# Some Effective Mosquito Control



## Bill C. (Jan 2, 2008)

Mosquitoes have been really bad this summer in my location and I was more than happy that the county mosquito control truck volunteered to take a swing past my garden railway. Not sure how long this will keep the critters in check but I'll enjoy it for the moment.


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## Michael L (Mar 18, 2014)

On this topic..
The Mosquitos around my neck of the woods (Niagara region) have been brutal this year. We have been looking at various options to control them. Right now I'm using citronella candles/torches but I am considering buying a more "industrial" killing machine to get rid of them. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with a unit called "the mosquito vac"? It burns propane to attract and then kill them. Seems silly to burn and create greenhouse gasses just to kill bugs but I hear they are effective. I've also read on line that the electric black light bug zappers aren't that effective.

Anyone care to share ideas?
Mike


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,

Where I am we have both the West Nile virus variety and new this year we have a new mosquito known to carry Yellow Fever. I too had my local mosquito abatement district spray around my house. And like you I've considered the propane trap/kill solution. But it's real pricey and I think would take more monitoring and maintenance than I care to do.

I've had some success with a bug zapper. It came with a chemical attractant but it only works on the West Nile mosquitoes so I don't use it. The little buggers are attracted by body heat, CO2 (respiration), and sweat.

Figuring 2 out of 3 ain't bad, I've hung up the zapper and about 6 inches higher I've hung a coffee can. At the bottom of the coffee can I punched three holes next to each other with an old fashioned churchkey so that holes are next to each other and right above the zapper. I burn a candle in the coffee can as a source of CO2.

The CO2 being heavier than air spills out the bottom of the can and right down onto the bug zapper. After about 10 minutes the zapper light heats up and puts out the "body heat" combined with the CO2 and this combo gizmo seems to attract and kill mosquitoes. 

So far so good.

Best,
TJ


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

There has been a recent thread on this topic, if I could only find it?
-Be alert and empty all standing water on your property, encourage your neighbors to do the same
-Get some BT (dunks) for standing water like ponds, etc
-I set out 8 small plastic buckets with a few inches of water in them, added BT granuals to the water, this attracts females who lay eggs in the water and the BT (a bacteria fatal to some bugs) kills the larva, much reduced my problem this year.

Regards

Jerry


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## Michael L (Mar 18, 2014)

Thanks for the replies guys...
Jerry...I too remember the same thread but also couldn't find it. What exactly is BT? Once a week I throw a cup of hottub lithium into my pond (no fish...don't worry) . Between that and the pond pump...the larvae don't live long. I also make sure there is no standing water but theyre still bad. Tj...the candle idea intrigues me with the bug zapper. I did see in the stores that the zappers came with a chemical bait to attract them..maybe I'll give it a try. The propane vacs are priced at about 350 bucks up here...a little pricey. Maybe I'll build a giant bat house and let them do the work. Now just to figure out how to attract bats!

Cheers
Mike


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Mike

Bt technical information: It is a bacteria that attacks mosquito larva preventing hatching non toxic to everything else. Put it in standing water to prevent hatching

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis_israelensis

comes in donuts

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Summit-12-in-Mosquito-Dunks-6-Pack-110-12/100334779

and also granuals in a shaker bottle, which I found at a local farm store. I use the donuts in my ponds with fish and frogs, and the granuals in my clever little bucket death traps

I have lots of skinks, turtles, fish, frogs bunnies, birds, bees, butterflies, and snakes so do not use pesticides

Regards

Jerry


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

Jerry, Michael L:

Is this the mosquito thread of which you speak?


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## Michael L (Mar 18, 2014)

Yes!...thankyou...the post by Dave and his pipe sure brings back a lot of memories of my dad and his pipe. He's still with us and quite active but I do remember all those tobacco tins ...the smell was great and the tins sure protected all my hockey cards. Who knew the smell kept away mosquitoes.? On the note of smell....every time time I smell the ozone smell off a loco motor it brings me back to my youth and burned Out slot car motors, cheap HO scale train sets and the like. What great memories smell can evoke!
Perhaps another thread....the smell of a hobby......the smells of our toys...the first time we smelt train smoke around the Christmas tree!...etc.

Cheers
Mike


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## Bill C. (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike, TJ, Jerry and HH, thanks for your interest in this topic. I'm sorry to report that we have Asian tiger mosquitoes in my neighborhood and they like to bite even during daylight hours, which I can attest to. They have a distinctive striped body pattern so identification is possible. 

I'm hoping the county continues to spray around here since I pay plenty in county taxes and don't get much from it in the way of other services.

That Mosquito Magnet vac trap that generates carbon dioxide seems like it should work. The problem is it costs about $300 and then you constantly have to buy propane, which isn't cheap.


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Bill- I symphaize as the Asian Tiger has invaded Maryland several years ago as well, making my life **** in my yard, as you say 24 hours a day. But for whatever reason this year, fewer of them maybe the very cold winter maybe my BT strategy, keeping after stagnant water, harrassing the neighbors, who knows? I suspect the more strategies you use the better, with hopefully the cumulative effect of reducing the blood suckers! Hope I was some help

Jerry


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I've had good luck with the fogger that uses propane. Very effective and seems to have residual effect for several days afterwards.


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

32degrees for a week in late may did an effective job on our misquitos


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