Mosquitoes in the house
I've been living on STX for a little over a year. I like the place I'm living, generally, but one complaint (that always gets worse when it gets rainy) is that we constantly get mosquitoes in the house.
We have screens on all the windows and doors, although many are very ill-fitting. We have repeatedly asked the landlord to fix our screens, but are shrugged off. Our neighbors, with the same landlord, are simply used to all the mosquitoes, and nobody on the property seems to mind. I think that, for over $1300/month in a place with screens, that this many biters should not be getting in.
We burn Raid coils, I sometimes have two bug sprays on by skin, we run fans, spray the screens with poison, spray the outside foliage with poison, put mosquito dunks in standing water, sleep under a mosquito net (three were outside the net right by my face when I woke up this morning)... the list goes on. I work from home, so it's a real pain in the a**.
Yesterday I got 13 bites during the course of my work day, 9am to 6pm. In my screened-in house. Is this normal? Does everyone deal with this in their homes? Can I force my landlord to fix the screens?
Sigh. I'm so over it.
Yeah, that's normal. It's mosquito country; tropical environment. Oh yeah. mosquitoes will be a nuisance year around (at least, that's my thought; I've only been here a few months).
Two words: bug light. They work amazing wonders. Plug it up, set it outside, and watch the buggers fry! I've killed thousands of mosquitoes with that thing. In my new apt, I went one up; I plugging it indoors, without the sent attractor. It works, and provides a nice little night-light in my front room for them late night bathroom runs.
There's also the swap rackets, and sprays as secondary lines of defenses. But I can tell you now, with my new apartment (not using a screen), I hadn't had any major issues with the indoor light. I've been bitten about 2-3 times in the last 2 weeks.
Yeah, I live with a "zapper racquet" in one hand, lol.
BUG LIGHT! I've read about those. Did you buy it on island? I'm going to get one!!! I would LOVE my place if only I wasn't chasing those pesky wabbits all the time. Er, mosquitoes.
It really depends on where you live. I'm in many, many homes every week and some I get eaten alive while others don't have a problem at all.
We live at 600 ft above sea level and have french doors open without screens all the time. We get a few skeeters but usually not a problem.
You could try taping up the screen gaps. You might also want to bug bomb the house to get rid of the ones living inside. They love to hang out under desks, in closets on dark clothing etc. I've heard success by bombing the home.
The zapper raquet is great!! $14 at Gallows Bay. Snap, Crackle, POP!!!:@)
Besides the annoyance of getting buzzed and bitten, Dengue Fever is serious.
BUG LIGHT! I've read about those. Did you buy it on island? I'm going to get one!!! I would LOVE my place if only I wasn't chasing those pesky wabbits all the time. Er, mosquitoes.
No idea on STX. I know they are available in Home Depot and CostULess on STT. So try any STX equiv?
Thanks for the light idea! I use citronella incense infused with lavender. It really helps too, if you can stand the smell.
13 bites a day is normal for ill-fitting screens. Fix your screens, and you could enjoy a fraction of the bites. Mosquitoes are attracted to even faint amounts of CO2 (your breath), so you will find them flying around outside against your downwind screens. Eventually, they'll find the gap and get in.
Even with proper screens, they can follow you in the door, so don't linger when coming in.
Try spraying permethrin repellent/insecticide around the door jambs and the gaps in the screens. I bought Sawyer SP657 Permethrin Premium Insect Clothing Repellent, 24-Ounce Spray from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ANQVYU . They even shipped it to my VI address. I like it better than Deet products, which tend to ruin finishes.
I've noticed that the same mosquito will bite several times though. It would be nice if they would take one long slurp and be done with it.
I've noticed that the same mosquito will bite several times though. It would be nice if they would take one long slurp and be done with it.
Right? They're so greedy. I'm sure they'd bite me more, too, but I eventually end up zapping them with my racquet.
You can also try lemon grass incense.That is a little better smelling. Also clear the bushes as far back from you house as you can. This helps with air flow and removes the hiding spots.Some people find those dryer sheets in your pocket help keep the mosquitoes away.I also have open french doors and have a fan directed at the opening to keep the little buggers from flying in.Brewers yeast and garlic helps if you can stand taking them. They love me I'm mosquito candy.
I use tea tree oil. A few dabs around and it seems to really keep them away. Soap a cotton ball in it and it seems to clear the room of them.
Avon Skin So Soft is supposed to repel mosquitos. I am one of the people that rarely gets mosquito bites.
I have found the bug zapper at Kmart West in the lawn and garden section sometimes. I found them to be a little too brite and noisy for my taste, but they sure kill those skeeters!
The indoor zapper that we use (one in living area and in the bedrooms) can be found at this link..........BUT...... they're out of stock.
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Grip-Rechargeable-Bug-Zapper/1991642/product.html
If you can find them somewhere else be sure to get extra bulbs ($10 each) as they only last about 8 months. We love this zapper....quiet, not overly bright and pretty much child/pet safe.
Some people are mosquito bait and some people aren't. I am, but my roommate isn't, so he 's not bothered by the many mosquitoes flying around (he can't even see them against our white walls!), yet I can see, hear, feel them everywhere!
The only thing that works for me is having a fan directed on my body. I've learned to sleep with a COMFORTER and BLANKET so they don't bite me at night, but the fan is directed right on my face. I have a battery operated fan for when the power goes out. I gave up hot water to compensate for the fan's WAPA bill!
I can't stand those coils, citronella candles, or other chemicals. When the mosquitoes are really bad, I even put the fan in the bathroom threshold so I'm not bitten in the bathroom. When they're REALLY bad, you have to move the fan close so they can't get at you. There are times when I've used two at a time. I use the box fan from KMart.
I carry a fold up fan in my purse so I can keep them away when I'm not at home.
I've been here a little less than a year- and I am major mosquito bait- even with heavy duty bugspray. There is a lot of foliage on the property, so that increases the habitat. But you're right - I'm "so over it" as well!
We have an outdoor bug zapper (and a very smart old toad who sits underneath).
But these Mosquito Deleter work really well at reducing the population around your home. I've just noticed that here you have to fill them up everyday. But I have a feeling a lot of that has to do with four-legged creatures.
...I like the place I'm living, generally, but one complaint (that always gets worse when it gets rainy) is that we constantly get mosquitoes in the house...We have screens on all the windows and doors, although many are very ill-fitting. We have repeatedly asked the landlord to fix our screens, but are shrugged off...
If the problem is ill-fitting screens, tape around the edges of all of your screened windows. Blue painter's tape removes easiest.
i still think a bug zapper and a 6pk makes for great entertainment
The size of the mosquito problem depends on where you live, and how you live.
We had a lot bigger problem with them when we lived on the "dry" east end of Stx.
Much less here in the allegedly more 'wet' mid-isle.
Not as much a problem this wet summer as they were in the wet spring, which doesn't make sense.
Proper fitting screens are a must. I've watched mosquitos bounce their way across doors and screens to find the small space they could fly through. Smart buggers.
They seem to gravitate to the dark areas of our house, especially the damp bathroom. During bad mosquito times, we keep the bedroom shut up for just this reason, and have a rubber seal on the bottom of the door so they don't slip in.
Time of day is important... Morning and Dusk I keep the doors and windows closed.
And if you have a dog...we've seen a skeeter or two come in on our dog.
Plant Neem trees. They do wonders. You can get three foot saplings from Ridge to Reef Farm and have them delivered to Polly's in F'Sted.
I was at Gallow's Bay hardware-the plant side, and the indoor mosquito devices were flying off the shelf! The box was very compact.
would tiki torches work?
Haven't ordered one yet but I came across a product the sounds promising; Thermacell.com Several models and reasonably priced. Will try to get GBH to order some. Couldn't hurt...
Invent a contraption that really takes care of mosquitoes and you'll be a very rich person!!!
Keep in mind it needs to be affordable and reliable.
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