06-22-2008, 03:57 AM
I agree with Steven that it is indeed something to be worried about. There is avian malaria here, and malaria is bound to expand its range in the next 20 years. West nile if it found itself to the Hawaiian Islands could be a catastrophic as the malaria on the native bird population. On the mainland they figure it has killed 70 percent of the crow population already.
Fortunately at this point the mosquitoes we do have are very mildly aggressive sorts that are a hassle, but easily controlled. Their bites are only marginally noxious. Nothing like the kind of Alaska predators or anything you find in the hatches in the western States, that I'm woefully familiar with.
My take.
Build a good fish pond stocked with good healthy goldfish. I've got one and the mosquito population isn't a quarter of what it was when I got here. You cannot find a larvae in that pond, between the goldfish and the dragonflies. Anybody who wants help with one should contact me, and I'm going to need to be giving away koi here pretty soon, and they're humping up a storm.
Use deet, in my experience, and all else is a farce. Be aware there are different concentrations and light ones are useless. Use 99 percent jungle juice or just dress heavy. Mean mosquitoes bite right through your clothes but these are too small to pull that off, it seems.
I find the allerthin based coils are very very effective, and I usually burn one or two under the house as good measure when I see them around.
Use a bug net over the bed. Some people find them sexy and if they're nicely done will eliminate night-time bites.
Fortunately at this point the mosquitoes we do have are very mildly aggressive sorts that are a hassle, but easily controlled. Their bites are only marginally noxious. Nothing like the kind of Alaska predators or anything you find in the hatches in the western States, that I'm woefully familiar with.
My take.
Build a good fish pond stocked with good healthy goldfish. I've got one and the mosquito population isn't a quarter of what it was when I got here. You cannot find a larvae in that pond, between the goldfish and the dragonflies. Anybody who wants help with one should contact me, and I'm going to need to be giving away koi here pretty soon, and they're humping up a storm.
Use deet, in my experience, and all else is a farce. Be aware there are different concentrations and light ones are useless. Use 99 percent jungle juice or just dress heavy. Mean mosquitoes bite right through your clothes but these are too small to pull that off, it seems.
I find the allerthin based coils are very very effective, and I usually burn one or two under the house as good measure when I see them around.
Use a bug net over the bed. Some people find them sexy and if they're nicely done will eliminate night-time bites.