Mosquito report.

[paulster2626]

That's in my Top 5 Favorite Things About Moving to the Desert.

Gainesville, FL is infested with them. Especially with the pond in our backyard. Haven't even seen one in the two months we have been here in Cave Creek, AZ.

If I could move anywhere, it would be to Cave Creek AZ. Was out that way last January. Awesome. You're lucky you live there my friend!

Of course instead of mosquitos there are scorpions and stuff to worry about, but yes they are far less annoying.

 

[Yooper]

I just did a literal LOL, by the way, thinking of Bob and mosquitoes.

He does this Bear Grylls imitation (from Man vs Wild) and says, "The mosquitoes are relentless!" in this terrible British accent. It's funny, and makes the annoyance factor slightly less.

 

[Homercidal]

What a bunch of panty waists! Back in Dubya Dubya Two in the Pacific, we had to use anti-air craft guns to take 'em out. Lost two good men one time. Skeeters drained 'em clean dry!

 

[clamflats]

Nothing here yet but when they show we also get greenheads with the other two.

 

[Zuljin]

We get clouds of them at work. They swarm around trees and lights. Looks like something is on fire. Fortunately, most of them do not bite. Half of them are probably gnats.

All the mosquitoes and gnats make for a lot of spiders too. Thousands of spiders. Seriously, there are so many webs spanning across walkways that it gets hard to walk. Need a damn machete.

And wolf spiders the size of tarantulas.

 

[Zuljin]

And horseflies so big, when you hit them with a clipboard, it sounds like hitting a rock with a baseball bat.

 

[lschiavo]

And horseflies so big, when you hit them with a clipboard, it sounds like hitting a rock with a baseball bat.

I'm done complaining Let's not get started on tics though...

 

[lschiavo]

What a bunch of panty waists! Back in Dubya Dubya Two in the Pacific, we had to use anti-air craft guns to take 'em out. Lost two good men one time. Skeeters drained 'em clean dry!

I was feeling a little light-headed last night. Glad I got out in time. It coulda been the beer though...

 

[lschiavo]

I made it through a summer without complaining. I am formally registering a complaint tonight.

 

[passedpawn]

Mosquitos are terrible fliers. If you are outdoors, try to keep a fan around. The mosquitos won't touch you with that fan blowing.

 

[Yooper]

I made it through a summer without complaining. I am formally registering a complaint tonight.

I saw in the paper that this is the worst year for mosquitoes ever in our area.

I got outside on Friday and went fishing without a head net, for the first time this year. I think they're getting better, and I only had bites from three different species of mosquitoes yesterday. Things are looking up!

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

This is why I love living in SoCal, after growing up in the Midwest. No winter, no mosquitoes, but it's not subject to the triple-digit temps of the rest of the desert southwest...

 

[estricklin]

Bug zapper probably the best thing I've found to be able to go out at night.

Here in AR the humidity stays around 90% so ya we have our fair share and then some. NE Arkansas is the WORST. CANNOT go outside after dark.....PERIOD! Thousands of acres of flooded rice fields may have something to do with that.

 

[passedpawn]

Bug zapper probably the best thing I've found to be able to go out at night.

Here in AR the humidity stays around 90% so ya we have our fair share and then some. NE Arkansas is the WORST. CANNOT go outside after dark.....PERIOD! Thousands of acres of flooded rice fields may have something to do with that.

According to the webz, mosquitos are not drawn to the UV zappers. The only effective machines are the CO2 generators (I think they all use propane to make the CO2).

 

[estricklin]

According to the webz, mosquitos are not drawn to the UV zappers. The only effective machines are the CO2 generators (I think they all use propane to make the CO2).

That wouldn't surprise me though I could almost swear I've seen my 2 acre one pop some before. I do know that Deet doesn't seem to work at all on ours, despite the claims of repelling them.

The county I live in did a mosquito elimination project some years ago and it was pretty darn effective. Now it seems like they are gaining strength again, I live about 3/4 mile as the crow flies from the Arkansas River so when the sun goes down I stay inside. I try to get my garden watered just before the sun sets.

 

[passedpawn]

That wouldn't surprise me though I could almost swear I've seen my 2 acre one pop some before. I do know that Deet doesn't seem to work at all on ours, despite the claims of repelling them.

The county I live in did a mosquito elimination project some years ago and it was pretty darn effective. Now it seems like they are gaining strength again, I live about 3/4 mile as the crow flies from the Arkansas River so when the sun goes down I stay inside. I try to get my garden watered just before the sun sets.

I use DEET all the time. Works for me. I get these smallish bottles that come from the sporting goods stores that contain > 90% DEET. I think OFF and stuff like it have a much lower percentage.

 

[Homercidal]

Some skeeter zappers use a phermone to attract them, and I've heard some use CO2.

I haven't seen a noticeable increase this year where I live, but we had a nice dry spell after a wet spring. I don't have much wet area around me expect my lawn, which did dry out pretty good for the most part.

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

I've been in your neck of the woods and probably shouldn't complain. My house is surrounded by water. One side a lake the other a swamp. I bought a Mosquito Magnet which uses the propane and the CO2 theory. They work well but you can't fight the tide. They still are around during June-July and it's unbearable during the nights.

People don't realize it you have to have it on all summer long. I have a couple of extra ones because friends bought them and said they didn't work. They only used it a week and put them in the wrong location in the middle of July. That's too late. I try to describe to them that it attracts them and then kills them. So you probably don't want to put it near your picnic table.

During peak season the largest trap will fill before the nights over. Probably +1000 bugs. It's pretty disgusting having trouble getting the bag out because it's bulging with bugs in only 8 hours. I can't imagine how often you'd have to clean it out in your location.

I have also made a difference by dropping mosquito cakes in the standing water in the swamp. Not sure if that's environmental or not. Plus leaving standing water in containers in the yard and dumping them once larvae start to exist.

To tell you the truth I don't use the Magnet anymore. I figure it's a losing battle against nature. I concede June-July to them. With a battle to use the grill before sunset. Any other month I just drop some 90%+ DEET drops on strategic spots close to where people are and put on a fan on. Oddly the other biggest change I see is when the dragonflies come out. During the days sometimes it gets bad but once they are no longer annoying I notice an army of dragonflies surrounding me looking for lunch.

I've got tons of bats too. They never make a difference. I think there are bigger things that interest them. Never sure who made up that fairytale about them being a mosquito vacuum.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I just make sure that someone the mosquitos like to eat more than me is hanging around. If so they do not mess with me at all. A beer seems to help as well, either they do not like it or I am just unable to feel them at that point.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Depends on where you are here in MT. If you're out on the prairie, hardly any at all; but if you're in the forest, you'll get eaten alive, even in daytime. I worry more about West Nile virus or Equine Encephalitis than I do the annoying itch of a bite.
Regards, GF.

 

[govner1]

Depends on where you are here in MT. If you're out on the prairie, hardly any at all; but if you're in the forest, you'll get eaten alive, even in daytime. I worry more about West Nile virus or Equine Encephalitis than I do the annoying itch of a bite.
Regards, GF.

Agreed. Especially if you're fishing on the Ruby! You'd better be covered even after soaking your gear in 100% DET. The flies are a b*#%h too.



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[passedpawn]

The flies are a b*#%h too.

Nothing worse than a horsefly chasing you. Those suckers are tough, and they draw blood with their bite down here.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I was feeling a little light-headed last night. Glad I got out in time. It coulda been the beer though...

Same here. Has been fine most all year then suddenly became unbearable. Then I noticed that the jungle hut neighbors pool has become an incubator. He did real good about pumping it out for a long time and apparently stopped.

Turns out, he died.

 

[Homercidal]

Same here. Has been fine most all year then suddenly became unbearable. Then I noticed that the jungle hut neighbors pool has become an incubator. He did real good about pumping it out for a long time and apparently stopped.

Turns out, he died.

Probably forgot to drain it and got sucked dry...

Skeeters were fairly bad in da UP this weekend, but a bit of DEET and I was pretty safe.

 

[lschiavo]

Probably forgot to drain it and got sucked dry...

Skeeters were fairly bad in da UP this weekend, but a bit of DEET and I was pretty safe.

They certainly could have been worse. I was good to see you guys again. I didn't get a shrimp though

 

[Homercidal]

They certainly could have been worse. I was good to see you guys again. I didn't get a shrimp though

I apologize. There was a snafu with the grill and I thought we had brought plenty, but I could have easily doubled it I found out.

 

[Gar]

Taken from a white paper of the life cycle of a mosquito,

However, some have been recorded as far as 75 miles from their breeding source."

could you imagine tracking a mosquito for 75 miles? i mean how bad would that suck.

 

[bottlebomber]

Nothing worse than a horsefly chasing you. Those suckers are tough, and they draw blood with their bite down here.

That was the thing I remember second-most about visiting Florida as a kid. The most memorable thing was floating down the Ichetucknee sitting on top of an inner tube and seeing a gator pass underneath. Those flies were brutal though. They would take off a hunk.


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[lschiavo]

Horseflies are excellent bait. We would swim to the dock with a hook and some line and catch a fish for every horsefly we swatted. I don't expect to be bothered by mosquitoes for several months now.

 

[j1n]

I just make sure that someone the mosquitos like to eat more than me is hanging around. If so they do not mess with me at all. A beer seems to help as well, either they do not like it or I am just unable to feel them at that point.

I am one of those people that mosquitos love. If they are around then i always get bit. I was at the beach and sitting around a fire and im wearing sweat pants and a t shirt. mean while there are people next to me way more exposed like entire legs open to eat but yet they bite me all over my feet, the only part of my lower body that's exposed. i remmeber thinking i would be safe cause im more covered yet i got bit a bunch and they didn't at all.