No see-ums

[bczoom]

I was working in the garden last night and they were eating me alive. Once I leave the garden, there's no problem. I figured they laid their eggs in the garden due to the tilling and moist ground and now hang around that area.

I'd rather not spray myself down with DEET every time I want to go to the garden so I'm looking for suggestions for making them go away.

Will citronella plants work? If so, can they be bought at most places that sell plants (nurseries, Home Depot...)?

Other ideas?

 

[muleman]

Put up some blue bird boxes on posts in the corners of the garden. Even if the swallows take over the boxes they will eat most of them. I have almost no bugs like this but also have a ton of birds hanging around here. Now if I could just get something for the flies that came out with the heat we just had.

 

[thcri]

Put up some blue bird boxes on posts in the corners of the garden. Even if the swallows take over the boxes they will eat most of them. I have almost no bugs like this but also have a ton of birds hanging around here. Now if I could just get something for the flies that came out with the heat we just had.

Blue Birds are ground feeders. I raise roughly 3 families per year. What will really work is Tree Swallows. They use Blue Bird Boxes so if you put up boxes you will get one or the other. However you have to control the dam house sparrows as they will destroy and kill the Blue Birds if they come around.

As for the Blue and the Tree Swallows, you wont find a prettier bird in flight to watch.

 

[bczoom]

I have a hard time keeping birds around because of the dog. We do get some swallows but I haven't seen a blue bird around here in close to 10 years.

Do bug zappers or other traps work? Any thoughts on citronella?

 

[thcri]

I have a hard time keeping birds around because of the dog. We do get some swallows but I haven't seen a blue bird around here in close to 10 years.

Do bug zappers or other traps work? Any thoughts on citronella?

Do a search for Propane Mosquito Traps. While never having one myself I have heard they are good. Here is a review for you to read so there is some reservation from me based on the review.

Trap

 

[bczoom]

Thanks Murph.

I used some citronella candles last night and that seemed to work so I'm going to give that a try for a week or so. The candles had too much wax in them (it kept flooding out the wick) so I dumped the melted in a path around the perimeter of the garden. Not sure if that will do anything but i needed it gone and figured what-the-heck. It can't hurt...

 

[JimVT]

I built 4 bat houses and they seem to help.

 

[Pigtails]

I was working in the garden last night and they were eating me alive. Once I leave the garden, there's no problem. I figured they laid their eggs in the garden due to the tilling and moist ground and now hang around that area.

I'd rather not spray myself down with DEET every time I want to go to the garden so I'm looking for suggestions for making them go away.

Will citronella plants work? If so, can they be bought at most places that sell plants (nurseries, Home Depot...)?

Other ideas?

We had some friends come up to our mtn home and park their travel trailer last summer. This really seemed to keep the Mosquitos away. give it a try..You can find them at Cabelas.. ThermaCell® Mosquito Repellent

 

[Pigtails]

We had some friends come up to our mtn home and park their travel trailer last summer. This really seemed to keep the Mosquitos away. give it a try..You can find them at Cabelas.. ThermaCell® Mosquito Repellent

LOL

 

[llewis7249]

Thermacell works well. I use a product called Cedar Cide - natural cedar oil. Kills insects on contact but not toxic to me or our dogs. Available online only, I think.