Mosquitos

[Deesalie]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of, or at least reduce, the mosquito plague in our backyard? It's not overly moist, and the summer sun hits it for most of the day, yet 24hrs a day we get eaten alive by these huge suckers (no pun intended). Maybe there's some sort of herb? Citronella candles don't really work... plus I don't really want to be burning them during the day.

Any ideas?

[kime]

Do you or your neighbours have a water tank or some water pooling somewhere. We have a water tank where if we don't put just a bit of kerosene in that floats on the surface - the mosquitoes just breed in plaque proportions in.

[emd]

Also have a peek over your neighbours fence. If they have pot plants or old buckets holding water (often forgotten at the side of houses next to the fence) that can also breed mozzies.

Here's a thread on mosquito repellant plants you can put in your garden.

[Deesalie]

Thanks for the link.

We only have 1 neighbour, and I can't seem to see any standing water. Although they do have an awesome apricot tree... i've never seen so many delicious apricots!

[MindfulMama]

We are also being eaten by mozzies - we live near bush so there are heaps. Have you checked for them living under leaves in the yard? We burn sandlewood sticks which seems to help.

Thanks for the link Emma - will try that repellent that Jodie recommended as the Scatterbugs we have doesn't do a lot

[hanabi]

We sleep under mozzie nets at night. Since we tend to only get bitten in our sleep, it works ... in the majority.

Ours were something like $8 each at Ikea.

[emd]

Great idea Jodie! Sophia's been complaining of mozzies all week, she has big red lumps where they've bitten her legs at night. I put some Scatterbugs on her tonight, but I bet she'd love to sleep under a mozzie net anyway (and I have one in the camping box).

[Craig&Kel]

Mozzie nets here too... atm we are living in a creaky old house that is about 100 years old, water everywhere, and about 5 flyscreens for about 35 windows.
I usually light mozzie coils at dusk too.