Just could not stand all the skeeters any more. It is amazing how thick they are. I've seen it bad before but this is the worst. And to think that before last week we just did not have any this year... My Thermacells are getting a workout.
The worst I’ve ever seen was in SD. My family and I were horseback riding at my cuzs and the mosquitoes were trying to pull me off the horse. Giant gray blood sucking mf’ers stole a few pints from me. It was like swarming clouds of vampires. Of course like any good city slicker riding a horse in July on the prairie I was wearing shorts and a tshirt. One big azz itchy welt by the time I got off the horse. True story
Yes, it is twofold. First is that it was so dry this spring we basically never had a hatch. Typically our first hatch is around May 20 and then every 2 weeks. Unless we have a really wet year the skeeters are not a problem much past mid or late June. This year it was dry until mid June but even then we had no hatch. However, in late June it came in buckets and at one point it rained every day for 11 days in a row. That did it. What has happened is the different skeeters that hatch at different times tended to hatch all at once, so we actually have about three times the quantity we normally have. In addition, it continues to be wet so we will no doubt be having them for several weeks yet. It it would only stop raining now...
I hate to hear that. What a miserable time to be outside. Been there. 15 years ago or so they was so bad here that I barely got the grass cut. Even the heat of the day they were out in full force. I think I’ve read where a mosquito larvae can survive 10 years out of water. Then hatch out when you get a lot of rain. I was on a fishing trip in Canada, on the women river. No joking there was so many mosquitoes that they turned a black carhartt coat brown. Freaked me out but sorry you have such bad working conditions. Sorry the larvae can’t survive that long but the eggs can survive 10-15 years out of water
Buy some mosquito dunk pellets. Leave a bunch of old coffee cans 1/2 full of water with a tablespoon of the pellets in them. The mosquitos lay their eggs and the pellets kill the larvae. I have about 8 of them in my backyard and I rarely see a mosquito or gnat
I was just telling my wife while we were on the front porch last night that it was nice without the skeeters, don't send them this way Backwoods Savage !
I have access to lots of pellets for free! However, that does not give me the right to treat neighboring properties. We have 40+ acres here and are almost completely surrounded with woodland and much of it is wetlands, including some old diggings where they removed sand and gravel so lots of water. The county does fog, generally every other week too but with this many it just clears them out for a short time until others come flying in. Yes, I choose to live here and most of the year is great. This is just an unusual situation.
Not too many years ago, here, with all the ponds and swamp, you couldn't be outside in the shade all day or even outside in the sun after 3PM or you'd be eaten alive. You could douse yourself in deet and they'd fly into an open mouth, even up your nose. And don't bend over !!! I was out until 8:15 PM this evening mending fences and wasn't bothered. Maybe I smell bad today. I needed some deet a couple days ago. I see wigglers in the bird bath and emptying it Sunday and Wednesday has become a routine. Knock on wood, they're not too bad here yet. An annoying deer fly or two but not bad. Yet. One hasn't torn a hunk out of me yet. We've had the dry and then wet weather here too. We're no longer in drought, so hope this is not telling.
They’ve been bad this year here too. But it’s been very wet and rainy for weeks. I will say - I’ll take mosquitos over wildfire any time!
Surprisingly it's been the lowest biting insect year in many years for me. Last year was good as well. I did install this mosquito Dynatrap thing this year and it looks like it killed over 1000 of them since early June.
The skeeters and gnats have been tolerable so far this year. With the horses we have biting flies. Mrs PMM has been buying this Fly Predators Fly Larvae Control Spalding Laboratories - Larvae Control | Fly Control that she spreads on the manure piles. Almost no biting flies.
We used to zap them and would get over 1000 in a day... We live in the woods so that is one reason they are so thick plus some wetlands across the road.
Realizing it's not the healthiest option, why don't you just use some "Off" or other deet product? When I head out to the woodlot to split, my crate with my hatchet, water jug, wedge, ear plugs, gloves, and other items always has "Off" during the summer months. I always try to keep it off my skin and spray it on my jeans and shirt. I've even found that spraying it on the things around you helps quite a bit such as the splitter itself. I have found that it is very bad to spray on your leather boots. Ruined a pair or two at work spraying them heavily due to ticks. Here in Northeast, Ohio, I'd say we've been about normal on the skeeters this year - so far.
We haven’t really had many so far this year. We’ve been slinging Dunks in the pond behind/beside our place to help control them a bit. Seem to work well.
Canada-Black fly's. Shudder. Grrrrr. REALLY bad memories of being holed up in a remote cabin wacthing the windo/door screens move with those murderous creatures Fishing? Forget it. Good thing we came amply supplied
