Yes, plus they are spreading EEE, which kills at least 1/3 of the humans infected with it.

Anonymous wrote:Mosquito bucket of doom

+1. We've done this for the first time this year and the mosquitoes aren't too bad. There are obviously still some, but you can actually be outside for a bit without being forced into the house.

Mosquito bucket of doom

Yes! We don’t spray either. The bites I got at the beginning of the summer were also less itchy than the ones now. Miserable.

We had a better than normal early summer and now we’re catching up. It is what it is. I just keep DEET by the door. I don’t love it, but I’d never spray my yard. I genuinely don’t judge people who do! My garden is a hobby and bugs are part of the point.

I also keep a long sleeve sun shirt and boots handy - I switched from garden clogs because even though they’re hotter, having my ankles covered helps a lot.

For sitting around, a fan is really effective!

I got a pack of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4JQ1QG5 because I hate bug spraying for <10 minutes outside but I also hate getting bitten.

If you put them on like bracelets, anklets, and a funky choker (so 5 of them), the coverage is enough to keep the bugs off for minor garden trips w/o being a PITA and leaving you reeking like spray. They're reusable, so you can put them back in their packages, zip them up, and save them for next time. Worth the 2 minutes and awkward 80s style vibes, IMO.

Anonymous wrote:I hate the idea of spraying to kill them but I’m running out of ideas! I can’t go outside to pick tomatoes for 2 min without coming back covered in bites and crazy itchy. We have tried the dunks but they don’t seem to be doing anything.

Anyone else notice worse than usual mosquitoes this fall? I am not going to put on bug spray to go out to the garden for a few minutes, but I average 4-5 bites a minute which is so uncomfortable

“I am not going to put on bug spray to go out to the garden for a few minutes,”

Well ok then! Enjoy your bitten scratchy scabby scarry legs.

Anonymous wrote:better this year for us but we have lawn and beds treated. much better, actually

I'm very much for treating for mosquitoes (with actual chemicals mind you), but spraying the lawn and beds is ineffective and wasteful.

Mosquitoes are terrible flyers. They need to rest frequently, and do so on dappled shady shrubs, like azaleas, evergreens, etc. Spray those and nothing else.

Weird, it's actually been much better this entire summer up until the last few weeks. The bad drought really kept them at bay most of June and July.

Agree that now it's really bad.

better this year for us but we have lawn and beds treated. much better, actually

Yes, it is worse. I wonder if this is because it has been so much warmer this year.

Yes!

I always get bitten, but this year has been a whole different level. I get bitten whenever I go out within a minute, I have bites everywhere including my face and ears, it's unreal. I was actually going to post on DCUM and ask if there was some new insect in town in addition to the general mosquitoes this year.

I have to spray myself with DEET even just go out for a couple of minutes. They are carrying a few tropical diseases. Even Fauci got West Nile and ended up in the hospital.

It’s been awful this year. Hoping it’s just another month or so before it gets cooler which will improve the mosquito situation.

I hate the idea of spraying to kill them but I’m running out of ideas! I can’t go outside to pick tomatoes for 2 min without coming back covered in bites and crazy itchy. We have tried the dunks but they don’t seem to be doing anything.

Anyone else notice worse than usual mosquitoes this fall? I am not going to put on bug spray to go out to the garden for a few minutes, but I average 4-5 bites a minute which is so uncomfortable