Mosquitoes?

[Idaho45guy]

How bad are they where you live?

I've lived in multiple states and never had an issue with mosquitoes. Sure, there are plenty, but never so bad that I had to wear a head net or douse myself in repellent in order to enjoy the outdoors. Once, while camping in North Idaho next to a river and in a swampy lowland area, the mosquitoes were pretty bad and actually put on repellent.

A couple of years ago, I was out fishing on a small lake not far from here and a gentleman and his wife rowed by in a canoe. We exchanged pleasantries and he remarked how incredible it was to not be getting attacked by mosquitoes. He was out visiting his son and was from Wisconsin. He said the mosquitoes were so bad that you had to douse yourself in deet and wear a head net when in the woods. He was amazed at how pleasant it was out here.

Then last week, I was watching some show about couples in Alaska trying to survive and a couple of the women were wearing head nets. You could actually see clouds of mosquitoes on camera. The guys would be talking and mosquitoes were flying into their mouths. It was crazy.

I've lived in Idaho, Washington, Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, and California and the only place it was pretty bad was Hawaii. We had an outdoor theater on base that everybody called Mosquito Theater. They sold citronella coils along with the popcorn.

This year, we had such a mild winter that they say the mosquitoes and yellowjackets are going to be worse than they've been in years, so we'll see. I know ticks are already bad.

How bad do the mosquitoes get where you live? Curious as to if it's a Midwestern and Southern state thing or what.

[Winger Ed.]

You could actually see clouds of mosquitoes on camera. The guys would be talking and mosquitoes were flying into their mouths.

Having only been in Anchorage a hour or two in February, I didn't think mosquitos would be a issue up there.

I was watching a dinosaur chasing show once and the scientist types were digging in a river bank during the summer.
They were wearing bee keeper suits for what looked like thick clouds of gnats....
It wasn't a dense cloud of gnats---- it was mosquitos.

[Chris S]

Guess this is one good thing about living in the desert. Here in the Las Vegas valley we have no mosquitos... of course we have very little water either. You buy your ticket and you take your ride I guess...

Chris

[bmortell]

im northeast and they are only around in summer nights but its annoying ya

[lightman]

They are pretty bad here in my part of Arkansas. You plan your Summer activities to be in before dusky dark. They are not out yet but are due about anytime. If you walk through tall grass they will fog all over you. Around rice fields is especially bad. The Buffalo Knats are bad to. Their bit hurts and leaves a pretty good whelp. They also kill a lot of Deer here in the Delta.

[Land Owner]

There are fresh water and salt marsh mosquitos as well as salt marsh "No See Ums" here. Mosquito bites and their raised whelps last and itch longer.

No See Ums bite HARD, bite fast, bite often, and bite EVERYWHERE that skin is exposed, leaving a stinging red whelp - or a line around the face and neck, even into the scalp through your hair. Mosquito netting is ineffective against No See Ums. They are tiny enough to slide right through the netting.



One way to wreck these invasive reigns of terror is to douse your clothes with PERMETHRIN. A 0.50% concentration is quite effective. Permethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid derivative of the chrysanthemum flower, acts as insect LSD and KILLS them. It permanently switches on their bug nervous systems until they OD. Forget OFF and DEET, which only drive them away.

All the bugs have to do is walk over a treated area and they will die. So too will be the fate of biting yellow flies, horse flies, flies of all kinds, wasps, ants, TICKS, and just about any insect that probes the clothes (subterranean termites [I find] can be killed too).



During ZIKA and West Nile virus epidemics, multiple counties in FL contracted aerial spraying through a squadron of WWII aircraft (4) in close formation for major impact (quite a sight), flying over all county land in a night. Now, some counties have a fleet of helicopter mounted spraying equipment, an announced spraying schedule, and ad valorem tax derived budgets.

[RU shooter]

Not too bad in western Pa , we get bit up pretty good out fishing on a hot muggy night with no breeze though . Worst I ever experienced was fishing up in Quebec on a remote fly in lake if the boat stopped you were attacked ! Deep woods off repelant was worthless Head nets helped a lot .

[Wayne Smith]

Permethrin - good stuff but do not put it on your skin. Not good for you. Use on clothing only. It is persistent through several washes.

I am a mosquito magnet. When I was a kid we would be working in the garden and I would be getting bit and my dad, right next to me, was ignored. Likewise today, we go out to pick blueberries, I am eaten up and LOML is ignored.

[Markopolo]

ummmm wellllll, here in alaska, the no see em's are so big you can see em, and well the mosquitoes look like hummingbirds and follow em-mass.. i do wear bug dope, and a head net is in my day pack continuously. but here in SE prince of wales island, there are no large groups of people, and no large groups of caribou... so its not as bad as the interior, but I still carry he head gear and the bug dope...

[Pressman]

They are the State bird of Minnesota. Warm weather is slowly arriving so they will be back soon.

[toallmy]

In the salty marshes around here , they will carry off a skinny teenager whole , never to be seen again .
When I grew up - we had to be in the house by sundown or be eating alive .

[jimlj]

The worse I have ever seen them was on the Green River north of Labarge WY. I took my son fishing there and a black cloud gathered around the truck before we got out. It went down hill from there. They are not too bad where I live now. Except for the fishing trip, they usually leave me alone if there are other people around.

[Finster101]

We certainly have no lack of them here in Florida, but nothing like I encountered on an Alaska trip a few years ago.

[Rick Hodges]

Here in the North Country there are two seasons....."Shovel and Swat". I have watched my friend coming over the crest of a hill in the spring. Spotted the cloud of mosquitoes long before you could see him. I rarely use a headnet, but before I quit smoking I have been known to stoke up a cigar to keep them away. Repellent and proper clothing are a must.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I live in southcentral Pennsylvania.
Mosquitoes are certainly around but I can't remember the last time I got bit by one. No see ums are a bigger issue...they drive my wife crazy.
Close by the Susquehanna River so may flies can be an issue this time of year.

Ticks are the biggest insect pest we deal with to be truthful. Keep the Labrador Retrievers treated and check ourselves if we spend any time in the woods.

[MT Gianni]

In MT I have been at a lake where you didn't bother to swat them unless you could kill 5 at once. It was in the mid 80's and we were all bundled with jackets, hoods or long sleeved shirts. Most of the bottom ground here between last and first frosts you need 100% deet if you're out and about. We get a lot of sub ground water during the summer months.

[lightman]

In my original post I forgot to mention that we have a mosquitoe program here in town. They have a fee added on to the water bill. They used to do arieal spraying but there got be so many cell towers that they went to using trucks with sprayers in the back.

[trebor44]

Montana has some of the more aggressive ones, especially those in the Wisdom area. The Beartooth Plateau is another 'hot spot'. Had to eat lunch on the run to avoid the extra protein when working in the backcountry. They are a 'nuisance' but they can mitigated to a degree with 'repellent' (avoid the ones they like) and clothing. Idaho has Buffalo gnats and they can be very very annoying! Run your fingers through your hair and then wash off the blood!

Mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, deer flies etc.; they are just a part of the great outdoors paradise!

[gbrown]

I live in SETX. About 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Marshes line the coast from La. all the way to Mexico. Needless to say, we have enough mosquitoes to share with everyone. Plus, we get 50 inches + of rain a year. You have to be aware of anything that catches water in the yard and keep it empty. However, we have a very aggressive Mosquito Control Department in our county government that does aerial spraying over urban areas of the county and ground fogging with special vehicles that drive through the neighborhoods. This is very effective and usually keeps the little buggers down to an acceptable level that you can live with.

[dangitgriff]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200514/b4c6c6d47708f0c3920f5ebeced02814.jpg

[gwpercle]

When it was discovered that mosquitoes can and do carry and spread many diseases such as Malaria , Yellow Fever , West Nile Virus , Keystone Virus , Zika , Rift Valley and 3-4 other fevers and spread several different forms of Encephalitis , Louisiana has embarked on a large program to get rid of mosquitoes . Spraying with trucks driving on streets , spraying areas with airplanes , elimination of stagnant and standing water wherever it can be found .

It has made a difference ...there are less mosquitoes and less mosquito borne illnesses around .
Mosquitoes now seem to be more of a problem up North .
I can go outside at dusk and not be eaten alive like in the old days .
Gary

[Winger Ed.]

When it was discovered that mosquitoes can and do carry and spread many diseases

, Louisiana has embarked on a large program to get rid of mosquitoes . y

Back during the Reagan years, and AIDS was all over the news, a certain group of people in New Orleans claimed it was
carried and spread by mosquitos----- not their behavior.

When asked about it, the then governor of Louisiana said he wasn't sure about that, but made the comment,
"They seem to be very particular about who they bite".

[rockrat]

Grandad was somehow immune to a mosquito (deer fly , ect). They would land on him and leave right away without biting him. They found ME a buffet just waiting to be sampled

[roadie]

I've heard that eating a lot of garlic keeps them away, anyone have experience with that?

[Duckiller]

100% DEET or rancid bear grease is need to properly keep mosquitoes at bay.

[Winger Ed.]

I've heard that eating a lot of garlic keeps them away, anyone have experience with that?

I've always heard it works for mosquitos and also those country flies that land on ya and chew a piece off.

I was out fishing with a buddy and he'd always eat a bunch of garlic before he went out.
We were out, and the flies were tearing me apart. I asked him if he was also under siege by them.
He said, "No,,,,,,,,,,,,, apparently you smell more like dog **** than I do".

[mattw]

I live in corn country in Illinois. We have clouds of skeeters, hate the damn things! When I was a kid and lived in a small town, they would drive around the fogger truck and it really took care of them! I love to fish, but almost never do because they are so bad in the evening.

[woodbutcher]

:lol: When my family first moved to Florida in`16(That`s 1916)my Dad used to say if you went out after dark,you better take a 12ga to be on even terms with the skeeters.He also said that Granddad tried to keep one for a pet,but it kept chewing through the chain.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[DCP]

262138

[Randy Bohannon]

Yes Montana ! The worst mosquito infestation I have ever seen, so bad along the Gallatin river you had to use your wipers, what a mess. Another time near the Crazies on a sage flat about this time of the year thick clouds of mosies would come up in your face walking through the grass.
Now Nevada has the biggest mosquitos I have seen and they have fur !. SC is the only place I have been bitten by a mosquito in January.

[Minerat]

Ticks, skeeters, and deer flys have never liked me. I get bit but not like the rest of the family. I don't get bumps from the bites or itch. I don't eat garlic either. I use Deet now just because we have west nile around in the summer and I have watched a couple of friends suffer thru that. No thanks!

[rbuck351]

I lived in AK for 32 years the first six were in Nome. The skeeters are so thick on the tundra there you can see a cloud of them coming for you a half mile away. 100% Deet is the only thing that will keep them from landing on you and that is barely off. You have to breath slow to keep from sucking them in your mouth and nose and that doesn't always work. I now live in northeastern MT and we have skeeters here but nothing like AK.

[jsizemore]

We got those Tiger mosquitos down east. One landed on the air strip at Cherry Point Marine Air base and the marines started to refuel it until they couldn't find the fuel connection. Those things take no prisoners. If you get bite while on the firing line at Buccaneer your not sure you've been shot or what.

[nelsonted1]

We are almost overwhelmed with them in minnesota. There are so many cat tail swamps everywhere it just takes visitors breath away starting just before sundown.

My daughter and I were watching bats zipping around and I asked her what she thought they did at night. It couldn't take more a couple beats of the wings and let their beaks hang open they'd have to be full in a couple seconds. After that what do they do?

She thought maybe they had bat rodeos and drag races. I agreed it'd be really fun bulldogging mosquitos.

I told her if she went camping up north she'd need a ball of Orange twine in her pocket. That way if a gang of them got her she could spool out the rope so the authorities could find her. Usually, people's blood.got depleted enough that the pressure got so low they'd realize they were sucking on a dry hole and give up. Problem was the low pressure made people stupified. That's why everyone carried plasma in the glove box for just in case. So, the insatiable lust for mosquitoes made the bat the state bird.

[nelsonted1]

Some of those grey looking zombies in zombie movies aren't zombies. They are really stupified, mosquito-eaten pilgrims from Iowa that were caught outside and overwhelmed. They are just transparent from blood loss. I've always wondered if some of those zombie movies were bootleg type deals because a bloodless delirious person can't possibly be considered rational enough to sign a release for a zombie movie. I wonder if the "producers" got in trouble like the girls-gone-bad movie maker talking the naked girls in florida into acting sober and being interviewed.

[DocSavage]

My uncle lived in ME,if you went out at night during the summer you were fair game for the skeeters,but he bought a Mosquito Magnet and after a couple of weeks of running it you could sit outside and enjoy the stars.
Don't know if they still make the MM but it worked miracles for my uncle.

[nelsonted1]

What's really fun is trying to slap a drunk visiting cousin from iowa awake and and tell him the sandhill crane standing by the mailbox is a minnesota mosquito. I did that to my cousin Cletus from Dabuke, then handed him and old flip phone and yelled at him to call captain kirk. He did and then disapeared. He called from home the next day wondering about the mosquito. I just said we go in the house at dark. Also, minnesota is where the tractor cab was invented because of mosquitos

[fiberoptik]

Oklahoma had them big ugly hummingbird ones when we went through there. Thick too! You could almost hear the sucking noises like using a straw. But the worst I experienced where in Okinawa. They didn’t look [emoji102] all that, but when ya got bit they left welts on ya like boils! Itched worst than anything I’ve ever had!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lightman]

:lol: When my family first moved to Florida in`16(That`s 1916)my Dad used to say if you went out after dark,you better take a 12ga to be on even terms with the skeeters.He also said that Granddad tried to keep one for a pet,but it kept chewing through the chain.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

I was working on an irrigation well one night before dark. I heard a few of them buzzing around my head and 2 of them were talking. One of them wanted to carry me back to the swamp to eat me. The other one cautioned him that if they did the big ones might take me away from them! :-)

[JoeJames]

They are pretty bad here in my part of Arkansas. You plan your Summer activities to be in before dusky dark. They are not out yet but are due about anytime. If you walk through tall grass they will fog all over you. Around rice fields is especially bad. The Buffalo Knats are bad to. Their bit hurts and leaves a pretty good whelp. They also kill a lot of Deer here in the Delta.Anywhere in the Mississippi Delta and especially where there's rice, there's mosquitoes. Up in the hills they are are rather weak variety, but in the Delta they are tough! I think they keep the red wasp population down though.

[elmacgyver0]

If you want something to repel them and actually works use Detol, it is an antiseptic made in the UK to sterilize hospitals.

Detol is sold on the internet, just do a search.

[Beagle333]

We got plenty of skeeters here in the swamp. Plenty. And they'll fly right through you spraying 40% OFF on yourself to bite you while your arm is still wet. Fortunately, Thermocell does work. I carry one in an empty SA holster when I'm outside, and it is the best invention ever.

[Land Owner]

Fortunately, Thermocell does work...and it is the best invention ever.

The active ingredient in Thermocell…

...is allethrin...a synthetic copy of one of the compounds found within chrysanthemum flowers, and proven to repel mosquitoes.

Another chrysanthemum flower synthetic derivative. That one a repellant.

Why not "Go the Distance" and KILL mosquitos with PERMETHRIN (a synthetic chrysanthemum flower derivative)? You will SAVE money in the long run if you just KILL THEM rather than temporarily drive them away.

[gwpercle]

Does anyone remember FLIT ?
What about a FLIT GUN ?

Wish I still had my Dad's !
Gary

[roadie]

The active ingredient in Thermocell…


Another chrysanthemum flower synthetic derivative. That one a repellant.

Why not "Go the Distance" and KILL mosquitos with PERMETHRIN (a synthetic chrysanthemum flower derivative)? You will SAVE money in the long run if you just KILL THEM rather than temporarily drive them away.


That's where I am, I want the savage buggers as dead as I can make them, that way they don't come back.

[Finster101]

I have thought about getting a propane powered trap for the critters. I may just pull the trigger on it with rainy season approaching. The one I'm looking at says it's good for 3 acres. My county has a mosquito control division with more planes and helicopters than some third world air forces. Still flying DC3s and UH1s. Pretty cool when one of the DC3s go over at anywhere from 2 to 5 hundred feet.

[Winger Ed.]

I have thought about getting a propane powered trap for the critters. .

I hope you have better luck with one than I did.

I got one, followed all the instructions, did every trick, and used every potion they said to do with it.
At the end of the summer, it had 4-5 (suicidal) mosquitos and a couple of moths in the catch pan/screen.

[OldBearHair]

Aransas Pass along Texas coastline. 1969. Three varieties of mosquitos. A friend and I left his car to bowhunt just after daylidght. I headed down a cindera for about 18 minutes before heading back to the car. Mosquitos in the eyes ears and anywhere they found skin. Put a puddle of repellent on the back of my hand and before I could spread it out mosquitos were biting through the puddle. Found my friend not far from the car just standing there. He could not see. Eyes swollen shut. I led him to the car and we left. I was driving his little French car that he never drove more than 50 mph. My quiver strap tow inches wide across the abdomen was unscathed. I looked again in a few minutes and the swelling covered that area too. Felt as if the skin was on fire. About a hundred miles back toward Fort Worth, the friend began to be able to see again.
Along I-10 through Louisiana, on the way to Mobile, in 1963 we stopped along the way to take a break at a Snake Farm on the roadside. We went in and they had hanging light bulbs that were insufficient lighting. We could hear the mosquitos , we could not see the floor from the knees down because of the mosquitos. We did not stay long.
After the Aransas Pass hunt we moved to New Mexico. The mosquitos were small and the bites didn't bother me as much as others. I figured after the hunt in Texas, I was immune to those little mosquitos in NM.
Lake Conroe is one place you need mosquito protection if you are on the lake at sundown.
Laguna Atascosa Refuge has it all,. no seeums, mosquitos, seed ticks, deer ticks, alligators, snakes and chiggers. Bowhunters learn to douse their hunting clothes with Permethrin 38.5% SFR diluted one ounce per gallon of water and allowed to dry completely before wearing. Then you only have to worry about the snakes and alligators. Going to our stands one morning before daylight , the guy in the lead whispered back to the guy behind and queried about a log across the trail. The guy answered saying it was no log, that is an alligator. Another evening we were leaving the refuge to find a huge rattlesnake alongside the road. We watched at a safe distance and agreed that it was at the least eight foot long. It moved into some grass about 15 inches tall and disappeared. We had been walking in grass like that all day.

[woodbutcher]

:lol: RE:Mosquito spraying.Growing up in Vero Beach FL I saw everything from Stearman biplanes to B24`s going after them.Four of the B24`s going over at 0600 will sure get your attention.Especially when they are only about 150` altitude about 200 feet apart wingtip to wingtip.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[MrWolf]

:lol: RE:Mosquito spraying.Growing up in Vero Beach FL I saw everything from Stearman biplanes to B24`s going after them.Four of the B24`s going over at 0600 will sure get your attention.Especially when they are only about 150` altitude about 200 feet apart wingtip to wingtip.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

Remember the trucks that would spray for them? Can't count how many times us kids would be riding our bikes in that fog thinking it was fun.

[Winger Ed.]

Remember the trucks that would spray for them? Can't count how many times us kids would be riding our bikes in that fog thinking it was fun.

We did too.
Now days, the city tells ya to go inside until it passes.
When a bunch of kids try to get close to the truck- the driver shuts off the fogger until he gets away from them.

[woodbutcher]

:lol: Hi Mr Wolf.Ohhhhhhhhhhh yeah.We could also go to the local "Mosquito Control District"office and get for free the same stuff that the trucks sprayed with to use ourselves.We just rigged a small copper line into the exhaust pipe of our lawn mowers hooked to a one quart can hung from the handle bar for the mower to drip the liquid into the pipe when hot.We used a small ball valve to regulate the flow.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Beagle333]

The active ingredient in Thermocell…


Another chrysanthemum flower synthetic derivative. That one a repellant.

Why not "Go the Distance" and KILL mosquitos with PERMETHRIN (a synthetic chrysanthemum flower derivative)? You will SAVE money in the long run if you just KILL THEM rather than temporarily drive them away.

How would I apply that, and can it be dispensed from something I can wear around on my belt like my thermacell? I can’t just spray this 650 acre swamp with it. But I’m up for ideas.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Geezer in NH]

Does anyone remember FLIT ?
What about a FLIT GUN ?

Wish I still had my Dad's !
Gary
Flit and Black Flag was DDT worked great my father always used it aound the camp yard.

[WheelgunConvert]

I have been using Mosquito Spartan the last 3 years and I am convinced that it is an effective part of a control plan. I also fog a couple times a month and keep standing water from accumulating when possible.

Don Dubuc, a local outdoor show host, turned me onto a spray from Victorious Secret that is effective for marsh mosquito and the no see ems. For me it’s more effective than the Avon Skin So Soft. I was questioned about my credit card purchase at VS by my wife. It didn’t stop her from bugging me.

[.429&H110]

I was sitting in the Crossroads Church, Bible opened to 1Kings 1. Mosquito landed on it and I slammed it shut. Bug flattened out big as a dime. Still there, stuck good. Alaska State bird.

[Beagle333]

Don Dubuc, a local outdoor show host, turned me onto a spray from Victorious Secret that is effective for marsh mosquito and the no see ems. For me it’s more effective than the Avon Skin So Soft.

Share?

[WheelgunConvert]

Pretty sure it’s called bombshell. I asked the clerk. She smiled...I got real nervous...then said we’re selling more of this to men than we did to ladies.

The regular bottle is over $50, but I found a smaller “purse size” for $18ish that’s done well. A little dab goes a long way and you don’t mind this getting near your eyes like deet products.

[Land Owner]

How would I apply that, and can it be dispensed from something I can wear around on my belt like my thermacell? I can’t just spray this 650 acre swamp with it. But I’m up for ideas.

I found a product, HiYield 38, that is 38% permethrin. Apply from a 25 gallon (or any size) sprayer. Dilute the concentrate to 0.50% (same as the Army in their deep jungle clothes). Cattlemen in Florida used it extensively in the 1950's to eradicate deer ticks and screw worms.

I spray 0.50% concentrate on my hunting clothes mainly. Hat, skeeter net face mask, shirt, pants, jacket, etc. Let it dry. It is still effective on clothes even after multiple washings. Insects alight and die.

You may get bit a few time on the first day wearing permethrin laced clothes in the field. That will quickly pass. The 2nd day will be nearly all clear. Problem solved for a while.

First read about Permethrin in the Smithsonian magazine in the early '90's. Facts: https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/3188/file/Permethrin%2520QA%25203-20-13.pdf

[Idaho45guy]

Pretty sure it’s called bombshell. I asked the clerk. She smiled...I got real nervous...then said we’re selling more of this to men than we did to ladies.

The regular bottle is over $50, but I found a smaller “purse size” for $18ish that’s done well. A little dab goes a long way and you don’t mind this getting near your eyes like deet products.

Googled it and looks like it actually has been proven by scientists to repel mosquitoes. They have a sale on it; two bottles for $30.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I wonder if you could make a drone to apply these products in swamps?

[MrWolf]

Study I read said not much of an effect. Deet and oil of lemon eucalyptus seemed the best solution - no pun intended.

[Land Owner]

If everyone would commit to killing mosquitos (insect-ICIDE), instead of merely driving them away (repel), there would, for a time, be significantly less mosquitos. No way to kill them all - like ants - there are too many of them and they're widely dispersed.

[dragon813gt]

They aren’t that bad where I live. Can control them pretty easily w/ a Thermacell. They’re horrible at our place in the Poconos. They’re horrible during the day but are bearable. They are unbearable at night. The only thing that ever worked was PUNKS. But they stopped making them many years ago and I don’t know what was in them. But burning them kept them far far away. At some times it’s not even worth going outside at night unless you absolutely have to. About the only thing I hate more is ticks.

[trebor44]

Citronella in punks, patio lanterns (or kerosene lanterns), candles etc. have some effect. Or if you sit outside on a windy day or with a fan on to make a breeze: mosquitoes will be less bold. I recall vividly the bushes buzzing with them as I approached alpine lakes on windy day. They could fly around in the bushes but not in the open wind. Note: rain does not bother them if they are hungry!

[OldBearHair]

When I was a kid we had two milk cows. We put the feed in the trough and the cows put their heads in the stanchion. We locked it then reached for the fly sprayer (flit gun) and sprayed straight DDT at the base of their horns and on their shoulders. We may have done as much good by diluting it way down. It was also used on the dogs and chickens. Chickens had so many fleas on their red combs they looked brown. At the time we had a tablet that was Cream of Tarter/Sulpher. You would eat one to keep away the whatevers. That was in the early 1940s. Hmmmm, wonder if they have tried DDT on Covid 19?

[brass410]

when we moved to our present location, I casually enquired about the bug situation. I was told in a matter of factly way by a old bait trapper his swamp secrets. 3 days before you go out, 3 times a day, tablespoonful of fresh garlic minced, cloves, however you want. shower water only no soaps, no dark clothes,(white preferred) do not overexert yourself,(you emit carbon dioxide). Water to drink before &during your outing. Wear a broad brimmed hat (black flies don't seem to like to fly under them and neither do those other big blood lappers). I have tried his tips and they work pretty good, next week I'm going to go outside the house and see if I can find my English mastiff she was hiding under my truck from a pair of black fly adolesents last I saw of her. On the lighter side more factual these things do seem to work for me, I also bait harvest at night, so wearing bug dope is a bad idea as it at some point it will cross contaminate and ruin your whole nights work by killing the bait.

[blackthorn]

DDT appeared on the scene when I was very young. My Dad farmed with horses in mid-southern Manitoba. He thought DDT was the be-all end-all to deal with the mosquitoes on our live stock. He used to mix the powder with water in a bucket and apply the solution to the horses with a rag (bare handed). Dad had a matched team of work horses he raised from colts, a mare and a gelding. After awhile, the mare got sick and she died. Dad got the Vet to find out why and the verdict was DDT. I guess the mare was thinner skinned than the gelding, I don't know but anyhow---- I am just thankful that it did not kill Dad also!

[brass410]

before my mother passed away she had a large mountain ash in front of the house and the leaf minors would strip it of foliage. She had found an article in one of the earth magazines about a solution of Lysol and murphys oil soap that would stop this, so she made some up and proceded to apply it to the tree within in 5 days no more leaf minors also no leafs either totally denuded the tree and killed it. I teased her afterwards that the stuff worked by starving the bugs to death she never tried home chemistry again. Just a little funny about dealing with bugs.

[lightman]

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that we have a fan over the back door. I think its called an air curtain. I blows straight down in front of the door and keeps the bugs from coming in. I have to fire the air compressor up and blow the dust, dead bugs and con webs out of it a couple of times during the summer.

I also have one of those hand held foggers that blows a chemical spray over a hot surface that I use a few times a week. I'll walk around the house and spray under the bushes and flowers. And a $20 dollar bill discreetly slipped to the fogger truck driver will get him to drive down the edge of the field in my back yard! :wink: