Community: Message List - Mosquito issues- your tips?

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 16:43:58 GMT

My mother planted these in NZ where I grew up. We were the only house on the block that was bug free at night.

I now live in Ca and have some cabins in the San Diego Moutains. Mosquito's galore up here in summer. About a year ago I remembered what my mother had done. I planted the daisies around all the decks and outdoor seating areas of half my cabins. HUGE difference. I can say the daisies (conservatively) dropped the bug population by 85 to 90 percent. I'll be planting the other cabins soon. Good luck with your experiement...I think you'll find they work amazingly well

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:23:51 GMT

Hadn't heard of this one, but glad to know it's working for you in New Zealand. Indeed, the product used to fog adult mosquitoes is pyrethrum. either as a plant extract or chemical mimic There were always a few people with severe allergies to chrysanthemums that we would call and warn to close their windows when we planned to fog for mosquitoes in early AM.

Wondering if planting daisies or chrysanthemums to repell mosquitoes works again alls species. Also wonder if mosquitoes become resistant through exposure and time. I have lots of questions about the science of this. It would make a very interesting study. I'm thinking of planting daisies or mums around our Cape Cod VR deck to try it out for myself. Thanks!

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:44:36 GMT

In New Zealand we plant Pyrethrum daisies! If you can't find pyrethrum daisies, look for Crysanthemums! They're basically the same thing. Pyrethrum is extracted from the seeds of the daisy and used in commercial applications to boost the other insecticides they use when spraying. It is used widely in counties across America, who perform aerial mosquito control sprayings. You can even find recipes on the internet on how to make your own natural insect repellant spray.

Buy the plants or the seed and surround your decks and outdoor seating areas with them. In the garden, in pots, hanging baskets...whatever is most convenient for you. Plant those pretty daisey's everywhere. They are a fantastic repellent for flying insects. Mosquitos and flies...even lice, ants and fleas!

The pyrethron in the daisies is toxic to most flying insects...in concentrated form (like the sprays) it affects their nervous system causing paralysis and sometimes death. In natural form (in the daisy prior to being extracted and concentrated) it is the best natural repellant around. Insects detect the pyrethrum in the air and move on quickly. And the daisies have the added bonus of being very pretty too! The more sunlight your daisies get, the more potent their levels of pyrentrum.

It really does work.

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:53:08 GMT

Well that's great, crescentbeach4u! Please ask your wife to let us know how that's working for her! Glad you are one of the lucky ones that isn't bothered by mosquitoes!

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:04:07 GMT

Studies have been done on the stomach contents of dead bats and the results showed that contrary to popular perception, they do not consume very many mosquitoes at all. If larger prey are available, such as moths, that's what they will go for. It boils down to a matter of bioenergetics--bats, like all living things, will go after what gives them the most caloric pay back in relation to the energy expended to secure prey. My understanding is that bats will only go after mosquitoes if there is nothing out there larger for them to eat.

Bat rabies is also an issue for me, although one that some bat experts try to minimize. In my work at the Health Department in Reno, I have picked up many a sick bat that tested positive for rabies (about 6-10 per year). While the percentage of bats infected with rabies is unquestionably very small, those that do become sick will often be seen flopping around on the ground. Children, unfortunately, are often attracted to these sick animals and pick them up wanting to take care of them and make them well. During the few years that I did this work in Reno, we had several dozen kids that needed post-exposure prophylactic shots for rabies because they had picked up sick bats. Because bat bites are so tiny and painless, it's often impossible to determine if someone has been bitten or not, so shots are necessary to protect against this dreaded, fatal disease.

Dogs and cats are often exposed to rabid bats in the same way. They will try to catch a bat that's flopping around on the ground thinking of it as prey. Because of the slow-growing nature of the rabies virus, most states, like Nevada, require that animals exposed to rabid bats have to be quaranteened for 45 days to 6 months, depending on their rabies vaccination status, or they must be euthanized.

Bats are amazing and beautiful animals and supporting them by building bat boxes is a fine effort. However, I would not consider putting one close to my vacation rental or even next to my home for that matter. Not only are bats not very ineffective for mosquito control, the public health risk regarding rabies is not one that I would want to take on because of my work experience.

Judith Saum, REHS

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:47:11 GMT

I just went to the American Mosquito Control Association website to research this topic further. According to AMCA, the effectiveness of mosquito magnets depends on many variables--they may be effective is some places to reduce biting, females.

The effectiveness of bats for mosquito control is also discussed and again the word "marginal" appears depending on a number of different variables.

There are some other suggestions at the AMCA that might be helful. http://www.mosquito.org/faq

I, for one, find the new repellents to be a delightful alternative to DEET. Ones that contain the active ingredient called "picaridin" virtually have no odor, have a light feel on the skin and are safe for young children. That's that one I use for aggressive mosquitoes and also have some available at our VR for our renters.

Judith

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:15:59 GMT

Well I am not sure if they are biting while they are also dying! They really never bother me anyway but I have seen my wife jump in the pool once or twice just to avoid them. I consider it a success just to see a handful the size of a tennis ball of mosquitos each time I empty the traps.

I have also just installed 4 bat shelters and hope by next year that I will get air support!.

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:50:35 GMT

Personally, I have been very successful with a very natural solution.........GARLIC.

When I was little my nick name was Skeeter Bites as the mosquitos would eat me alive. I was a huge fruit and sugar eater. But now, as an adult, my consumption of high levels of garlic is a fantastic repellant!!!

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:22:26 GMT

So are you saying that the mosquito magnets prevent you from being bitten when you are sitting out in the yard, crescentbeach4u? I know that the magnets attract and kill mosquitoes. But what I have heard from people that have tried them is that the mosquitoes will still bite before they hit the magnet. I'm curious.

Re: Mosquito issues- your tips?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:27:27 GMT

I'm into environmentally friendly solutions, so I like the bat idea. I just don't think my guests will.

Mike