# Mass Mosquito Extinction (need answers fast!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547 "2010-07-22T02:11:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/1 "2010-07-22T02:11:17Z")
Our back yard opens up to open space. When you step out on our pack porch, You enter air-traffic control, at which point you become bait for continuing their life cycle. I don’t WANT to continue their life cycle. I also don’t want to spend $300 for a propane powered trap that uses scent packs. So what’s a good (CHEAP) way to convince them to a)die, or b)go somewhere else? (Preferable without dipping myself in DEET…I want to feel the light evening breeze, not like a refugee from the BP spill) ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/2 "2010-07-22T02:19:01Z")
Your city doesn’t spray or fog for mosquitos? Wow. Ours does – with malathion, which it sprays from the back of a slow-driving pick-up truck, although I think air fogging is a better bet. You could try malathion, but one of the criticisms about it is that it kills all insects, not just mosquitos. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/3 "2010-07-22T02:19:10Z")
Call Vector control, they will try and find the source and kill them. You need to find the source, once you find the source of the breeding, the still body of water where the larvae are, there are many ways. There’s a good thread on this right here in GQ. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=565378&highlight=mosquito](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=565378&highlight=mosquito) **mozchron** makes some excellent points. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/4 "2010-07-22T02:35:07Z")
[ul] [li]Large floor fan. Or several large floor fans, strategically placed.[/li][li]Avon Skin So Soft.[/li][li]Anyone in your family who is a heavy breather (exhales profusely)?[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/5 "2010-07-22T02:38:21Z")
Yeah, the easiest first line of defense is to make sure you haven’t got any buckets, tires, or other places where water is collecting. If you have places where water is collecting on purpose, like a bird bath or pond, those mosquito dunks work. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/6 "2010-07-22T05:14:51Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [ul] > > [li]Avon Skin So Soft.[/li] > [/ul] Tested by Consumer Reports, only does slightly better than nothing. OTOH, it’s nice stuff. There is a special insect repellent version, which is among the better non-DEET types. [http://tafkac.org/products/skin\_so\_soft.html](http://tafkac.org/products/skin_so_soft.html) I’d try Burts Bees all natural repellant, see if that works. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/7 "2010-07-22T07:58:57Z")
Just another day out killin the [skeeters](http://warnickfamilytexas.com/shane/Videos/Kill%20it%20With%20Fire%20Aliens.jpg). Hmmm… I meant to post this in the other thread, but I’m going to leave it here anyway. ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/8 "2010-07-22T13:27:46Z")
It would be nice if they would hurry up with the [Mosquito killing lasers.](https://intellectualventureslab.com/?page_id=563) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/9 "2010-07-22T16:34:46Z")
Sorry, OP, if there was a cheap, non-stinky and effective way to get rid of mosquitos, you can bet that a) the inventor would be as rich as Bill Gates and b) you’d have heard of it by now. That said, fans are remarkably effective. Mosquitos are poor flyers with weak wings, and they can’t handle strong air currents well. BTW, re: the propane-powered setups. I was talking to an entomologist about mosquitos, and he pointed out that if you want a big warm thing in your yard that emits carbon dioxide - this diverting their attention away from you, which is mostly what those setups do - then you may as well just stick a cow in your backyard. The end result is the same, except that you can eat the cow. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/10 "2010-07-22T16:43:59Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > BTW, re: the propane-powered setups. I was talking to an entomologist about mosquitos, and he pointed out that if you want a big warm thing in your yard that emits carbon dioxide - this diverting their attention away from you, which is mostly what those setups do - then you may as well just stick a cow in your backyard. The end result is the same, except that you can eat the cow. But doesn’t that just give them more blood? At least the propane systems don’t feed their young. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/11 "2010-07-22T16:48:54Z")
We have a cement pond in the back yard, but it’s got a pump that runs 7x24, I’ll get some dunks for it, but man that can’t just be it. We’ve got a creek running through the valley behind the house, and it’s been wet this year, so there’s a lot of stagnant water down there…what’s the range away from stagnant water that they travel? ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/12 "2010-07-22T16:49:08Z")
This kind of story always reminds me of a friend of mine who spent months swearing about mosquitos and accusing everyone from the homeowner’s association to his neighbors for the problem. Eventually, he discovered that water had leaked into his shed and filled a pile of plastic draping with water. Are you permitted to make any modifications to the open space? There’s a green belt behind my property and it was badly overgrown when I first moved here. The mosquitoes were horrible that first year. One of the things I did was to cut back the ivy and blackberry thickets. When they didn’t shade the ground all the time, puddles of water had a chance to evaporate and without the darn mosquitoes breeding right there, their number is down 95% or so. ---
**Author:** ![SmithCommaJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/13 "2010-07-22T16:56:32Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > But doesn’t that just give them more blood? At least the propane systems don’t feed their young. And I assume that those propane-based systems have some mechanism to trap and kill the little bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/14 "2010-07-22T16:56:57Z")
Can you get some bats? [http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners\_Guide/Species\_Mgmt/Bats.htm](http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/Species_Mgmt/Bats.htm) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/15 "2010-07-22T17:14:58Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > We have a cement pond in the back yard, but it’s got a pump that runs 7x24, I’ll get some dunks for it, but man that can’t just be it. We’ve got a creek running through the valley behind the house, and it’s been wet this year, so there’s a lot of stagnant water down there…what’s the range away from stagnant water that they travel? Forgot about bat houses, but that’s a decent suggestion. Google “bat house” to find all the DIY plans you need. OP, why do you think having a pump in the pond would make a difference? I didn’t think it would affect their ability to use the water to breed. If you have fish in the pond, they’ll often eat a lot of larvae. For most fish, mosquito larva = candy. I love swatting one and then dropping it in my fishtank for the danios to fight over. Re: range they travel. Short answer: it varies considerably depending on species. From [mosquito.org](http://mosquito.org) we learn: > [@](#): > > Mosquito species preferring to breed around the house, like the Asian Tiger Mosquito, have limited flight ranges of about 300 feet. Most species have flight ranges of 1-3 miles. Certain large pool breeders in the Midwest are often found up to 7 miles from known breeding spots. The undisputed champions, though, are the saltmarsh breeders - having been known to migrate up to 100 miles in exceptional circumstances, although 20 to 40 miles are much more common when hosts are scarce. When caught up in updrafts that direct them into winds high above the ground, mosquitoes can be carried great distances. source: [The American Mosquito Control Association](http://www.mosquito.org/mosquito-information/faq.aspx) [http://www.mosquito.org/mosquito-information/faq.aspx](http://www.mosquito.org/mosquito-information/faq.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/16 "2010-07-22T17:20:00Z")
I’d heard that it was stagnant water that they bred in, the pond’s not stagnant. (It’s a 550 gallon pond with a waterfall), but I’ll dunk it just the same and look for other source of water near the house…I’m just gettin’ over not having a back yard between the hours of 6 pm and 9am. ETA: and look into bat boxes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/17 "2010-07-22T17:41:13Z")
Definitely find the source if at all possible - and my bet is on the creek. I have a small in-ground pond, but the goldfish eat all the bugs. For filters to be of any value, there must be lots of water movement/turn-over through that filter, ie surface must be ~‘choppy’ for the most part as the wrigglers can/will find areas of still water. Skeeters can be blown by winds to areas far away, ime, and big-enough fans can blow 'em off your area, but it takes a really large fan to clear a large area and keep it clear. If there’s truly hordes, source is not too far (within ~few minutes walking probably). Skeeters also love hanging out in shady cool areas when its bright-hot sunny, ime, like around/behind bushes/plants/tall grass/big-leaved veggies, so if you wanna try with a nuke-em spray of something, try mid-day with malathion/similar-chemical fogger such as [this](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://toolmonger.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/post-bugfogger.jpg&imgrefurl=http://toolmonger.com/2007/06/19/hot-or-not-black-flags-propane-powered-bug-fogger/&usg=__BVRplpvHdAxFNPothz9ExCFFZUs=&h=261&w=450&sz=25&hl=en&start=15&tbnid=oH6oPl-u4Ha2mM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=161&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmosquito%2Bfogger%2Bhandheld%2Bhome%2Bdepot%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D918%26bih%3D544%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C324&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=517&vpy=282&dur=4000&hovh=171&hovw=295&tx=132&ty=110&ei=VoBITOCrG8P_lgeRldT9Cg&page=2&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:15&biw=918&bih=544) type for more of a ‘spot coverage’ than large non-focal blanketing of chemical. I used one similar a few years ago, and seemed to be effective - but better to find source as well as chemical-kill, imho. I saw a fogger like linked-pic one at a Home Depot yesterday, and iirc, it was around 35-40 dollars (??) maybe a bit more. Reasonable price - ymmv. Your discomfort and ‘disposable money’ will lead you to what is best for you and your area(s) of concern, of course. The tablets that are tossed into ponds/creeks are ‘natural’ based, I am pretty sure, and not a threat to (many) desirable other things in water, so to speak. Good luck 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/18 "2010-07-22T17:48:20Z")
I work with mosquitoes for a living. The first thing you can do is get rid of ALL standing water on your property, and put Bt dunks or granules in water that you can’t get rid of. They are not breeding in the creek (mosquitoes don’t breed in running water), but rain, creek run-off etc… can lead to puddles or other standing water sources. Blackflies could be in the reek, however - those bite also. This will keep you busy so that you don’t notice the bites anymore, since you’ll probably find it made no difference 🙂 Some mosquitoes can travel for miles - it is likely that many of the mosquitoes are not coming from your property, but from the surrounding areas. Not much you can do about that. Those MosquitoMagnet propane traps will catch lots of mosquitoes, but there is no evidence that they can trap out an area to significantly reduce the population size. Best thing to do after cleaning up your property is to use DEET-based repellent. If you want to sit outside, screen off an area. Citronella candles etc… kind of work in a sort of sucky way, you can try them. They won’t hurt, but probably won’t help too much either. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/19 "2010-07-23T00:24:02Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > Can you get some bats? > > [Landowner's Guide: Bats](http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/Species_Mgmt/Bats.htm) Wouldn’t bat guano be a problem?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547/20 "2010-07-23T00:26:55Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > Wouldn’t bat guano be a problem?:dubious: When the mozzies are gone, you can get a cave python to get rid of the bats. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-mosquito-extinction-need-answers-fast/547547.md?page=2)