Mosquito Control

[SmallTimeCountry]

So, the season is upon us. #$%!@ Mosquitos! Everywhere! I have about a 1/2 acre sized pond on my property, which isn't helping me with the control problem. I have thrown the mosquito float dunks in but they always seem to float to the sides of the pond. My kids camped out in the pasture the other night and were eaten alive. They gotta go (the mosquitos not the kids).

Does anyone have the same problem? I have about 3-5 acres of my 40 that I would like to spray. I have the PTO and the sprayer. I looked at the ranch supply store today for some industrial sized mix/spray but didn't see anything.

What are you guys using and where can I find it? What do I need to do?

Thanks in advance for the help. I know you guys will come through for me.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Put a bunch of big minnows in your pond. Keep grass cut. Get an ultraviolet bug zapper. Not the cheapest one, but a big one and run it all night long

 

[teg]

BUG ZAPPERS DON'T WORK ON A MOSQUITO!!! In fact, they will kill other insect that could reduce mosquito populations...

Look around your property for any standing water... tires, buckets, gutters, anything that holds water... your pond should not be too much of a problem (think fish food, assuming it can support fish??).

 

[HCJtractor]

go to a web-site called www. bugspray.com, a company in Georgia. phone (800) 877-7290. They have a great source on info and products for every pest immaginable, including mosquitoes. Read their pages on this pest to see what works and what doesn't. No B.S., just good facts on all types of products. What I bought from them that works great is a Solo gas powered backpack fogger. It's fairly expensive ($650 ish) but it really is a quality tool. I use it not only for mosquitoes but also all insecticides, in my garden and ornamentals. Everyone in my neighborhood uses it also. (they buy their own chemicals) We have eliminated mosquitoes in our whole block. I fog about every 3 or 4 weeks. From them I buy and fog two or three products (very well explained in their website). You can also call them for good customer service and advice. I use permethrin, and pyrethrin, one for longterm residual effect, the other for quick knockdown (this is the more expensive product) Sometimes I add Nylar to wet areas to prevent larval development. I promise you, this works unbelievably well!!!
You could fog several acres in about 15 minutes. THis fogger blows like a good backpack blower and will blow 40 feet at least. If you can afford the fogger, the chemicals are not too bad. I spend about $150 a year to cover my yard which is about 2 acres. I can go outside now at night without even a bite, and mosquitoes usually eat me alive. Around here, a business has sprung up that uses this fogger and charges monthly fees to homeowners for this service. Or if you have a buddy with the same problem, share the cost of the fogger. It is a commercial grade tool that is built for more use than I put on it. Read on their site all you need to know about mosquitoes.

Believe it or not, I also learned beaver trapping from their site and bought my traps and lures from them. Thus mosquitoes and beavers are no longer problems. What I like about them most is their service. You can talk to them and they will tell you what you need and what won't work. They sell products in any quantity. I am just a happy customer of theirs and have turned my neighbors to them also. Hope this helps.

 

[dave1949]

BUG ZAPPERS DON'T WORK ON A MOSQUITO!!! In fact, they will kill other insect that could reduce mosquito populations...

Look around your property for any standing water... tires, buckets, gutters, anything that holds water... your pond should not be too much of a problem (think fish food, assuming it can support fish??).

I was pretty sure I had read that too. They collect all the bug carcasses under/around the zapper and find out very very few are mosquitos. And quite a few insects that are helpful.

The silver lining in our missing rain clouds this year is the mosquito population has been almost non-existent. When the weather is favorable, they can be boogers, that's for sure.

If you can raise a good community of dragon flies from your pond, they are awesome mosquito eaters. They need plants like grasses and cattails that emerge above the surface of the water for the larva to adult hatch phase.

I know it will help to eliminate standing water, but I have seen mosquitoes doing quite well in mowed grassy areas and reasonably dry woodlands. It doesn't take much water for them to breed very successfully.
Dave.

 

[teg]

...reasonably dry woodlands. It doesn't take much water for them to breed very successfully. Dave.

Not sure about wet grass but more then a few times, I would cut up a tree only to find a hollow truck filled with gallons and gallons of water.

I think the fogger is a pretty good way to go... but I'm not sure I would let kids play outside anymore...

Anyone use Mosquito Deleto??? Does it work??

 

[JohninCT]

You need bats. They eat up the mosquitos. They need a water supply (you got that covered with the pond) and a place to hang out during the day. This is where you can help them by building a bunch of bat houses and putting them up around your property. They will repay your hospitality by ridding you of your nuisance bugs.

Pesticide free insect control with bats. Move bats in the attic to a bat house.

 

[SpringHollow]

I agree about the bats - they are great to have around.

Insecticides kill the good and the bad, especially when used broadly.

 

[dave1949]

Not sure about wet grass but more then a few times, I would cut up a tree only to find a hollow truck filled with gallons and gallons of water.

I think the fogger is a pretty good way to go... but I'm not sure I would let kids play outside anymore...

Anyone use Mosquito Deleto??? Does it work??

I had one of those trees at our old house. A large trunk branch had broken off years ago and it rotted down inside the trunk. Like you say, gallons of skunky water and full of mosquito larvae. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

With the Equine Encephalitis, West Nile Virus and who knows what else - dengue fever in the Caribbean now, mosquitos are more than just nuisances. The Solo fogger sounds pretty effective. I hate reaching for the chemicals, but with kids around there is a need to provide a safe home.

Mosquitos can be reduced, but I'm not sure there are effective natural controls that would make the level tolerable in some areas and weather conditions. There is just plain a huge over supply in Nature's plan. Think of the Everglades, or the muskeg areas in Alaska, or the state bird in MN. :laughing:
Dave.

 

[SmallTimeCountry]

Thanks for all the great responses and ideas. I really like the idea of the bat houses and I will give those a try this week. I'll let you know the results and how they work out. Worse case scenario, I'm gonna have no choice but to fog the things and know the website to go to now. I realize there is no way to totally eliminate the problem but based on what I read here, I think I'm on the road to controlling them.

Thanks again guys and I'll keep you posted.