Rural Living Indeed...

[parallel]

...how do y'all deal with all of the darned BUGS!. I just came from the new house and the street light was all but blacked out by all of the bugs flying around. I wouldn't mind except that the streetlight is right next to my driveway and the bugs swarm you while you're getting into/out of the car. Any tips?

 

[schmism]

bats and barn swallows

 

[Steve C]

...how do y'all deal with all of the darned BUGS!. I just came from the new house and the street light was all but blacked out by all of the bugs flying around. I wouldn't mind except that the streetlight is right next to my driveway and the bugs swarm you while you're getting into/out of the car. Any tips?

We live in a rural area that is about 50% Amish farms. It is great the closest yard light is a mile away, when the sun goes down it gets dark just like it is supposed to. The last two places I had both had yard lights. I only turn them on when I am working near them after dark. I use motion sensor lights for security, no sense lighting up a yard with nobody with it.

Not only that, the dobermans and rotwielers are harder to see when it is pitch black outside

You just need to move to a real poor rural area, we can't afford to waste money on street lights

 

[EddieWalker]

I spray in the spring to kill as many as I can. There are house washes that you put on a hose and spray your home with. I've found them to be very effective and try to do it a few times a year, but usually that first one does it. Then I spot spray when I see a nest or some sort of activity. Ants, wasps, bees, spiders and whatever else there is.

For the lights, I have mine up pretty high in the air, so the give off more light and the bugs are far away. I do enjoy watching the little brown bats flying around, catching their dinner!!!

And whatever else there is, I just pretty much ignore.

Eddie

 

[smfcpacfp]

It obviously varies from place to place and year to year, but there have been few bugs this year where I live. We mostly have black flies as pests. My strategy when they are out, I am inside.

 

[turnkey4099]

I hadn't paid any attention until a few days ago. Lots fewer bugs around this summer. Sunday I hauled a load of firewood to a neighbor, while loading it I found 3 bats in the pile. I will be building some bat boxes!

Harry K

 

[dave1949]

Aww Eddie - do you really have to spray poison around? I guess in termite areas or where carpenter ants are bad, it is a neccessity. Of course you folks in the southwest have the killer bees and scorpions too. And then the fire ants in the south. Well, on second thought, better them than you

We have black flies - usually start biting around Mother's Day, when they are about done, the mosquitos take over. We use head nets once in a while, lots of DEET repellent.

It is good to encourage bats, swallows, dragon flies, etc., but they never get them all it seems. They can reduce the populations to something more bearable.

Dave.

 

[jayste]

Like Steve said, we also don't have any outside lights unless we turn them on. No security light either. Our dogs also sneak up on you in the dark. Now when it comes to bugs and critters we're not short on them. Up here in the black jacks and sand rocks we've got our share of ticks. But then again, they don't require any light either!
The bats come out at dusk and do their thing as well.

Jay

 

[DennisArrow]

Though the yellow jackets are pretty heavy this year, it seems that the flying moths, etc, are not heavy this year. My bug zapper which needs blowing off once a week in the past years has only been cleaned out once this year. Yes, I hear it doing it's thing from time to time; but seems to be smaller bugs that fall right out and dont clog up the mesh. Now, if I could just do something about the ticks out in the forest that get on my herding dog, Border Collie, life would be complete..........Yes, I spray him, nuke him, and get them one way or another, but they just seem plentiful this year..........God bless........Dennis

 

[MossRoad]

...how do y'all deal with all of the darned BUGS!. I just came from the new house and the street light was all but blacked out by all of the bugs flying around. I wouldn't mind except that the streetlight is right next to my driveway and the bugs swarm you while you're getting into/out of the car. Any tips?

Shoot the street light out!