Living in rural SW Michigan on 20+ acres of woodlands, we have some of the worst mosquitoes this summer we've ever had, thanks in part to the very rainy year, the high heat and humidity, and some flooded swamplands at the back of our woods. It's been so bad, in fact, that I've had trouble hanging out outside with our baby- we just get attacked instantly!
So I set out on a mission to find a solution... after all, we moved to the country so we could enjoy the great outdoors, and not have to hide out inside. Some neighbors down the road sprayed their land with a chemical mosquito killer, which is absolutely out of the question for us, but it got me thinking. There must be an organic or natural solution that can help.
My search led me to three very helpful solutions that have literally changed our life. Of course, we still get the occasional bite here and there, but are no longer swarmed instantly by hundreds of those pesky biters. We aren't offering them at The Greater Green yet, but they are available on Amazon, so I am including the links in this post.
First, this summer I came across the best natural insect repellant I have EVER found. Actually, it is the ONLY natural bug spray that has worked AT ALL out here. We are absolutely thrilled with the results. It is a tad stinky- be warned- so if you are somewhat sensitive to smells, this might not be for you. But if you are like us, and desperate to keep mosquitoes away without using DEET, then you probably won't care that this stuff doesn't have the most pleasant aroma. And we have gotten used to it over time, so that I hardly mind it at all now. Here is the link:
The next thing we looked into was a really effective bug zapper. We have had zappers in the past, but they just weren't powerful enough to handle the 2 acres of cleared land surrounding our house. I had given up on a zapper, until I looked into the Flowtron line. They have zappers available that are rated for up to 2 acres- crazy! We purchased one that is rated for an acre and a half, and after about a week and a half, the difference is amazing. I can literally go outside and not see a single mosquito for 10-20 minutes- something that was totally unheard of before. At night this zapper goes crazy! The trick is to put it far enough away from the area you intend to hang out in, so that bugs are lured away, and so the zapping noise doesn't drive you crazy. Ours is located on a light pole with an outlet about 25 yards from the house. Here is the zapper we purchased:
Finally, we just received some Bonide Mosquito Beater granules. They get pretty good reviews. One said that they smell like citronella (one of the ingredients) and that they work great until rain washes the pellets away. We are going to try an application just before our pig roast, so I'll let you know how they work. I am expecting that with these three products, our yard will be, hopefully, mosquito-free for the rest of the summer! Here is a link to the Mosquito Beater granules:
Do you have another natural mosquito solution? Please share!
I'm glad to see that you're posting on your blog again-- I have enjoyed it immensely.
Perhaps you could use this product for your swampy areas with standing water: http://www.groworganic.com/mosquito-bt-floating-donuts-pack-of-6.html
This is a bacterial strain that targets mosquitoes and probably flies.
Nice to see that zappers are truly useful-- we gave up on them back in the '80s since they were just seeming like cruel entertainment/moth killers for us kids.
Best wishes!
Posted by: Kerry | October 01, 2011 at 05:39 PM