Mosquitoes

[EGVG]

Hello!!! I've been having trouble sleeping mainly because of mosquitoes, I just hear this buzz that gives me chills and creeps me out!! What can I do???? I really don't want to use those tablets that you plug in, I mean just from their smell you can tell they are bad. Help please! :)

 

[kryon]

Hi, BTW, I am totally freaked out by mosquitoes. I believe they are much more intelligent than anyone gives them credit for.
OK, here is an old way of keeping them away.
Find Geranium (known as the cranesbills) plants and place them all around where you sleep. OK, you know, plants produce CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the night and O (Oxygen) in day time. Give that a consideration and do not overload your area of sleep with a forest of plants.
If you don't want to take care of plants then buy the Geranium oil.
Another crazy way is take a shower, before you go to sleep and especially wash your feet, make sure they do not smell, or you have any sweat on your body.
Got a question for you:
Is there a place where there is water, especially stagnated water somewhere close to your house? A barrel, an old forgotten dish, a pond, bog?
If there is, then, oh well- then go and find bats, or invite them by building them bat houses or introduce Bacillus Thuringiensis in the water.
Nature rule- where there are bats there are no mosquitoes.
I am ashamed to admit but once my wife and I went to the Mediterranean and as I had expected, we got attacked in the middle of the night. She had a creme named "skin so soft" by Avon. I was so disgusted, yet I put it on and it worked. well I wouldn't use that too often- if a mosquito does not want to go near it, imagine whats in it.

Don't underestimate mosquitoes, they are the best ponerological specimen on planet Earth. But they will not transfer AIDS, malaria maybe or something else but not AIDS,
that's all I have to say.

 

[Voyageur]

[quote author=kryon]
Hi, BTW, I am totally freaked out by mosquitoes. I believe they are much more intelligent than anyone gives them credit for.
OK, here is an old way of keeping them away.
Find Geranium (known as the cranesbills) plants and place them all around where you sleep. OK, you know, plants produce CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the night and O (Oxygen) in day time. Give that a consideration and do not overload your area of sleep with a forest of plants.
If you don't want to take care of plants then buy the Geranium oil.
Another crazy way is take a shower, before you go to sleep and especially wash your feet, make sure they do not smell, or you have any sweat on your body.
Got a question for you:
Is there a place where there is water, especially stagnated water somewhere close to your house? A barrel, an old forgotten dish, a pond, bog?
If there is, then, oh well- then go and find bats, or invite them by building them bat houses or introduce Bacillus Thuringiensis in the water.
Nature rule- where there are bats there are no mosquitoes.
I am ashamed to admit but once my wife and I went to the Mediterranean and as I had expected, we got attacked in the middle of the night. She had a creme named "skin so soft" by Avon. I was so disgusted, yet I put it on and it worked. well I wouldn't use that too often- if a mosquito does not want to go near it, imagine whats in it.

Don't underestimate mosquitoes, they are the best ponerological specimen on planet Earth. But they will not transfer AIDS, malaria maybe or something else but not AIDS,
that's all I have to say.
[/quote]

Hi kryon and EGVG,




Just chiming in on these little creatures of annoyance and carriers of diseases like malaria. EVGV, perhaps you can find some mosquito neeting for your sleeping arrangements? Some good advice you provided here kryon, too. In the northern hemisphere mosquitoes, black flies and noseeims are the norm and in places like Norther Quebec the black flies can seem to turn day into night, truly a sick feeling being within their flying clouds. Literally these creatures during certain times (cycles) can do great harm to Mouse populations ect. Couple of things to add are a person can sew Velcro on to your cuffs and shirt openings instead of buttons and have used Solvarome diluted in a water spray which seems to work well for me. Dark clothing is magnetic for these bugs and your so right about water - around the house, ensure that there is absolutely no standing water for breading like old tires. After rains dump water that will stagnate immediately. Take advantage of optimizing breeze and experiment with diet, too.

Grew up with this little ditty that kind of was a staple for us kids and very true to our environ.

The Blackfly Song


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjLBXb1kgMo

 

[Laura]

Mosquito netting and/or screens for the window are the best solutions.

 

[Gertrudes]

Adding to all the suggestions you've been given already, one of the homemade solutions used where I come from is to use mint leaves. You're supposed to spread them in your bedroom, particularly next to your bed and pillow. I have not yet tried this one though.

 

[EGVG]

Thanks a lot! :) :)
I have Geranium oil already and mint leaves too, I'll put them near me,also

netting and/or screens for the window are the best solutions.

seems like a definitive solution.
I have no stagnated water near me, but mosquitoes always appear in the summer, I think is because I live very near the sea.
My strategy ( ) was to wait for the buzzing noise in bed then go to turn on the lights and hunt them down, obviously that didn't work....

EDU

 

[EGVG]

She had a creme named "skin so soft" by Avon. I was so disgusted, yet I put it on and it worked. well I wouldn't use that too often- if a mosquito does not want to go near it, imagine whats in it.

Avon products, especially creams, have in their ingredients list "petrolatum" and "Nylon" scary ...

 

[Lindenlea]

Mozzies and I have a love/hate relationship. Recently I received an email full of 'good ideas, one of them was Listerine (mouthwash), spray it around your area and the mozzies stay away, I did this on an recent summer evening concert in the park and had no mozzie bites. So far so good.

As Laura pointed out, when at home definately screens on all windows and doors, how did we live without them?

 

[Ca.]

I've consolidated a number of different websites with remedies, and thoughts as others have posted. These my have additional knowledge to add to the arsenal of ideas, to combating an obnoxious, Disease carrying pest.

With the recent die offs, fish, and fowl, that are predator's of mosquito larvae, mosquito's and insects. Could the projected plague, effect there populations also?

Insect's seem able to thrive, and survive during major upheavals :/

JANUARY 20, 201: "Why Bedbugs Won't Die"
Irritating Pests Are Evolving Rapidly to Withstand Pesticides, Gene Study Finds

Text By ROBERT LEE HOTZ

The first comprehensive genetic study of bedbugs, the irritating pests that have enjoyed a world-wide resurgence in recent years, indicates they are quickly evolving to withstand the pesticides used to combat them.

The new findings from entomologists at Ohio State University, reported Wednesday online in PLoS One, show that bedbugs may have boosted their natural defenses by generating higher levels of enzymes that can cleanse them of poisons.

In New York City, bedbugs now are 250 times more resistant to the standard pesticide than bedbugs in Florida, due to changes in a gene controlling the resilience of the nerve cells targeted by the insecticide, researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst recently reported.

Recent studies show that bedbugs around the world have developed a resistance to the chemicals used to control them. Scientists are now studying the molecular biology of these pests to develop more lasting control measures.
View Slideshow

Associated Press

New findings from entomologists at Ohio State University, reported Wednesday online in PLoS One, show that bedbugs may have boosted their natural defenses by generating higher levels of enzymes that can cleanse themselves of common pyrethroid-based pesticides.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence from molecular-biology studies that bedbugs have recently evolved at leastthree improved biochemical defenses against common pesticides. Bedbugs today appear to have nerve cells better able to withstand the chemical effects, higher levels of enzymes that detoxify the lethal substances, and thicker shells that can block insecticides.

"These bugs have several back doors open to escape," said evolutionary entomologist Klaus Reinhardt at the University of Tuebingen in Germany, who was familiar with the new research butn't involved in the projects. "Simple spraying around of some pesticides may not [be enough] now or in the future."

In an era of antibiotic-resistant infections and herbicide-resistant weeds, the ability of bedbugs to survive once-lethal doses of insecticides is the newest evidence that efforts to eradicate pests that plague humankind may make some of them stronger. It is a key reason for the spread of bedbugs in the past decade, several researchers who study them said.

Well-adapted to homes, hotels and dormitories, these tiny blood-sucking parasites usually hide in mattresses, bed frames and furniture upholstery. Bedbugs feed every five to 10 days, leaving painful welts on the skin and sometimes triggering allergic reactions.

Laboratory tests in the U.S., Europe and Africa show today's bedbugs can survive pesticide levels a thousand times greater than the lethal dose of a decade or so ago. "There is a phenomenal level of resistance," said bedbug entomologist Michael Siva-Jothy at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. "It has evolved very recently."

Since the pesticide DDT was banned starting about 40 years ago, people usually have treated bedbug infestations with pesticides based on a family of compounds called pyrethroids, usually deltamethrin or lambda-cyhalothrin, synthetic versions of chemicals found in chrysanthemum blossoms.

There are few chemical alternatives, because the residential market for insecticides is relatively small, and the cost of development, safety tests and regulatory approval is relatively high, several researchers said. Since the bugs don't transmit any serious infectious diseases, there also is little medical funding to research new control measures.

Repeated applications of the same insecticides act as a form of natural selection for bedbugs. Any surviving insects pass on traits to their offspring and to succeeding generations.

"Insect resistance is nothing more than sped-up evolution," said insect toxicologist John Clark at the University of Massachusetts, who led the research team there.

By analyzing thousands of RNA sequences—the biochemical record of the parasite's genetic activity—entomologist Omprakash Mittapalli and his Ohio State colleagues found that bedbugs exposed to pesticides showed unusually high levels of activity among those genes controlling enzymes able to turn the toxic chemicals into water-soluble compounds that can be safely excreted.

"When we mined our database for these specific genes, we found that the bedbug has quite a few of these enzyme systems," Dr. Mittapalli said.

They all belong to a major family of enzymes called cytochrome P450 that act as a catalyst for a broad range of chemical reactions and are implicated in pesticide resistance in other insect species.

In addition, an independent analysis of bedbugs by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Va., suggests that other genetic changes may be giving the insects sturdier hides that can keep these chemicals from penetrating their exoskeletons.

Moreover, resistance to chemicals designed to kill the bugs can become a permanent part of their genetic inheritance. Researchers at the University of Kentucky showed that bedbugs, sampled at a half-dozen U.S. locations, remain relatively immune to DDT generations after the chemical was banned for general household use.

"We have changed the genetic make-up of the bedbugs we have in the United States," said urban pest-management specialist Dini Miller at Virginia Tech. "That's what I call unnatural selection."

The researchers hope that a fundamental understanding of the insect's biochemistry will lead one day to more lasting control measures.

"This is an important first step," said Barry Pittendrigh, an expert in insect genomics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Write to Robert Lee Hotz at sciencejournal@wsj.com


Birds Kill Bugs Dead : http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/fact_sheets/default.cfm?fxsht=2

For all of the tactics insects have developed to avoid predation, they still face many species of birds that are highly adapted, consummate insect-eaters:

Birds are technologically advanced, highly motivated, extremely efficient, and cost-effective, insect-pest controllers.
Outbreak insects are often infected with parasites.

Many birds can identify the infected insects, and often choose to eat those that are not parasitized. By preying only on healthy individuals, birds greatly add to the effect of parasites in reducing insect populations.

Birds can spread viral infections among the insect pests. By eating beetles and their viruses and by defecating these viruses along tree trunks, birds inadvertently spread it to bark beetles in the same tree and throughout the forest.

The breeding season for birds occurs when the insect populations are their highest. During insect outbreaks, some birds will increase the number of offspring that they raise to take advantage of the abundant food supply.

Birds are highly mobile and many species of birds will take advantage of a local insect outbreak by moving into the infected area. Some of these invasions can increase the normal numbers of birds in an area by 80 times.

Birds like to feed large, juicy insects to their young. Relatively few insects survive past the egg and small, young larval stages. By feeding on large, late stages of caterpillars, and on pupae and adults, birds become a key force in depleting insect populations.

Birds can alter their diets to feed almost exclusively on an insect pest during an outbreak, if it becomes profitable for them to do so. They can develop a search image for this new prey and can learn how to hunt for it more efficiently. Factors that help determine which insects birds select as prey are; insect density, body size and nutritional content, ease of capture, palatability (presence of chemical defenses or parasites), and density of potential competitors (other birds, mammals, ants, spiders, and predacious insects).

Along with developing a search image, birds can change their foraging locations and foraging behavior in response to an insect outbreak. When a vast quantity of insects is found in the canopy of trees, many ground or shrub-dwelling birds may ascend into the canopy to feed. Similarly, during a hatch of flying insects, birds that generally feed by plucking caterpillars off leaves may instead fly after the insects and capture them in mid-air.

Some foraging strategies of birds can alter an insect species' preferred habitat to such an extent that it kills many of those insects. For instance, by flaking bark off tree trunks, woodpeckers will expose bark beetles to temperature extremes, loss of moisture, parasites, and predators, all of which result in increased deaths.

Birds can affect the evolution of insects by increasing the cost of avoidance strategies to insects. Many of the adaptations can decrease the insect's efficiency in feeding and/or ability to lay the greatest, potential number of eggs.

Prevention, defence, care, dealing with mosquitoes and the bite.

"Warnings on DEET"
http://www.quantumhealth.com/news/dangers_of_DEET.html

Chemical Mosquito Repellant DEET Causes Neurological Damage, Gets Absorbed Through The Skin
http://www.naturalnews.com/001586.html

Mosquito Defense Tips www.cutterinsectrepellent.com

Mosquitoes start life as aquatic creatures, and prefer to breed in still, almost stagnant, bodies of water such as marshes, swamps and small ponds. But being tiny creatures, they don't need lots of space for egg laying -- usually, even the tiniest pool of standing water will suffice. A shallow puddle, a tire swing, an infant's pool, a crook in a tree, an empty bucket or an old tin can are just a few examples of potential mosquito hatcheries. As a result, one of the best preventive measures you can take is to eliminate as many of their breeding sites as possible. This will make your lawn less attractive to mating adults, and thus significantly reduce both the adult and pre-adult (or larval) population. In general, the less junk you have lying around -- and therefore waiting to collect rainwater- the less inviting your property will be to the egg-laying females that inflict bites. More specifically, we recommend that you...

1. Keep your gutters clear and free flowing.

2. Keep child-size swimming pools drained when not in use.

3. Continually refresh and replenish the water in swimming pools and birdbaths.

4. Store unused flowerpots, watering cans, and empty plastic containers in your garage or shed.

5. Keep your lawn and shrubs trimmed to minimize breeding habitat for mosquitoes.

6. Level your yard in low spots to eliminated puddles and pooling water.

7. Remove old stumps.

8. Use a permethrin-based mosquito spray, such as Cutter® Bug Free Backyard, on your lawn, trees, shrubs, and flowers.

9. Apply a DEET-based insect repellent, like Cutter®, to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 7% to 35% DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide).

Cutter® Skinsations has a 7% DEET content; protects up to 2 hours
Cutter® "All Family" has 7% DEET content; protects up to 2 hours
Cutter® Unscented has 10% DEET content; protects up to 4 hours
Cutter® Backwoods has a 23% DEET content; protects up to 8 hours
Cutter® Outdoorsman has a 30% DEET content; protects up to 10 hours

10. Spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin or DEET, as mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing.

11. Whenever you use an insecticide or insect repellent, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer's DIRECTIONS FOR USE, as printed on the product.

12. Vitamin B and "ultrasonic" devices have NOT been proven effective in preventing mosquito bites.

Note: If you have recently been bitten by mosquitoes or ticks and are experiencing symptoms related to the diseases discussed in this website, you should consult a physician as soon as possible.

Tips for Avoiding Mosquito Bites http://www.drgreen.com/tip/tips-avoiding-mosquito-bites :also; http://tipnut.com/over-40-mosquito-bite-itch-relief-tips/

Mosquitoes are known to pass blood-borne illnesses from one victim to another. They are a major health hazard and are responsible for the transmission of yellow fever, malaria, dengue fever, encephalitis, and many other serious diseases. In parts of the world where mosquito-transmitted diseases are not common, it is the bite itself that presents the greatest difficulty. More infants and children are bitten by mosquitoes than by any other insect.

Here are some tips for avoiding mosquitoes:

Mosquitoes are attracted to things that remind them of nectar or mammal flesh. When outdoors, wear light clothing that covers most of the body, keeping as much skin and hair covered as practical. Avoid bright, floral colors. Khaki, beige, and olive have no particular attraction for mosquitoes.

They are also attracted by some body odors, and for this reason they choose some individuals over others in a crowd. Avoid fragrances in soaps, shampoos, and lotions.

Many species of mosquito prefer biting from dusk until dawn. The problem is worse when the weather is hot or humid. Avoid playing outdoors during the peak biting times in your area.

Try to stay away from still water.

People who are highly allergic should avoid vacationing in the Everglades.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using an insect repellent on exposed areas of skin. The most effective compounds are DEET (N,N-diethyl meta-toluamide), picaridin, and oil of lemon eucalyptus (Repel) I prefer the safe, non-toxic, plant-based oil of lemon eucalyptus. It does cause irritation if it gets in the eyes, but has otherwise proven safe. It has not been tested, though, on children under age 3. DEET-containing products should not be used on children under 2 months of age.

Don't apply insect repellent under clothes, or too much may be absorbed. Also, avoid applying repellent to portions of the hands that are likely to come in contact with the eyes and mouth.

30% is the maximum concentration of DEET recommended for infants and children. Lower concentrations have not been shown to be safer.

The concentration of an insect repellent affects how long it will last, not how effective it will be when applied.

DEET should not be used in a product that combines an insect repellent and a sunscreen (so that the sunscreen can be reapplied as needed).

Other ingredients, such as IR3535 (Avon-Skin-So-Soft) or combinations of plant oils (Bite Blocker Xtreme or Burt’s Bees All Natural Herbal) can prevent bites, but not as effectively as DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus

Here are ten tips to help you reduce the risk of mosquito bite:

Apply insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) when you're outdoors.

Wear loose fitting clothes to help prevent mosquitoes from reaching the skin and to retain less heat.

When ever possible, wear long-sleeved clothes, socks and long pants.

In a forest, wear clothing that helps you blend in with the background. Mosquitoes hone in on color contrast and movement.

Treat your clothes with permethrin repellents. Do not use permethrins on your skin!

Avoid perfumes, colognes, fragrant hair sprays, lotions and soaps which attract mosquitoes.

Reduce your risk of exposure by staying indoors during peak mosquito feeding hours (from dusk until dawn).

Avoid lingering in places where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Usually this is around standing water.

Spray a pyrethrin into the air when confined to a certain outside area.

Taking vitamin B, garlic, eating bananas, constructing bat houses and hanging insect "zappers are not effective against mosquitoes.

Foods that contain a high amount of salt and potassium make the body release a greater amount of lactic acid, which attracts mosquitoes. So, it is advisable to bring down the intake of these foods as much as possible.

Avoid wearing dark-colored clothes, such as black, navy blue, bottle green, etc. All these colors attract mosquitoes

If you want to get rid of the mosquitoes around you, get a bit active. Start running or doing something that makes you sweat. As you start sweating, the mosquitoes around you will start to run away as well

If you keep the air around you in a motion, the mosquitoes will stay away from you. For the purpose, you can make use of a ceiling fan, hand fan or even an air cooler.

If you keep the air around you in a motion, the mosquitoes will stay away from you. For the purpose, you can make use of a ceiling fan, hand fan or even an air cooler.

And last You Tubes on "How to make mosquito repellent"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNAXjWrEBIg

 

[mcb]

Our two house cats hunt mosquitoes, since they have nothing else to hunt, and they do a good job and are fun to watch. If you have a lot of mosquitoes, though, netting sounds more practical.

 

[Alana]

Adding to all the suggestions you've been given already, one of the homemade solutions used where I come from is to use mint leaves. You're supposed to spread them in your bedroom, particularly next to your bed and pillow. I have not yet tried this one though.

Same with where i come from. Plus basil leafs or pants. I used to have small pots with mint and basil plants outside all my windows back in Cyprus, and during the summer nights, when there's more mosquito activity, the breeze would scatter the plants' aroma around, and that kept the mosquitoes away.

 

[EGVG]

Adding to all the suggestions you've been given already, one of the homemade solutions used where I come from is to use mint leaves. You're supposed to spread them in your bedroom, particularly next to your bed and pillow. I have not yet tried this one though.

Same with where i come from. Plus basil leafs or pants. I used to have small pots with mint and basil plants outside all my windows back in Cyprus, and during the summer nights, when there's more mosquito activity, the breeze would scatter the plants' aroma around, and that kept the mosquitoes away.

That's awesome to hear, I'll put some basil plants on my windows. I find that they only bite me on my hands, so I'm using some Geranium essential oil mixed with my night moisturiser, and so far one night with no new bites.

EDU