I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

Keep the lawn short? Right now it's about 2-3 inches I believe.

Thanks!

On Jul 25, 3:50*pm, meatnub wrote:
I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

Keep the lawn short? Right now it's about 2-3 inches I believe.

Thanks!

Oil of lemongrass , garlic, oil of citronella, oil of rosemary. All
work as repellants.
You can even find blends of essential oils on ebay made for repelling
skeeters.

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:50:04 -0700 (PDT), meatnub
wrote:

I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

Use Skin-So-Soft as a repellant.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?


I understand larvae can live in as little as a tablespoon of stagnate
water. Given all the home foreclosures and people not tending to pools
and homes the "skeeter" population goes up.

Any place water can collect is a problem area.

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.


....."Control: There are hundreds of repellents on the market for
mosquitos. An environmentally-friendly option is to bathe in Dr.
Bronner's peppermint soap, found at health food stores. Mosquitos
don’t like it!

The dragonfly and lizard are nature's way of controlling mosquitos.
Introduce lizards to your landscape as a natural predator."... (my
water authority web siteg


Keep the lawn short? Right now it's about 2-3 inches I believe.

Thanks!

On Jul 25, 4:07*pm, Oren wrote:
On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:50:04 -0700 (PDT), meatnub
wrote:

I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

Use Skin-So-Soft as a repellant.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

I understand larvae can live in as little as a tablespoon of stagnate
water. Given all the home foreclosures and people not tending to pools
and homes the "skeeter" population goes up.

Any place water can collect is a problem area.

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

...."Control: There are hundreds of repellents on the market for
mosquitos. An environmentally-friendly option is to bathe in Dr.
Bronner's peppermint soap, found at health food stores. Mosquitos
don’t like it!

The dragonfly and lizard are nature's way of controlling mosquitos.
Introduce lizards to your landscape as a natural predator."... (my
water authority web siteg



Keep the lawn short? Right now it's about 2-3 inches I believe.

Thanks!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'd introduce lizards, but afraid crows or something would have a
feast, or neighborhood kids would have new pets

I'll have to look into Skin So Soft,thanks.

We have part of our lawn that was dug out and small white rocks placed
in over the dirt to create a little pathway from from of steps to side
of yard to the fence entrance. I wonder, could water pool in there
between the rocks or under enough to give skeeters a breeding ground?

They never put anything under the rocks, so weeds keep growing up out
of the rocks, pain in the butt to keep uprooting. Thinking of removing
the rocks and planting grass again. It's a cosmetic thing that's
creating more of an annoyance it seems.

And if skeeters breed in there in those rocks might be more reason to
get rid of it.

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:35:02 -0700 (PDT), meatnub
wrote:

On Jul 25, 4:07*pm, Oren wrote:
On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:50:04 -0700 (PDT), meatnub
wrote:

I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

Use Skin-So-Soft as a repellant.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

I understand larvae can live in as little as a tablespoon of stagnate
water. Given all the home foreclosures and people not tending to pools
and homes the "skeeter" population goes up.

Any place water can collect is a problem area.

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

...."Control: There are hundreds of repellents on the market for
mosquitos. An environmentally-friendly option is to bathe in Dr.
Bronner's peppermint soap, found at health food stores. Mosquitos
don’t like it!

The dragonfly and lizard are nature's way of controlling mosquitos.
Introduce lizards to your landscape as a natural predator."... (my
water authority web siteg



Keep the lawn short? Right now it's about 2-3 inches I believe.

Thanks!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'd introduce lizards, but afraid crows or something would have a
feast, or neighborhood kids would have new pets

I'll have to look into Skin So Soft,thanks.

We have part of our lawn that was dug out and small white rocks placed
in over the dirt to create a little pathway from from of steps to side
of yard to the fence entrance. I wonder, could water pool in there
between the rocks or under enough to give skeeters a breeding ground?

They never put anything under the rocks, so weeds keep growing up out
of the rocks, pain in the butt to keep uprooting. Thinking of removing
the rocks and planting grass again. It's a cosmetic thing that's
creating more of an annoyance it seems.

And if skeeters breed in there in those rocks might be more reason to
get rid of it.

Take a walk around your property. Inspect for anything that will
retain water for a few days. Clean pet water bowls (daily).

I've used Skin So Soft, fishing in the Everglades. I kept skeeters
off, but I'm guessing it repelled the fish.

meatnub wrote:
I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

Keep the lawn short? Right now it's about 2-3 inches I believe.

Thanks!

Consider also mosquito repellent plants. Some suggestions he
http://www.borghesegardens.com/pest.htm

On Jul 25, 3:50*pm, meatnub wrote:
I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

Keep the lawn short? Right now it's about 2-3 inches I believe.

Thanks!

The larvae may not be in your lawn. The larvae don't fly, only
swim, but the adults do fly and can fly a good distance. I doubt
that even if you eliminate all possible larvae areas, you will still
have the adults. I suspect you have a lot this year for the same
reason we do, we had a wet spring. Next year may be better.

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:50:04 -0700 (PDT), meatnub
wrote:

I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

Keep the lawn short? Right now it's about 2-3 inches I believe.

Thanks!


Mosquitoes must have water for eggs to hatch. Check gutters, pots,
debris, birdbaths and anything else that could hold even the smallest
amount of water. They only need a tablespoon. You can't do much
about the neighbors' property. You may need to stay indoors for a few
weeks or use DEET.

meatnub wrote in news:e9ff560d-4bb9-453c-93d7-
:


I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

Have you ever considered concrete? Lots and lots of it?

On Jul 25, 3:50 pm, meatnub wrote:
I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

Skeeter eggs can remain dormant for years and hatch out when
conditions are better or best. I read not long ago that entomologists
are predicting the possibility of a bumper crop this year due to above
average rainfall in much of the country.

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

There isn't enough active ingredient in most professional grade
insecticides approved for interior treatments to hurt a fly.

Get some Tempo™ (Cyfluthrin), by Bayer, and spray all the higher
foliage around the house, and under, according to the label
directions.

You probably wouldn't want to let the kids waller in the yard where
you've sprayed, but Tempo™ is not a restricted pesticide and is EPA
approved for "crack and crevice" application in restaurants in
operation, "unoccupied" schools, hospitals and nursing homes, and on
any surface "not in prolonged contact with human skin".

I used to park in the middle of nowhere in MT during the evening
"Golden Hour" to take pictures and spray my car with Tempo WP ™ and
sit with the doors open, in shorts and a T-shirt, waiting for good
light (it will attack car wax products).

I have a pool surrounded by woods and I spray the trees and all around
the surrounding deck (I use Talstar™ and it works great, and is also
an option for you) to keep down the bugs... and the S/N ratio of
SWMBO.

Modern insecticides approved for both interior living space and "turf
and ornamental" applications (both Tempo™ and Talstar™) offer
reasonable safety and persistence, even after rains. UV light most
rapidly attacks and degrades insecticides applied outdoors.

Always read, understand and follow all safety precautions when
applying any pesticide.
-----

- gpsman

On Jul 28, 4:46*am, gpsman wrote:
On Jul 25, 3:50 pm, meatnub wrote:

I live in Southeastern Pennslyvania. My home has a decent yard and I
can't sit outside at dusk at all without being eaten alive.

There is no standing water nearby. I thought mosquito larvae needed
standing/still water to grow in?

Skeeter eggs can remain dormant for years and hatch out when
conditions are better or best. *I read not long ago that entomologists
are predicting the possibility of a bumper crop this year due to above
average rainfall in much of the country.

Anyway, is there anything I can do to reduce the mosquito population,
i.e. lawn treatment? But I have a 14 month old, so I'm wary about
spraying chemicals.

There isn't enough active ingredient in most professional grade
insecticides approved for interior treatments to hurt a fly.

Get some Tempo™ (Cyfluthrin), by Bayer, and spray all the higher
foliage around the house, and under, according to the label
directions.

You probably wouldn't want to let the kids waller in the yard where
you've sprayed, but Tempo™ is not a restricted pesticide and is EPA
approved for "crack and crevice" application in restaurants in
operation, "unoccupied" schools, hospitals and nursing homes, and on
any surface "not in prolonged contact with human skin".

I used to park in the middle of nowhere in MT during the evening
"Golden Hour" to take pictures and spray my car with Tempo WP ™ and
sit with the doors open, in shorts and a T-shirt, waiting for good
light (it will attack car wax products).

I have a pool surrounded by woods and I spray the trees and all around
the surrounding deck (I use Talstar™ and it works great, and is also
an option for you) to keep down the bugs... and the S/N ratio of
SWMBO.

Modern insecticides approved for both interior living space and "turf
and ornamental" applications (both Tempo™ and Talstar™) offer
reasonable safety and persistence, even after rains. *UV light most
rapidly attacks and degrades insecticides applied outdoors.

Always read, understand and follow all safety precautions when
applying any pesticide.
*-----

- gpsman

Please don't use MORE chemicals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW Wasps and bats both get rid of mosquitoes etc. 'on the wing'.
Just looked out this beautiful morning and some 50 or more 'midges'
were 'dancing' in a patch of sunlight among the approx 60 trees we
have planted and grown during the last nearly 40 years. And which
overhanging this approx half acre interfere with good grass growth;
intermixed with clover because it survives better and resists cinch
bugs that attack the grass!
Think I like it that way rather than sterile rectangles of grass.

On Jul 28, 9:15 am, terry wrote:
On Jul 28, 4:46 am, gpsman wrote:

Always read, understand and follow all safety precautions when
applying any pesticide.

Please don't use MORE chemicals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why not?

BTW Wasps and bats both get rid of mosquitoes etc. 'on the wing'.

I'll notify the wire services.

Just looked out this beautiful morning and some 50 or more 'midges'
were 'dancing' in a patch of sunlight among the approx 60 trees we
have planted and grown during the last nearly 40 years.

Sounds very romantic. Do they "bite"?

Think I like it that way rather than sterile rectangles of grass.

Yeah, well, people have different likes.

Some don't like exchanging body fluids with mosquitoes, and prefer to
enjoy their yards. No insect is an "endangered" species, and
pyrethrins exposed to the environment degrade rather rapidly, if their
maximum 0.2% concentration of active ingredient ever posed any
"danger".

"Better living through chemistry."
-----

- gpsman