outside………

That skeeter beater granules works pretty good, works on them little ankle biting flies to, but the minute the grass gets wet it’s toast.

I posted this some other thread but I also use a home brew that works good.
1 jug of mint mouthwash must be mint
1 tablespoon Epsom salt
1 gallon water.

Put it in a pump sprayer and spray the areas you are using. Lady’s a few days too.

Kind of discouraging all the chemicals being applied by almost everyone. I quit fogging camp years ago for the amphibians and now that I’ve noticed a lot of rust patched bumblebees the last few years, pesticides are strictly prohibited.

As far as deer flies and their smaller version the buffalo gnat, sticky blue solo cup traps are extremely effective and have very little bycatch. Put them out saturday, you will notice less by sunday. Have one buzzing your head, go near a trap and it’s over quick. I even wore one on my head once after finding a nice wild strawberry patch. https://hotspotoutdoors.com/forums/topic/185681-strawberries-with-a-side-of-deer-flies/

I’ve seen Mosquito Magnets on a handful of my customers properties over the years and all were impressive on the lack of skeets bc of the adjacent wetlands

Deuces wrote:

I’ve seen Mosquito Magnets on a handful of my customers properties over the years and all were impres

wow, those are expensive I guess I’ll live with the mosquitos…

mike e wrote:

As far as deer flies and their smaller version the buffalo gnat, sticky blue solo cup traps are extremely effective and have very little bycatch. Put them out saturday, you will notice less by sunday.

flies, on the other hand, are driving me crazy. I’m going to try this. I assume the cup has to be blue for some reason?

My mosquito suit just showed up from amazon prime. It’s going on its maiden voyage this evening while trolling the basin for monster eyes.

It’s amazing, I can be in the middle of the lake and no mosquitos the second the sun goes down they eat me alive. How do they get out there so fast?

Reef W wrote:

flies, on the other hand, are driving me crazy. I’m going to try this. I assume the cup has to be blue for some reason?

The general consensus is that blue is best, but black works too. Tanglefoot Tangle Trap adhesive works best. Get the can with the brush cap, not the aerosol.

mike e wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Reef Whooligan wrote:</div>
flies, on the other hand, are driving me crazy. I’m going to try this. I assume the cup has to be blue for some reason?

The general consensus is that blue is best, but black works too. Tanglefoot Tangle Trap adhesive works best. Get the can with the brush cap, not the aerosol.

Never heard of this. It’s as simple as applying the tanglefoot to the cup and that’s it?

try a Dyna Trap,

gimp wrote:

try a Dyna Trap,

Yep, ordered one yesterday!

john23 wrote:

Never heard of this. It’s as simple as applying the tanglefoot to the cup and that’s it?

Looks like it from what I found

lindyrig79 wrote:

I’ll take the skeeters every day over the deer flies.

yep #metoo!!!!!!!!

isnt it a bit early for them deer and horse flies???? when i bear bait in August there usually bad is what i recall. taking a wheeler to check baits, ya look back seems theres’s like a thousand following you!!!!!

if there early, they’ll go away early. its them darn ankle biting flies in the boat that drives me to drinkin!!!!!!