Preventative Measures

Everything We Could Think Of

At this point I hadn't put a whole lot of effort into researching DEET or other chemical repellents so I wasn't sure what it was exactly that bothered me about them.  All I knew was that using them on a daily basis, long term, for a young child FELT wrong.  However, I knew that not using repellents at all was simply not an option.  I turned to the internet in search of "alternative", "organic" or "natural" insect repellents.  I found a variety of options that I will discuss in further detail during my next post.  For now I want to share additional ways we attempted to repel mosquitoes beyond the sprays.

We purchased a variety of Citronella candles to burn in the backyard when J wanted to go outside to play.  They seemed to help decrease the mosquitoes we saw in the immediate area, they didn't smell bad and were relatively inexpensive.  The down side was that they had to burn... which meant we had open flames in close proximity to my active young children.  Obviously using the candles required close supervision and weren't a viable option to use when I wanted to chase my kids outside so I could get some housework done.  I will say this much in favor of the candles... I felt they were a safer option compared to the tiki torch type lanterns that burnt Citronella oil.  I've never used the lanterns or burned the oil and while they're much more attractive and maybe even more effective than the wax candles... the thought of one of my children knocking over a flaming lantern of oil and catching themselves or someone else on fire terrifies me.  We may revisit the torches and oil lamps some day in the future when they are much older... but not for now.

We purchased and installed a blue light bug zapper in the backyard.  It runs on a timer and only shuts off during the warmest parts of the day when the mosquitoes aren't a problem.  Mosquitoes are not inherently attracted to the bright blue light as many other insects are.  You must actually purchase and attach a mosquito bait that attracts mosquitoes to the unit so they can get zapped.  We installed this light in the furthest corner of the yard for that reason.  I would not place one near a doorway or window since it first has to attract the mosquitoes.  Also, I'd beware of placing one near my patio furniture, bbq or eating areas as you will end up with little fried exploded bug parts all over the place.  It's gross but at least we know it's working.  It seems to have helped reduce the amount of mosquitoes and other bugs for that matter... however it is not 100% and certainly not enough on it's own.

The green box-looking thing hanging from the side of our shed... that is an Ultrasonic Yard Guard Animal Repellent.  The truth is we first purchased that thing to scare off the pigeons (we have a horrible pigeon problem in our neighborhood).  But when it arrived I noticed there was a setting on the back for insects.  The problem was that when I switched it to the insect repellent setting I could actually hear the super high pitched whining sound that the device created... and I'm pretty sure the barking dogs next door could too.  The problem was I could hear it from all areas of the backyard, from the front yard and worst of all from the inside of my house.  I tried my best to suffer through it for a couple of days to see if I would get used to it but all I got was a constant headache.  I couldn't take it anymore and switched the thing back over to the pigeon and bird setting which I could not hear at all.  I don't think we gave it a fair chance to decide how well it actually worked on repelling the insects... but if the success we've had on the pigeon setting is any indicator we're not missing out.  The pigeons haven't gone anywhere and don't seemed to be bothered in the least... save your money.

Everybody knows that standing water (i.e. green pools) is the best breeding ground for mosquitoes.  We don't have a swimming pool or any other water features on our property.  In fact, since we'd installed the artificial turf we weren't even running the sprinklers.  We changed our pet's water bowl frequently and our yard drained very well after rainstorms.  These were all things we'd been conscious and careful of.  Although we were careful about our own property we realized we had little control over the condition of our neighbor's properties.  I'll admit the first time my husband insisted on climbing up on the roof to take a look around I was pretty embarrassed.  I demanded he not be "so obvious" about it and told him to act like he was patching a leak or something up there.  My attitude quickly changed and I became grateful he even thought to do it because of the valuable insight we gained.  We discovered there was a pool behind the vacant house two doors down and guess what... it was green!  We were able to file a complaint over the phone with the city and they sent people out to take care of it.  While it didn't rid us of all the mosquitoes it sure helped reduce the major infestation we were experiencing at the time. It doesn't bother me at all now when on occasion my husband decides to climb up there and check out that roof patch.

Are you aware that in effort to combat the outbreak of West Nile Virus several cities have started fogging neighborhoods to kill mosquitoes?  I live in one of these cities and in years past we have received notices about them coming to spray our neighborhood.  In the past we've also been able to call and request that our neighborhood be sprayed.  However, that is no longer the case.  I'm not sure if it has to do with the recession or budget cuts but when I called to request that our neighborhood be sprayed this year I was told that they were only treating neighborhoods in which they recovered "abnormal amounts of mosquitoes or mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile" in the test traps they placed.  I attempted to explain our situation (I mean hey... I'm a taxpayer right?) but the girl on the other end of the phone was not very helpful.  I'm sure there wasn't much she could do to help me if she wanted to.  I'm considering sending a letter to make my request again in writing... maybe it will end up in the hands of somebody with a little more authority who can help us out.  The main reason I mention this is that I believe it's an avenue worth exploring in your own city.  If you're suffering from Skeeter Syndrome and you live somewhere where they fog, it might just be worth a phone call to request they come treat your neighborhood too.

So that brings me to this baby... the Mosquito Magnet Trap.  We do not own one, I've never used one and only recently heard of one when my husband happened to run across it on the Cabela's website. We are very tempted to order this and try it out... our only hesitation being the hefty price tag.  There were only two reviews on the Cabela's site but they were both very good.  I really need to take the time and do some deeper research so we can make a solid decision on whether it's worth the investment or not.  Does anyone out there have any experience using one of these things?  I'd love to get some feedback about your experience with the mosquito magnet or any of the items listed above for that matter.  Or if you have anything at all to share regarding your own successes or failures in attempting to reduce or repel mosquitoes by all means... please do!