Poison ivy:/

[jlbpooh]

Winter sucks for the most part....but at least there's no poison ivy or flies:/ and there's a lot less ground to care for.... and soup tastes better and there's more pie...

And no MOSQUITOS...

Did I mention that I hate mosquitos? If not, I will....I HATE MOSQUITOS!!!!!

 

[cmjust0]

Winter sucks for the most part....but at least there's no poison ivy or flies:/ and there's a lot less ground to care for.... and soup tastes better and there's more pie...

I like all those things.

I, too, am just biding my time until the first frost here.. Sick of flies. Sick of barberpole worms.. Sick of 97* highs with heat indices over 110*.. Sick of seeing my goats and other animals being MISERABLE..

I literally CANNOT WAIT until I have to start whining about how cold it is.

 

[treeclimber233]

I know this sounds silly but a good way to get rid of mosquitoes is to provide them with water to lay eggs in. I know... I know... this is against all you have ever been told but ---Did you know that mosquitoes will lay eggs in low spots on the ground even if there is no water? And the eggs will hatch as soon as there is rain enough to cause a mudpuddle. At my barn I have buckets of water with a small fish (gold fish mostly) in each bucket to eat the mosquitoe larva. My theory is -- give them water to lay in and the fish will eat the larva before they can become another mosquitoe. Mosquitoes will not travel far from the water they hatched out of so eventually if there are no new ones hatching out you will eventually get them under control.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

That makes total sense. I had a garden pond store for a few yrs and try as I may...couldn't make people get that.

They wanted plants but no fish and no bugs.... :/

 

[jlbpooh]

Thanks for the tip on mosquitos, I may have to try that. If I provide that as the only regular sources of standing water, it may help a lot.

 

[treeclimber233]

mosquitoes do not like fresh water so fill the bucket and let it sit. Even if it starts looking yucky (as in algea or leaves in the bottom) don't clean it. That lets the mosquitoe "know" the water has been there for a while. I have a fish pond (small goldfish there) a plant pond (rosies in there) and rosies in the goat bucket and chicken water pans. And don't forget the horse water trough. And various buckets around. I have a lot less mosquitoes now than I did a month ago. It might take a while to notice a difference in the adult mosquitoes but have patience. If you don't see any larva in the bucket it is because the fish are eating them. Put the buckets in the shade because they will get too hot if full sun for the fish to survive.

 

[ChksontheRun]

This is very interesting. I know we have very few mosquitoes and I never thought of the fact that our pond with fish may be keeping them under control. I love the pond, and even more now!!!!