You’re just getting comfortable with your sweetie on the glider, the sun is setting, and the air is finally cooling off. But instead of sweet nothings being whispered in you ear, it’s the unmistakable whiny buzz of your not-so-friendly neighborhood mosquito.
- If you’ve got a slow metabolism and you’re tired of all those skinny people running around saying, “I can eat anything, my metabolism is so high.” you should know the real reason they’re always on the move is because the mosquitoes are after them. Mosquitoes are drawn to the carbon dioxide that humans exhale and the higher your metabolism, the more you emit.
- So, you’ve put off that camping trip ‘cause you’re afraid of bears? Well, compared to mosquitoes, bears are a walk in the park. Mosquitoes kill more humans each year than any other animal.
- In the case of the mosquito, it’s the male that loves flowers. The female loves you. Only the females bite (which probably doesn’t make you feel any better). But, hey, can you blame a girl for trying to feed her family? She needs your blood to produce a batch of eggs.
- Depending on the weather, her stamina, and how many blood meals she can get, the female can just keep laying eggs over and over without even mating again. A female mosquito can lay 3000 eggs in her lifetime.
- For some lucky people mosquitoes are just small nuisances, for others even a quick little bite turns into a red itchy blotch the size of a half dollar (guess which category this writer falls into?). The swelling and itchiness is your body’s response to the mosquito’s saliva.
- Most mosquitoes live and feed within one mile of their breeding ground.
- Citronella candles, incense, and some insect repellents work because they hide the body’s real odor which is one of the things the mosquito is looking for. The reason they don’t work great is because if there’s one thing mosquitoes can do, it’s track you down by smell. Their olfactory sense is up to 10,000 times better than humans.
- Bats are your friends. One little brown bat can catch around 600 mosquito sized insects each hour! Bats do like a varied diet so they’re eating all the bugs in your yard, not just mosquitoes, but they really can help control the mosquito population. And they’re so cute! Build or buy a bat house and put them to work.
- Bug zappers are NOT your friends. Unlike most bugs, mosquitoes aren’t drawn to the ultraviolet light. However, the bugs that naturally eat them, like dragon flies are. You’re killing the predators and getting stuck with the mosquitoes.
- Garlic isn’t just for vampires anymore. When farmers noticed that garlic fields seemed to be mosquito free, a new industry was born. Highly concentrated liquid garlic can be applied to your lawn and shrubs to repel mosquitoes. Mixed with a little oil, it can also be sprayed on standing water to smother the eggs.
- Deet is by far the most effective biting insect repellent. It’s a synthetic chemical which is essentially a poison that makes the mosquitoes want to dine elsewhere. Concentrations of 30% are recommended for adults, and although higher concentrations are available they can cause dizziness or allergic reactions. Never use products containing more than 10% Deet concentration on children.
- For those of you who want to avoid the bites and the chemicals, there are lots of natural repellents available. They usually contain natural oils such as lemongrass, Citronella, peppermint, tea tree oil, catnip, and eucalyptus. They’re only as effective as you are diligent though because as soon as the oil evaporates you need another coating (every 10-15 minutes).
- Why should you care about mosquitoes? They’re just part of summer, right? West Nile Virus has become a real threat in the
- And now for some good news (assuming you have deep pockets). You might feel like you’re a mosquito magnet, but there actually is a product called a mosquito magnet and that’s exactly what it does. By emitting a steady stream of carbon dioxide, heat, moisture, and octenol, it draws mosquitoes to it. They are then sucked into a net where it traps, dehydrates and kills them. These portable magnets run on propane and cost a bundle but have a reputation for being very effective.
Websites: http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/ www.mosquitoes101.com http://www.batconservation.org/ http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/
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