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The War on Mosquitos. Best way to keep them at bay?

Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:38 pm
Posted by fr33manator
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2010
134270 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:38 pm
I've tried citronella, barely noticed a difference. Thermacells work, but only for a small area and refills get expensive.

No standing water, at least on my property. But still they assail me.

Is there a relatively low cost, long term way to beat the buggers back?

I've seen mosquito balls, some mosquito barrier thing, do these work?


Don't really feel like spraying myself down with DEET every time I want to sit on the patio.

Anyone got a hookup for DDT?
Posted by eitek1
Member since Jun 2011
2805 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:41 pm to
Build a bat house. No kidding, they eat their weight in mosquitoes every night.
Posted by Rouxdee
Member since Nov 2021
719 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:42 pm to
Flowtron
Posted by OweO
Plaquemine, La
Member since Sep 2009
121638 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:43 pm to
Get one of those bug whackers you hang outside. That really does help if you are near it. If you are sitting outside having a cold one, its good for that.
Posted by Recognizable Poster
United States of America
Member since Mar 2026
49 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:44 pm to
quote:

Is there a relatively low cost, long term way to beat the buggers back?
Yes. You can sit on your porch eating food drenched in excessive amounts of Tabasco Sauce. Let them bite you. The skeeters will fly away thinking they just had a great meal, but, unbeknownst to the skeeter, it will explode midair in a small burst of flames shortly thereafter.

It's science.
Posted by Spankum
Miss-sippi
Member since Jan 2007
61732 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:45 pm to
Nah, it’s the south…just wait it out until fall.

There are some services (mosquito Joe) that set up a sprayer around the eaves of your house. That’s effective, but also fairly expensive every month.
Posted by Lou
Modesto, CA
Member since Aug 2005
8723 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:52 pm to
The only remedy I have ever found that works is a screened in porch.
Posted by SallysHuman
Lady Palmetto Bug
Member since Jan 2025
19707 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 9:54 pm to
quote:

Don't really feel like spraying myself down with DEET every time I want to sit on the patio.


When I was a smoker and went outside a lot in the evenings, I kept a set of loose fitting jammy pants and thin but longsleeved top that I'd spray with deet before donning to go outdoors. Less on my skin and easy to pull on/take off over my shorts and tshirt.

Posted by fr33manator
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2010
134270 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:04 pm to
quote:

That’s effective, but also fairly expensive every month.


Define effective and "fairly expensive"

For, say, 1500sf or so of bricked patio
Posted by Obtuse1
Westside Bodymore Yo
Member since Sep 2016
30139 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:11 pm to
Accept they don't eat much.

If it weren't for my dogs I wouldn't care, they only get mildly annoying at the house or the camp a couple of days a year. I have been in places that you couldn't breathe without sucking them in your mouth or nose.
Posted by Eighteen
Member since Dec 2006
37323 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:18 pm to
Backpack fogger with Bifin/Talstar once a month

Buckets of doom with mosquito dunks to keep new ones from hatching (5 gallon bucket and mosquito dunks)
Posted by Meauxjeaux
102836 posts including my alters
Member since Jun 2005
46523 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:23 pm to
quote:

Don't really feel like spraying myself down with DEET every time I want to sit on the patio.


Whatever happened to Skin So Soft? That stuff worked.
Posted by Z Cavaricci
Member since Jun 2020
1986 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:25 pm to


This. Went to get a couple few years back after hearing good things. . Sold out everywhere I went. (Good sign). Finally found it and yes they work. Do it.
This post was edited on 3/26/26 at 10:27 pm
Posted by Spankum
Miss-sippi
Member since Jan 2007
61732 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:36 pm to
quote:

Define effective and "fairly expensive"


I last checked several years ago and it was a couple of hundred bucks a month for my house. I think they are individual franchises that all charge differently though, so you can get an estimate for the BR area through their website,
Posted by Everyday Is Saturday
Member since Dec 2025
744 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:44 pm to
Mosquito Deleter (not sure if still marketers of this product) - was out of Destin, FL.

Small water contraption with pellets that attracted the mosquitos and trapped them. Cleared mosquitos like I had never seen.
Posted by stuckintexas
Austin & DFW
Member since Sep 2009
3081 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:44 pm to
quote:

Buckets of doom with mosquito dunks

Buckets helped a ton at my house in the TX hill country. They were thick when I first moved in to that house. A couple of foggers, and cleaning the buckets regularly almost completely eradicated them. Only drawback was every now and then the dogs got into the buckets and they'd get sick.
Posted by zippyputt
Member since Jul 2005
6999 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:47 pm to
I had decent luck putting a bucket of water out with a couple of those dunker donut things to kill the larvae when they lay them.
Posted by WestSideTiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2004
5161 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:50 pm to
quote:

Flowtron

Agree with this but you also need the attractant for mosquitoes.

As for Thermacell - the pads aren’t too expensive. You can re-use them if you buy the chemical and some dye. You can also buy butane and refill the cartridges. Lots of instructions online.

I switched to the battery model that’s rechargeable along with the repellent refills. This works best I find. Now these are expensive over time. I bought the chemicals last year to do my own refills on those but haven’t tried it yet. If you buy the refills at the end of the season you can get a pretty good deal in bulk.

Also spray your yard or have mosquito control come do it.

Posted by TexasTiger08
Member since Oct 2006
29835 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:51 pm to
No clue, but mosquitos target certain people based on multiple factors. When I was married, I could cut the grass and the wife would be working in the garden just feet from me. She would be swarmed after dousing herself in spray, and I would be fine with no precautions.
Posted by Havoc
Member since Nov 2015
38924 posts
Posted on 3/26/26 at 10:59 pm to
A fan. They are weak flyers.
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