Mosquito Spraying

Descant · 08-11-2021, 11:30 AM

I remember when the town used to spray with a helicopter. Everybody was told to cover their cars to protect the paint.

I have a quarterly pest control service. They check for mice and other rodents, ants, etc. and clean and re-bait traps. Spraying is limited to a hand sprayer around the foundation and eaves or other locations if hornets are present. As a separate service, they do tick control around the yard perimeter. Again, hand spray, and/or granular, so there should be no overflow to neighbors.
At camp, we can't spray because we're too close to the water. Some years we have a lot of mosquitoes, other years, none. Same with flies that bite.

Talk to the neighbor and to the service company. You may just be in a cycle where there aren't many bugs. Do you still have birds? How are your butterfly garden plants doing?

SAMIAM · 08-11-2021, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Descant

I remember when the town used to spray with a helicopter. Everybody was told to cover their cars to protect the paint.

I have a quarterly pest control service. They check for mice and other rodents, ants, etc. and clean and re-bait traps. Spraying is limited to a hand sprayer around the foundation and eaves or other locations if hornets are present. As a separate service, they do tick control around the yard perimeter. Again, hand spray, and/or granular, so there should be no overflow to neighbors.
At camp, we can't spray because we're too close to the water. Some years we have a lot of mosquitoes, other years, none. Same with flies that bite.

Talk to the neighbor and to the service company. You may just be in a cycle where there aren't many bugs. Do you still have birds? How are your butterfly garden plants doing?

Now that you mention it most of the birds have gone. Haven't seen hummingbirds, robins jays, finches sparrows etc. Plenty of water birds. Ducks, geese cormorants, loons as well as eagles and hawks are still around. Ravens are still here but the song birds are gone.

FlyingScot · 08-11-2021, 04:52 PM

I have done a fair bit of work in the safety testing industry. "EPA approved" may mean a product is safe, or it may mean it was grandfathered before testing was required, or it may mean that they didn't think testing was necessary; and in any case, it's not fool-proof. Many safety issues are discovered only after years of use. DDT is a good example of something that was thought to be safe, but then obviously was not. I think Sam's right to wonder how it kills ONLY mosquitoes and nothing else is affected. We only use pesticides in cases where they are absolutely necessary.

SAB1 · 08-11-2021, 06:36 PM

Nothing causes lymphoma like pesticides and fertilizers…..

Flylady · 08-11-2021, 07:05 PM

Given that the poison was spayed I am sure it does not know bad bugs from good bugs. Since birds depend on insects they have moved to where the food is. Separately, spraying near the water insures the pesticide will wash off into the water when it rains.

John Mercier · 08-11-2021, 07:26 PM

We've had more ticks and grasshoppers this year... but, at least it seems, a lot less mosquitoes.

With all the rain, the flowers have been hit or miss, so I presumed that would be part of the problem.

I know the wild turkeys have had a field day with the ticks and grasshoppers, as we see them in the yard quite a bit.

Maybe the increase in flower varieties I am planning this fall might make next year will restore the balance.

ApS · 08-20-2021, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Descant

I remember when the town used to spray with a helicopter. Everybody was told to cover their cars to protect the paint.

I have a quarterly pest control service. They check for mice and other rodents, ants, etc. and clean and re-bait traps. Spraying is limited to a hand sprayer around the foundation and eaves or other locations if hornets are present. As a separate service, they do tick control around the yard perimeter. Again, hand spray, and/or granular, so there should be no overflow to neighbors.
At camp, we can't spray because we're too close to the water. Some years we have a lot of mosquitoes, other years, none. Same with flies that bite.

Talk to the neighbor and to the service company. You may just be in a cycle where there aren't many bugs. Do you still have birds? How are your butterfly garden plants doing?

Mosquitos carrying West Nile disease have been discovered in Salem, NH.
https://www.wmur.com/article/west-ni...-2021/37349055

08-11-2021, 11:30 AM	#1
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,472 Thanks: 1,385 Thanked 1,667 Times in 1,086 Posts	What kind of spraying? I remember when the town used to spray with a helicopter. Everybody was told to cover their cars to protect the paint. I have a quarterly pest control service. They check for mice and other rodents, ants, etc. and clean and re-bait traps. Spraying is limited to a hand sprayer around the foundation and eaves or other locations if hornets are present. As a separate service, they do tick control around the yard perimeter. Again, hand spray, and/or granular, so there should be no overflow to neighbors. At camp, we can't spray because we're too close to the water. Some years we have a lot of mosquitoes, other years, none. Same with flies that bite. Talk to the neighbor and to the service company. You may just be in a cycle where there aren't many bugs. Do you still have birds? How are your butterfly garden plants doing?

08-11-2021, 04:52 PM	#3
FlyingScot Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Tuftonboro and Sudbury, MA Posts: 2,467 Thanks: 1,357 Thanked 1,047 Times in 651 Posts	I have done a fair bit of work in the safety testing industry. "EPA approved" may mean a product is safe, or it may mean it was grandfathered before testing was required, or it may mean that they didn't think testing was necessary; and in any case, it's not fool-proof. Many safety issues are discovered only after years of use. DDT is a good example of something that was thought to be safe, but then obviously was not. I think Sam's right to wonder how it kills ONLY mosquitoes and nothing else is affected. We only use pesticides in cases where they are absolutely necessary.

The Following User Says Thank You to FlyingScot For This Useful Post:
mswlogo (08-13-2021)

08-11-2021, 06:36 PM	#4
SAB1 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Tuftonboro Posts: 1,253 Thanks: 193 Thanked 334 Times in 242 Posts	Nothing causes lymphoma like pesticides and fertilizers…..

08-11-2021, 07:05 PM	#5
Flylady Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: So. California & Lakes Region Posts: 256 Thanks: 225 Thanked 106 Times in 61 Posts	Given that the poison was spayed I am sure it does not know bad bugs from good bugs. Since birds depend on insects they have moved to where the food is. Separately, spraying near the water insures the pesticide will wash off into the water when it rains.

The Following User Says Thank You to Flylady For This Useful Post:
SAB1 (08-11-2021)

08-11-2021, 07:26 PM	#6
John Mercier Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 3,562 Thanks: 3 Thanked 634 Times in 521 Posts	We've had more ticks and grasshoppers this year... but, at least it seems, a lot less mosquitoes. With all the rain, the flowers have been hit or miss, so I presumed that would be part of the problem. I know the wild turkeys have had a field day with the ticks and grasshoppers, as we see them in the yard quite a bit. Maybe the increase in flower varieties I am planning this fall might make next year will restore the balance.