Best way to deter mosquitos?

[BuickMike]

It's been raining more than usual this year and the mosquitos are terrible. I'm looking to keep them out of my back yard when my family is outside and am wondering what is the best way to keep them away? How well do those units that connect to a propane tank work?

 

[INEEDAGN]

I have an 83 cutlass with a 403 that you can park back there and fire up every now and then. There won't be any mosquitos for miles, LOL.

Sorry I don't have a serious answer to your question.

 

[zeus87gn]

I bought one of those giant bug zappers from Walmart and hung it up in the back yard away (far away) from the house. It's the 80w version, and they have a range of about 1 acre. Works well as I have about 1.2 acres. My next door neighbor got one and I have had a mosquito problem for a couple of years now. Plug it in and take the yard blower to it about once a week to clean out the dead bugs. Watch out for the geckos, they make a light show!

 

[BuickMike]

I have one of those big bug zappers from Wal Mart, but do they work during the day? I guess i should put in a new one of those Mosquito strips that go in the center.

 

[zeus87gn]

I had to call the mfg on the warranty cause my first one gave up after about 6 months. I had it on a timer to shut it off during the day. According to them, you should leave it on continuously. It's better for the internal circuitry. I would think it would kill any insect that touches it 24-7. It damn near gave me a keart attack the day I thought I could fix it. Forgot to unplug it and absorbed a little more voltage.

Really, it would depend if the sketters are out during the day. I have seen them, but only in my zapper for the last couple of years.

 

[STAGE 2]

The best thing I ever found was an opened bottle of Hoppes #9. Not very practical, definately an acquired smell, but it kept everything away, from skeeters, to wasps, to just about anything that would look fitting squashed under a boot or newspaper.

 

[turbofabricator]

<<The best thing I ever found was an opened bottle of Hoppes #9>>

I hear it repells Liberal anti-gun folks, too

 

[441120]

Really?

<<The best thing I ever found was an opened bottle of Hoppes #9>>

I hear it repells Liberal anti-gun folks, too

Seriously?

 

[Blown&Injected]

deet on the body and cloths and regular insecticide spray of the yard and any dark damp areas like under decks and sheds, bushes, walls... use the concentrated mixes and the pump up sprayer that holds about 2 gallons, not the premixed aerosol cans. After some time you may find that the insecticide will keep them down enough to not need deet.

I have heard that the zappers do not attract mosquitos - the CO2 generators (lp gas types) attract them but many do not report great success over time - don't know as I have not personally used them although when I have been in yards with the zappers, it did not seem to help much.

I have had very good results with mixing my own spray and covering the area.

 

[BuickMike]

Thanks for all the replies. I have covered areas with Malathion which helps, however they still come in from the groves behind me. Even if I cover myself in Deet they still attack my face if that's the only part I don't cover.

 

[zeus87gn]

Well, I'm not a big fan of chemicals. I don't want to put any in my yard because I have 2 'Doberadors' (dobie-lab mix) and don't want to put them in harms way. That's why I bought the bug zapper.

Just for a point of perspective, I have a 100 acre forest behind me and there is an old creek bed in the middle of it and a drainage ditch the other side of my neighbors house. I don't get bit.

I went to a friends house to help with a serpentine belt last friday evening. He has a creek about 50 yards away in the woods behind his house. I came home with multiple welts from bites.

The zapper works for me.