Pest control - Mosquito Magnet?

[mwsmith2]

I have a basic problem with the "mosquito magnet". The problem is that it attracts mosquitos. I don't want something that brings in half of the neighborhood's mosquitos to my backyard! Sure, it's supposed to kill them, but I'm pretty sure that not all of them get sucked in.

I bought one of those "mosquito mister" systems. Yes, I've heard all the horror stories about them, but after two years of use, I've yet to see any one of them come true. My house is arranged in a U shape, with my pool in the middle of the U. This arrangement creates several permanently shaded areas that those little buggers just love. When I was previewing the house before we bought it, you couldn't stand back by the pool equipment for more than 10 seconds before you were completely covered in those little *******s. Even when you went swimming....if you kept yourself submerged to the nose, they'd bite you on your exposed cheeks. Completely not fun, especially if you wanted to swim at night.

After the mist system was installed, that completely stopped. We don't even need screens on our doors now.

Michael

[Poconos]

I just kill everything in sight. If the fog doesn't get them the noise will. Not cheap but very effective.

[CarlD]

Dang, Al! That thing looks like a flame-thrower!

In the past we've used a bug zapper. They work pretty well, but you cannot get one bigger than recommended unless you want to get ALL the bugs in the neighborhood!

[ivyleager]

Mosquito's weren't a problem here in N.C. last year, the biting deer flies were. Anyway, I haven't had to use a mosquito repellent near pool for some reason. My husband and I do use ThermaCELL cartidges when we're hunting in the woods in a blind. Works wonderfully. We just picked up the larger lantern to try on the patio by pool this spring/summer if necessary.

CaryB

[CrisL]

I also use a fogger when the buggers get too bad. It works pretty well if you use it a few times in a row. My younger daughter really attracts mosquitoes for some reason. I have threatened to have her stand in the far end of the yard to attract them all so we could be more comfortable by the pool. She was not amused.

[aylad]

I have an 1100 gallon koi pond somewhat adjacent to my pool, and between the two water sources, we are usually overrun with frogs from the pond, and from swallows raising hundreds of babies under the eaves of my porch. The only real upside to having lost the battles with both the frogs and the swallows are that I don't have a problem with bugs of any kind in my yard. How many of each would you like me to send?

Janet

[dhale1]

Does anyone use a fogger such as Black Flag??

http://www.blackflag.com/products/insect_fogger.php

I was thinking of try one instead of buying the individual cans to spray around.

[MarkC]

I have a Mosquito Magnet and no longer use it. Propane in my area costs $16.00 for a 20 pound tank and that lasts only 3 weeks in the magnet. From what I have seen when I used the magnet for one season it caught mostly some small no see-um type of bugs and very few mosquitos. We now have a bottle of DEET based spray on our bar near the pool and people help themselves to this when the mosquitos are out. That only cost me $5.00 a season and works very well.

[MaryLee]

We've had a mosquito magnet for a few years and it's amazing how many mosquitoes it catches....a ton. However, it can't keep up with the amount of mosquitoes in my backyard at dusk and it only takes getting bitten by 2 or 3 to ruin the "after-dinner swim".

I wish there was a "non-chemical" way to get rid these pests

[ivyleager]

There is a Non Chemical way to get rid, or at least reduce these pests. They are called BATS.