I have a creek in my backyard, so I have tons of mosquito's. what can I do to protect my family?
Question:my kids are 3 & 1 & LOVE to play outside. The problem is the mosquito's are horrible. My kids cry when I spray them with OFF but I'm afraid of West Nile. Is there anything I can treat the creek with? I know standing water breeds the pesky bugs so since I can't get rid of the water what can I do? Is this going to cost a ton of money?
Answers:
I have the same problem with my creek and have a lot of money invested in Off. My suggestion is make sure there are no places where water can gather out of the regular flow of creek. Mosquitos live and breed in water that is still. Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and they should have Mosquito Dunk. They are disc you can put in where water is standing still and will not hurt animals or humans. This will help a lot. Also check around yard away from creek and make sure there are no places water can stand for them to breed in. It only takes a little water to breed thousands. I know you can get harsher chemicals but you have to know where your creek is flowing to. As for the cost of the dunk when I found it, it was cheap but now that its popular seems like it cost more, but worth every penny. Haven't bought any this year, in drought, but not that pricey last year. Good luck and hope it helps!
I would call a local pest control company.
Before you hire a pest control company, please contact your local health department. They will more than likely spray for you for free or low cost.
Stay healthy!
I have seen a product at a Rural King store. It is a muti-pack of disks. It looks like compacted mulch. They are designed to put in standing water areas. It said they kill the larva or babies. I do not know the name. Try your hardware or lawn and garden stores. Tell them you are looking for these disks, to put in standing water to kill the larve.
Last weekend I saw a container of little white pellets at Lowes, it said to sprinkle it in standing water such as water gardens and planters. I would think that it would be safe for children if it won't kill plants. I have also seen those wafer looking things I've seen them in a lot of horse magazines to put in water tanks. Good luck!
a few $ at walmart will net ya bottle of bug-b-gon. get the one that attaches directly to ur hose for easier application. spray ur yard, ur house, and all other structures in ur yard! it'll kill the ones there and keep new ones from coming back! u can spray around the creek but don't get too much in the creek water. good luck
If you want to go the natural route, and keep the kids as chemical-free as possible, there is a type of "bug" that can be purchased that eats fly larvae that many stables use for their horses. I am not sure if it also works on mosquitos, but it might be worth a try to contact your local tack shop or feed store. (Get 'em BEFORE they start.)
What about guppies for the creek?
Also, I would definitely build a few simple bat houses and attract more birds with bird houses.
I've included a couple of interesting sites for you to begin your research. Good luck!!
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