# How to keep Skeeters away?



## richoso1 (Jun 30, 2008)

I'm going a little crazy trying to keep the skeeters away during the evening. I didn't have this problem at the old digs, but now I'm paying double. Those candle things don't work for me. Anybody got a bulletproof method? I don't want to use that zapper, not cool to be biting down on a rib and hear a zap (skeeter being given the electric chair). I'm open to all/any suggestions... in the mean time DEET sales is up.


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## mcp9 (Jun 30, 2008)

old southern thing- works pretty good. get a clear ziplock bag and fill it with water and hang it in the area.  they saw there scared of it.


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## stacks (Jun 30, 2008)

I had heard "bug zappers" didn't work on skeeters because they are drawn to your breath and sweat not light.  They do have several propane fueled mosquito killers on the martket.  Google "mosquito repellant" for a huge range of options.  I've heard the propane models work very well attracting and killing skeeters and can range from .5 to 2 acres, but I've also heard that they "attract" mosquito's that wouldn't normally hunt in your yard bringing more of the little blood suckers in.  
I have the same problem you do.  I cured it by screening in my back porch.  Now I can watch my smoker, drink my beer and enjoy the evening west nile free.
Hope this helps and good luck.


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## ibsmoking (Jun 30, 2008)

Rich,  I saw a post the other day from Fireguy, he said ThermaCell works great I did a search on the web on found it Bass Pro.


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## richoso1 (Jun 30, 2008)

Thanks for the heasd-up, with my luck, I'd screen myself in only to walk through it after a few (?) brewskies. I'll pursue the search options on the net.


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## lcruzen (Jun 30, 2008)

This may sound silly but if you know someone who sells Avon try Skin So Soft. I use it in the summer time at my northern Michigan hunting camp and it is amazing how well it works. I wouldn't have believed it either had I not tried it.


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## jocosa (Jun 30, 2008)

Usually the smoke helps keep them away (if you've got the smoker fired up)...   We also set up a few tiki torches with the citronella flavored fuel... it seems to help some...


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## vlap (Jun 30, 2008)

Eat lots of garlic!!!


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## krusher (Jun 30, 2008)

take listerene muthwash and put it in a spray bottle, and spray it all around the perimiter of where you are going to be ( back porch deck ,, whatever ).   you can also spray it directly on them, it will kill them

hope this helps


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## 1894 (Jun 30, 2008)

Ditto that , heard lots of great things about the Thermacell


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## firebaugh (Jun 30, 2008)

I can second the Skin So Soft recommendation.  We've been using that in the bayous of southeast Louisiana since I was a little kid.  I will not go fishing without it.


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## walking dude (Jun 30, 2008)

krusher.........i looked this idea up at snopes.........www.snopes.com......and according to them, it is a false theory..........i was excited, when i was emailed this solution......but being burnt on some many "INFO" emails, i now check everything out at snopes......and according to them, it is false........


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## krusher (Jun 30, 2008)

we have been doing it down here for about 3 years,  my mom lives at the beach and she told me about it,  It works for me, if you dont want to try it then dont..  thats just what we do.


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## walking dude (Jun 30, 2008)

didn't mean to ruffle your feathers dude.........just stating what "I" found out........kewl.........I will give it a try then.........but skin so soft werks great.............

here is the link, i was relying on......maybe you should get ahold of em, and set em str8

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/dishsoap.asp


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## cinnamonkc (Jun 30, 2008)

We use it too.  And I also ordered some of the garlic spray to spray the yard before the Grad party and it worked great!  Was a little stinky for a couple of hours right after I sprayed it, but it goes away.


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## master_dman (Jun 30, 2008)

Skin so soft does seem to work.. just as good as the deep woods off.

I have several tiki torches in my yard..  Still not convinced.. but I do like the look.

Third.. and best.. I just light a small fire in my pit.. (firepit.. not my smoke n pit)  every once in awhile.. throw some green weeds on top.. it'll smoke a lot and confuses/repels the darn blood sucking varmits.


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## teeotee (Jun 30, 2008)

I gotta find something to control them. We're out in the country and they are real bad right now. Although it seems like we have more flies then skeeters.

Like dan i have six tiki torches around a 16 x 12 deck ...... still not convinced on them yet either.


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## richoso1 (Jun 30, 2008)

Looked into the Thermacell products and ordered two patio lanterns. Works on batteries, and you can use it as a lantern and/or repellent. They say it has been tested and approved by the U.S Army for use in the sand box. here's the link
http://thermacell.stores.yahoo.net/thpala.html
Thanks for the heads-up, and I'll let you know how well it is going to work for me.


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## walking dude (Jun 30, 2008)

yeah, tip.......we also need to have some plans for this, for the gathering, end of july


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## lcruzen (Jun 30, 2008)

I bought 2 of them and they did nothing. We'll they didn''t land on the Thermacell so I guess they worked a little bit.


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## 1894 (Jun 30, 2008)

Wow !!! You are really about the first person that I've heard say they didn't work for them . I know that wind can play a factor in the range , could that have been part of the problem ?
I belong to several outdoor forums ( shooting , hunting , and fishing ) and from the swamps down south , to the black flies up north , to the insane mosquitos in canada and alaska , lot's of folks swear by them. 

Mayby you got a couple of lemons ? see if they will replace them for you.
 Or if you aren't going to be useing them .......


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## buckeye024 (Jun 30, 2008)

What? How is that supposed to work?


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## cmoran (Jun 30, 2008)

Skin So Soft is about the best there is, smells good too


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## coyote (Jun 30, 2008)

I second this Richoso1, It will not keep the meanest of the flying vampires away but it does seem to keep most away. also sulphur tabs have worked.
In the tropics not only skeeters but the bott flys were bad in the jungle. and the skeeters loved my lilly white butt. I read about garlic and some old timers said it worked. I spent a lot of time in the jungles hunting. and ate garlic and took sulpur tabs. not really so much the sulphur tabs. 
but lots of garlic. which I liked any way so it was not a bad thing for me.
an example: maybe luck are maybe the garlic... several long hunts that lasted 5 to 10 days. when we got back everyone but myself had several bott fly bites on ther back, heads, bellys. I have never gotten bit by one knock on wood. most of the guys started eating garlic.
I am sure you will love this.
my ole neighbor was from mexico green carder. he told me to get hot peppers (jalepenos) onion and garlic put in blender with water and liquifiy then strain put in spray bottle and spritz yer self. keeps the bugs off. I made it several times but my wife would get mad cause I would  use up the concoction spirtzing steak and what not on the grill.  she used it on the kids. we did not have a big skeeter problem, but they would come out in the monsoon season. I can't say if it was real effective or not.But worth a try maybe..


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## garyt (Jul 1, 2008)

We started ding this at our camper, on the Wisconsin river they are pretty thick and it sems to work


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## severeidaho (Jul 1, 2008)

My Uncle works at a Bait and tackle store in Southern California and is always sending me new bait, lures and also new products such as a Mosquito repellant Patch.  2 years ago he hooked me up with several boxes of these patches, I apply them to my clothing (NOT SKIN) and they do pretty good.  Website here http://patchcare.net/ 

Other than these patches I use "DEET" type sprays such as OFF and others.  Here in Southeast Idaho we see a huge number of Mosquitos near the river thanks to Flooding/overflowing river water.  The mosquitos have an enemy tho,  Truck Driven fumigators are spraying daily, nightly to try top keep them limited.  These trucks drive around here and the noise is eerie.  I tend to run inside the house cause I dont want to inhale that stuff.  

BTW:  there are several Companies out there that produce these patches.  some with citronella OIL, etc.  This is another website http://www.anti-moz.com/index.htm   .

If your bored google "mosquito repellent patches" and youll find them all.  Hope this helps..


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## fireguy (Jul 1, 2008)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=18963

lots of good ideas here!!! I promise the thermocell works great!!!hope this helps.


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## smokeys my pet (Jul 1, 2008)

DITTO WORKS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## skinnerc06 (Jul 1, 2008)

Yeah same here.  I bow hunt down here in florida swamp areas in october where it is still close to 90 degrees.  Thermacells are the only things that make it possible.  That thing runs out, im climbing down the tree 2 minutes later no question.


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## lcruzen (Jul 1, 2008)

Lemons would probably work better. They seem to be working as directed. Thin vapor coming off the wafer. Let em run for a few hours and I'm still swatting. Used 2 of them by a camp fire and still swatting. Put on the SSS and problem solved. Useless I say.

On edit, maybe I put the wafer in upsidedown and it was attracking them instead. What do ya think?


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## kratzx4 (Jul 1, 2008)

I have not tried this yet but have been told that fabric softner sheets work well tie one on your belt loop and hang a few off the deck or shrubs. Been told that they work great I will be trying it this year. skin so soft does not work for me I guess I stink to much.


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## skeeter (Jul 1, 2008)

there is only one way to keep this skeeter away, hide the beer


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## packplantpath (Jul 1, 2008)

I've got a sure fire cure for the mosquitoes on the deck.  Buy one of the coleman mosquito attracting traps that use propane.  Then, give it to your neighbor.

The thing *attracts* mosquitoes, so the ones that don't get trapped (which is a lot of them )end up in the neighbors yard.  Problem solved.


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## skeeter (Jul 1, 2008)

there's only one way to keep this Skeeter away, hide the beer


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## fireguy (Jul 1, 2008)

thermacell tips....fire it up bout 15-30 min before going outside. mats only last 3 hrs at best, so keep an eye on them... when they turn from blue to white they are done. and if its very windy they are not as effective... so put the thermacell on the upwind side of where you are . Hope this wil help


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## dingle (Jul 1, 2008)

I like to drink a lot of Jack Daniels!! Those little buggers bite me and they die from alcohol poisoning!!!


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## davenh (Jul 3, 2008)

2/3 of my property are wetlands, the mosquitoes are nasty. If they are aggressive enough or high enough in population, they laugh at bounce and skin-so-soft. My girl tried both of these, didn't like using deet spray. I was happy, peaceful and she was slapping away trying to prove her point..it was actually quite funny 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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We bought a mosquito magnet, 50/50 on that one. I think if it is just a normal wooded, or city area, over time the magnet would lower the mosquito population. It kills off the female population, so less breeding through out the season and less mosquitoes breeding for the next season. I used to fill the trap in a couple days, thats a lot of bugs. It also catches gnats and black flies. I've read mosquitoes don't travel far from where they breed, only 10% or so leave or get wind blown to other areas. So if you cut the population significantly, whether spraying or trapping, it will be more comfortable.  

Another option would be a fogger, fog/spray the surrounding foliage (mosquitoes like to hide under the leaves). 

The final solution, as mentioned already, we screened in the deck and stocked up spray with deet. We don't just have problems with mosquitoes, but deer flies, horse flies, black flies and ticks (50% of deer ticks tested in NH were positive for Lyme Disease). One good spray down, head to toe, covers all of them. Getting to the point now we can't work in the yard without spraying ourselves, biting flies are much worse than the mosquitoes.

I was thinking about trying the Thermocell for the times I need to be out at night, but not sure it would be effective here and I'm used to using spray whenever I walk out the door 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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## smoke freak (Jul 3, 2008)

Try lemon balm. Its a plant related to mint. You can rub the leaves on your skin and hope for the best. I use deep woods off. Liver damage be damned!!!


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## oldairforceguy (Jul 4, 2008)

I must be "batty" saying this, but if you can attract bats, you will have the best bug eraser on the face of the Earth. They eat their weight in bugs every night -- and that's a whole bunch of 'skeeters!  There are available bat houses that provide a living (sleeping) space for them during daylight hours until the early evening arrives when they become airborne, again. If you have a USDA extension agent in your area, call them and find out about the positive effects of bats on bugs.

As for those biting horse flies -- buy a bazooka!


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## oldairforceguy (Jul 4, 2008)

If you didn't know how that mosquito system that uses propane and a catch bag works, here's how:

Mosquitos are after one thing - blood - and they don't care where it comes from, as long as the "donor" is a live one.

What attracts them to that blood source is Carbon Monoxide (CO) -- you know, that stuff we exhale  (no, not beer breath - grin.) They know that, at the end of that CO trail, is something live with blood in it -- you, your pet, your horse, cow, elephant, Yak, etc., -- and when they find you, it's lunchtime!

The propane, when burned inside a catalytic converter, gives off carbon monoxide as the by-product.  CO is heavier than air, so it goes to ground level, where skeeters hang out most waiting for a source of 'their food' to appear. Ever notice the skeeters don't show up on you until you're outside for a few minutes? It takes you that long to lay down a CO trail for them to follow. Have a bunch of people outside with you and they are on you in seconds!

The little pests pick up on the CO, for which they are incredibly capable of finding, and follow the CO trail to the machine. (NOTE: If you have one of these, set it away from your area and let it pull the bugs away from your area. DON'T set it next to you, or you will pay a price (grin).

Once they get closer to their CO-breathing "meal" they look for a pheromone scent that will let them complete their trip to the all-night diner (that's you.)  The "bait" you place in that net bag is a pheromone cocktail of the kind that drives the skeeters mad with passion, thinking they just found the mother load of all grocery stores. They follow the scent into the entry point, get trapped in the net (bag) and cannot get back out. End of mosquitos.

One thing we always asked about this product is what should you do about handling the mosquitos that were trapped. Answer: wear throw away gloves while handling the trap as you change it out. Remember, these bugs could still be carrying the Lyme bacteria on their dead bodies (not proven as far as I know, but the safety step is worth it.)

Are they effective? One Arabian horse farm owner here in Delaware knows they are. The mosquitoes took out about $1 million worth of prizewinning Arabians, and also gave him a really bad case of Lyme Disease - and a long hospital stay. He now owns several units.

No, I'm not a rep for them, just worked in a place a few years ago where I learned about them.

Oh yes, they are pretty much useless on a windy day, or windy area. The CO it makes blows away on windy days or locations.

Hope this helps.


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## steevieg (Jul 4, 2008)

Clothing???  What about those times there is no clothing???


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## 2cycle (Jul 4, 2008)

Not that its a quick fix for those bugs that bite. But, three years ago we built a small garden pond in the back yard, mainly to benefit the songbirds we have here.  Well, the birds could care less about it.

  We put some goldfish in it after we found out that the birds had no interest.  Its not big enough for Koi, its only 350 to 400 gallons.

  Well, this year we have more dragonflies than ever, that grew from our small pond.  And a bumper crop of frogs and toads.

  In the last week, I've only been bug bit twice.  We spend a lot of time on our back deck cookin, and relaxin.

  Greg


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## oldairforceguy (Jul 6, 2008)

Well, the evening in the country (sitting in an open field) watching fireworks went off in grand style, and the "spray Listerine on the ground around you" idea worked beautifully. Others sitting around me thought I was a bit off-center when they smelled that telltale scent of the mouthwash, until they saw I was not getting bit and they were! I shared the spray bottle with five other families around me, and all of us were skeeter free! They just couldn't believe that it really worked!  Thanks for a wonderful piece of information!


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