Natural Solutions to Things That Bug You (60 page)

This will eliminate thousands of unwanted insects every night. Bats will not bother people; however, if you have a pool or birdbath they will swoop in for a drink occasionally.

MOSQUITOES VS ZAPPERS

Studies have shown that electric bug zappers have no effect on mosquitoes. They seem to have a special sense that keeps them away from electrical magnetic fields.

BIRDS LOVE INSECTS

If you place a number of birdhouses on your property to attract birds it will decrease your insect population significantly. To be sure that the birds don’t eat your plants you will need to have a few bird feeders around with birdseed and keep them filled.

NATURAL REPELLANT PLANTS

There are a number of plants that will repel mosquitoes very effectively. They are tomato, basil, germanium, citrosa, lemon thyme, citronella grass and eucalyptus. These plants tend to give off oils that repel mosquitoes. You can crush up most of these plants and make a natural mosquito repellant, but be sure and try a small area of your skin to be sure that you do not have an allergy to that particular plant.

A LITTLE BOUNCE™ WILL DO YA

Florida’s state insect is the mosquito or at least should be. When you are in Florida and see people with a Bounce™ fabric softener sheet sticking out of their clothing, they are wearing them to repel mosquitoes. This seems to be a very effective method of keeping them away from you.

POSSIBLE REPELLANTS

Rumor is that rubbing apple cider vinegar, peppermint, bay cloves, vanilla bean, sassafras, cedar, eucalyptus or parsley on your skin will repel mosquitoes for a short period of time.

CLEARING THE ROOM

If you open a bottle of pennyroyal or citronella oil and leave it open it will eliminate all the flying insects in the room. Just be sure and leave them a way out.

MOSQUITO REPELLANT 4

    The following ingredients will be needed:

1              Cup peanut oil

½              Cup dried chamomile

              ½              Cup of dried nettle

              ½              Cup of dried pennyroyal

              ¼              Cup of sweet basil

              ½              Cup of sweet orange oil

1              Teaspoon of boric acid

Place all the ingredients in a double boiler and crush the herbs into the oil, then heat, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes. Cover the mixture and remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, mashing the herbs to acquire the most fluid possible.

Store in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator until needed! It will not take very much to do the job when rubbed on exposed areas.

THE MOSQUITO HUNTERS

Both toads and bats consume thousands of insects. Mosquitoes are one of their delicacies and they can consume thousands of mosquitoes every night. If you live in an area where toads live and want them in your yard, just build them a “toad house.”

They like to live in clay flowerpots so just place a flowerpot upside down and break a hole near the top (which is the bottom now) and they can easily jump in. They like cool, dark homes to get away from the heat of the day.

JUST ONE LITTLE CANDLE

Candles will attract mosquitoes and will kill them when they get too close. Just don’t use citronella candles inside the home since the fumes are harmful to your health.

THE NEW MAGNET

    There is a new device on the market called the Mosquito Magnet®. This device employs propane and in a Florida swamp test no one had a single bite.

THE YOLK IS ON THEM

If you break open a few egg yolks and allow them to spread over the surface of water or a pond it will suffocate the mosquito larvae and last for several days.

THE MOSQUITO FISH

If you have a pond or small lake on your property you may consider stocking the lake with
Gambusia affinis
.
These fish thrive on mosquito larvae.

PAMPER THE MARLINS

Purple marlins love mosquitoes and will consume a great amount of the adult mosquitoes. They like apartment-style birdhouses and make the entrances 21/8 to 2½ inches and allow the depth from the hole to the bottom of about 6 inches. They are very fussy where they live. Make sure that you drill a small drainage hole in the bottom.

TINY MOSQUITO HUNTERS

Minnows can make excellent mosquito larvae and pupae hunters and finds them one of their favorite foods. They will also catch a female while they are laying their eggs on the surface of the water.

CHANGE THE SURFACE TENSION

Mosquitoes like water and if you spray the surface of the water with Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint (from garden supply store) it will make it almost impossible for the mosquito larvae and pupae to survive. The adult mosquitoes cannot maintain surface contact if the spray is used. Another chemical, which will change the surface tension of the water, is “
isostearyl alcohol ethoxylate”
(use with caution)
It is a non-irritating alcohol that comes from plants and has no odor. It is commonly used in the cosmetic industry.