Mosquitoes

smylegrrl

(@&;(*!&&%$$#.

I'm like a flipping all you can eat buffet for these bastards!

I've probably spent over $100 trying to fight them with sprays, citronella, I even bought a trap (which doesn't seem to be working).

I try to keep up with sweeping the leaves and removing standing water, but I don't see a bit of difference

HALP! My garden is too pretty not to be able to go outside

arlette

Damn if I dont know what you mean.I put on Off, Avon's Skin So Soft Oil, Avon's mosquito repellent lotion with skin so soft, alcohol and skin so soft mixed, all together, just marinated myself in it. Went outside to grill and as I was standing there, a damn mosquito landed on my forearm , bit me then flew off. I was too shocked to even swat it away. Bazztard.

opossumqueen

Have you tried the new off thing?
http://www.offprotects.com/clip-on-mosquito-repellent/

I am also a buffet and really allergic to some of the species here in NYC. Some cause a huge square bump that goes away within hours and others cause a nasty painful and itcy bump that slightly resembles an infected spider bite (but I see the 'skeeters biting me). When I go to visit my folks in the swampy, buggy south, I look like Pig Pen, only instead of a cloud of dirt around me is a swarm of mosquitoes that don't seem to care about anyone else. I hate it!

I have also been trying traps and sprays, esp. since our front door an under the stoop one and the little bastards congregate there and rush in when we open the doors. I've been dousing the area (outside the door, but under the stoop) with some soybean oil based "safe" mosquito spray I bought at Tarzain. I can't remember the brand, but I'll look later. It works pretty well with frequent applications.

rachelfiona

I haven't tried the clip thing, but might have to.

To make matters worse, I have to leave the screen door open when the cats are outside because Jackie panics if he can't run back in the house (yes, I know, they are spoiled rotten).

this is my latest thing:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009OY6Z/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

I bought one for me and my neighbor too (she's dying in her yard as well). It's been a week, and I don't see much hope yet.

Arlette - I tried all of the SSS thing too, as well as OFF, citronella candles, the incense coils by OFF. I also have seen the bastards land on me while I'm still wet from the spray and it doesn't slow them down one bit.

scarlett

I am one of the sweet ones too. A friend made sure to sit next to me at the Philharmonic last week kjnowing they would all eat me, not her. I have heard that smoking cigarettes means they will bite you less. Try it!

Oh and Flexi, the other night I made the mistake of leaving my glass of wine without the coaster on top and the fucking fruit fly flew in. I fished him out and he was STILL MOVING!!!!!!!! GRR!!!!!! I killed him dead. next time I will have a shot glass with a little bit in it and ctach them all and kill them dead.

jeaugustin

I managed to get rid of just about all of the slugs, now I'm ready to slaughter some skeeters.

If I see one in my wine, I will bring out the heavy ammo (once I figure out what that is!)

rosweed

I am, too, considered a dining delectable by these horrible critters. I grew up in Canada where, in addition to mosquitoes, we had black flies. I had to carry anti-histamines because if I got a bite near my eye, my eye would swell closed. A little difficult to drive.

I mention this because I have tried everything to repel the little bastards. I hate using anything because of the nasty chemicals. We found something called Natrapel a few years ago and it really does work. At least for me. You can buy it at some health food stores or go here to check it out:
http://www.tendercorp.com/products.php?cat=59

jess2art

I'll try it! I'll try almost anything at this point

asil

I've pretty much given up on sitting out in my yard. They're awful, even during the day! I feel like it's gotten worse over the last, say, 5 years or so. I used to sit out in my yard all the time and never got bit this much.

opossumqueen

I'm most frustrated about the ones getting into my apartment through the front door. Then they can bite me when I'm most vulnerable--sleeping or in the shower. I always wake up with bites on my neck or stomach or feet (not bedbugs, I'm certain!). Right now I have a welt on the palm of my hand from the park on that very muggy Friday.

The stuff I've been spraying around the outside of our front door is Ortho EcoSense. It's not cheap the way I apply it, but seems to be helping when I remember to use it.

theyoungsport

I am wondering if it has to do with west nile. I don't think they've sprayed in a few years (is that right?) and I think there are more mosquitoes than ever.

opossumqueen

I was under the impression that the city has never stopped spraying, though they may target areas at risk of WNV. I think I was told that my either a pediatrician who specializes in environmental health or a DOH employee, but that doesn't mean even they knew for sure.

deev

I remember we used to be notified and had to close our windows when they were spraying. I don't remember doing that in the past few years or so

opossumqueen

A very lazy, quick search found that at least last summer/fall there was targeted spraying in Brooklyn and SI.

trinilawboy

[quote="OpossumQueen"]A very lazy, quick search found that at least last summer/fall there was targeted spraying in Brooklyn and SI.[/quote

apparently, I am a bit more lazy than you are

stooplady

Hi, we are having more mosquitoes because it rained for two months. If your neighbors have high grass/weeds/dense trees, the skeeters (and no seeums) will be there. Perhaps the muddy earth attracts them too.
My ex was Japanese and he would buy a whole box filled with coils which you light up w/a match and they burn for hours. It comes with a metal holder for the coils. They don't stink, don't smell like citronella but have a pleasant smokey smell.
I think he bought them in Chinatown...comes in a box with a rooster head on it, red color.
Also, try eating garlic. lol

bachataluv

Thanks, StoopLady. OFF also makes the coils. I burned some, but they didn't seem to do too much either.

stooplady

Nope...got out of bed and checked...they are actually from Japan "Cocksec Mosquito Coils from JAPANESE INSECTICIDE MFG. CO. I have one box left. Used to live on the first two floors of my building and my ex HATED mosquitoes even though he loved most creatures. It was a hoot to watch him run around the house smashing them...would capture moths and other animals (well not roaches, thank goodness) and release them out of doors. It was one of the funniest things I ever saw. Ah, well I digress.

http://www.antipixel.com/blog/archives/2003/08/31/cocksec_mosquito_coils.html

Yes, it is drastic but they last FOREVER.

Also, have you thought of purchasing an outdoor extension cord and plugging in a strong fan. Mosquitoes can't land very well when it is windy. Perhaps use a fan on the ground and then an oscillating stand fan.

domino

I too am a mosquito magnet. One thing that seems to work is having a fan circulating the air. They tend not to land as often.

mets09

StoopLady - do you know specifically where you bought those things?

imp277

StoopLady - do you know specifically where you bought those things?

mantic

rosweed wrote: I am, too, considered a dining delectable by these horrible critters. I grew up in Canada where, in addition to mosquitoes, we had black flies. I had to carry anti-histamines because if I got a bite near my eye, my eye would swell closed. A little difficult to drive.

I mention this because I have tried everything to repel the little bastards. I hate using anything because of the nasty chemicals. We found something called Natrapel a few years ago and it really does work. At least for me. You can buy it at some health food stores or go here to check it out:
http://www.tendercorp.com/products.php?cat=59

I ordered this on Amazon today. I'll let you know how it works. Got a few more bites today.

flo

Flexi- there is a very talented lady I know who whips up a concoction with plant oils that so far is working for me this summer and the bugs eat me like mad too. I will keep on trying it out the next few times I am at my garen, which is mosquito cental and if it really works, I'll let you know. (Smells pretty good, not too patchoo-achouli like, which is a bonus.) I don't want to recommend yet though, because I've only used it once.

em26

I ot bite in the glag, fuckin mosgquito. thats legs.

carnivore

DEET. This has been well-studied.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/347/1/13

Don't waste your money on anything else.

em26

oy yeah kill them slap them when trheyr siucking your blood out. So cool and GROSS when you do that but still they die and blood goeas everytwhere.

flo

Carni
Does this work when sprayed on clothes too? (f$%@#in hate to get bit through my pants or shorts) and can I keep repeating with the Deet with no ill effects.? (I was totally coating myself with the stuff last year and had to keep re-applying and re-applying--mosquitoes seemed so aggressive.)

carnivore

Flo wrote: Carni
Does this work when sprayed on clothes too? (f$%@#in hate to get bit through my pants or shorts) and can I keep repeating with the Deet with no ill effects.? (I was totally coating myself with the stuff last year and had to keep re-applying and re-applying--mosquitoes seemed so aggressive.)

Yeah, but be careful. Some of the high-concentration stuff can be a little oily. I wouldn't spray it all over anything fancy. Better to spray it on exposed areas of your skin. If you're wearing something thin that mosquitos can bite through, I'd spray it under the clothes if it's a garment you care about. Or at least do a test patch on the inside first, and spray from far enough away that it's a fine mist by the time it hits the clothes, not a liquid spray.

DEET has been proven safe and effective with normal use. According to the study I referenced, if you use at least a 23% solution, you should get complete protection for about 300 minutes (5 hours) with a single application, so probably not much need to reapply in most situations.

flo

Thanks Carni. I am going to ask the woman who makes the plant-based repellent what plant-based oils are in it-- might be eucalyptus which I think can be effective as a repellant too. If it keeps working (and believe you me, I get bit like mad so if it doesn't I will know) I will stick with it because it is plant-based, which is appealling to me--I was spraying myself so much last year with the Deet, I was getting a bit freaked out about it. (found this below--- I should so be in bed--g'night)

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/RepellentUpdates.htm

em26

i'm soupsed to go to sleep. I hate the damn mosquitos!!

opossumqueen

I thought deet was technically recommended to be applied on clothes, not skin. This was news to me when I heard it, but someone researching this (in relation to WNV) claimed that was a CDC rec.

Yes, DEET works but I understand that most of us don't want to cover ourselves in a chemical several times a day, most days of the summer. That's why we try things like the coils I just want something to kill them in my door/stoop area.

I had good luck with the SSS oil while in a bug heavy region of Belize. The hotel actually provided the oil (no lotion, etc) in our bathroom and I coated myself before our hikes in buggy areas and came out bite-free. I have not found the oil for sale on it's own, though.