Mosquito Abatement

[LOL!]

Do you think a bat haus would work in Houston?

If you mean get bats to live in it, then yes. There are many in the neighborhood and bats can be seen at dusk all the time.

But if you mean control mosquitos so that you even notice, then I don't think so.

The rains this week mean that mosquitos appear in force a day or two later. A day or two after that, dragonflies appear in force. It's the dragonflies that knock back the mosquito population along with all the spraying the municipalities do. And they have to spray because of all the Dengue Fever, St Louis Encephalitis, Bannu virus, West Nile virus, and other mosquito-spread infections.

 

[Live And Learn]

If you mean get bats to live in it, then yes. There are many in the neighborhood and bats can be seen at dusk all the time.

But if you mean control mosquitos so that you even notice, then I don't think so.

The rains this week mean that mosquitos appear in force a day or two later. A day or two after that, dragonflies appear in force. It's the dragonflies that knock back the mosquito population along with all the spraying the municipalities do. And they have to spray because of all the Dengue Fever, St Louis Encephalitis, Bannu virus, West Nile virus, and other mosquito-spread infections.

I haven't found a way to attract dragonflies that doesn't involve standing water, which sort of defeats the purpose. The reason they "work" so well is that they eat mosquito larvae. Bats eat the adults.

 

[Nodak]

Bat and purple martin houses have worked well for me. Barn swallows are excellent killers of mosquitoes but they will build their own nests and are not attracted to bird houses.

 

[LOL!]

I haven't found a way to attract dragonflies that doesn't involve standing water, which sort of defeats the purpose. The reason they "work" so well is that they eat mosquito larvae. Bats eat the adults.

Yes, dragonfly larvae eat mosquito larvae and adult dragonflies eat adult mosquitos.

A healthy pond with dragonflies, water beetles, tadpoles, and gambusia will keep mosquitos in check. There will be virtually no mosquitos coming from the pond and the other critters will get all the other sources. A couple of bat boxes on trees next to the pond along with bird houses are nice additions, too.

 

[MissMolly]

Yes, dragonfly larvae eat mosquito larvae and adult dragonflies eat adult mosquitos.

A healthy pond with dragonflies, water beetles, tadpoles, and gambusia will keep mosquitos in check. There will be virtually no mosquitos coming from the pond and the other critters will get all the other sources. A couple of bat boxes on trees next to the pond along with bird houses are nice additions, too.

We actually have a fishpond with about 25 - 30 goldfish, tons of dragonflies and 3 frogs There are no mosquitoes around the pond - they live in all the bushes and ivy and landscaping. The pond also has a waterfall, so the water is kept moving.

 

[marko]

You won't remember this, but back in the 1940's we used a Flit sprayer, which was pretty effective. Dad used to pump spray us kids... Flit main effective ingredient was DDT...

"Quick Henry, the Flit!!" Yes, I do remember.

I also recall my Dad taking us camping. He'd get out a can of OFF, and say "close your eyes" and hit us full force in the face with the OFF spray.

My brother and I would run around licking our lips...I can still taste the stuff. Amazing he didn't kill us!

(Might explain a lot about my brother...he seemed to get more of it than I did)