Citronella candle

[mikeyj23]

Melody (my fiancée) and I have been enjoying the beautiful evenings on the porch, occasionally with movies on the laptop. The only problem is the mosquito population of my backyard, which seem to all find us. Solution? Citronella candle. We've always used the citronella candle to keep bugs away, but it's usually on the opposite side of our patio table from my Stinky.

Monday and Tuesday nights we watched movies outside, and last night we sat outside with a nice bottle of Valpolicella and chatted for a while. Monday I smoked a Boli Gold Medal (my first, and fantastic), Tuesday I had a Monte #1 from 2001 (thanks hk3), and last night I had a Upmann Mag 46. On Tuesday the #1 started to get very metallic/chemically tasting in the last couple inches. I generally ignored it, although my stomach and throat started to feel a little gross as I kept going. Last night my Mag 46 started getting the same nasty metallic sensation and I honestly thought I was going to vomit. I finally put 2 and 2 together and figured out that the candle had been moved closer to the Stinky, and it was infiltrating my cigars! Disgusting.

Moral of the story: keep the citronella candle far, far away from your cigars.

[parrotheadduff]

Try Listerine as a mosquito repellant. Put regular Listerine in a spray bottle and spray the area you are sitting in. The mosquito's will disappear.

[madurolover]

Quit smoking the candles mikey.
I could only imagine the taste of those candles ruining a good cigar but at least you know now.

[blurxp]

Originally Posted by parrotheadduff

Try Listerine as a mosquito repellant. Put regular Listerine in a spray bottle and spray the area you are sitting in. The mosquito's will disappear.

I read a study somewhere that DEET is the most effective at keeping mosquitoes at bay, but the reason behind this is actually the SMELL of deet. Apparently they hate it. I wonder if listerine works in the same way.

[brigey]

Originally Posted by parrotheadduff

Try Listerine as a mosquito repellant. Put regular Listerine in a spray bottle and spray the area you are sitting in. The mosquito's will disappear.

Amazing!

[Rolando]

I know experts go back and forth on it but I have a large ladybug population and very little mosquitoes and where I used to live (about 20 minutes away) I was tortured with mosquitoes. I can't see the harm in getting some and releasing them. You should try it next spring and see if it helps.

[ca21455]

Get a Martin house. They work great! That is if you get Martins to live in it!

[mikeyj23]

Originally Posted by Rolando

I know experts go back and forth on it but I have a large ladybug population and very little mosquitoes and where I used to live (about 20 minutes away) I was tortured with mosquitoes. I can't see the harm in getting some and releasing them. You should try it next spring and see if it helps.

Where does one obtain a large standing ladybug population? I can't remember seeing a ladybug store around these parts.

[levinmiester]

Originally Posted by mikeyj23

Where does one obtain a large standing ladybug population? I can't remember seeing a ladybug store around these parts.

http://www.growquest.com/free_ladybugs.htm

[pyrodrummer]

i was wondering if that might work. guess not. where i live, there are a ton of mosquito's out all the time. gets really annoying.

ladybugs sound fun though

[Martix_agent]

Originally Posted by ca21455

Get a Martin house. They work great! That is if you get Martins to live in it!

Same thing with bats. If you built a bat house hey will not necessarily come live in it. Instead they like the attics of houses, building overhangs, bell housings etc.

I was sitting out on my porch 4th of Jul and noticed two bats flying around; first time I've seen bats in this area and I was pretty happy about it...till one of them flew nearly directly at my face then quickly dodged it.

Ladybugs are NOT fun. they smell bad, the orange ones bite, they get in your house and are a mess to clean up...theyr'e jsuta paint whent hey arrive in large amounts.

[Rolando]

Originally Posted by Martix_agent

Ladybugs are NOT fun. they smell bad, the orange ones bite, they get in your house and are a mess to clean up...theyr'e jsuta paint whent hey arrive in large amounts.

They are only a problem for a couple of weeks each year. Well worth the hassle to be able to enjoy the outdoors more.

[aich75013]

Originally Posted by mikeyj23

Where does one obtain a large standing ladybug population? I can't remember seeing a ladybug store around these parts.

A lot of nursery's (Calloway's) sell them. How you keep them in your yard? I don't know.

[Martix_agent]

Originally Posted by aich75013

A lot of nursery's (Calloway's) sell them. How you keep them in your yard? I don't know.

i get the feeling that they more or less stay where you drop them. sure some will leave, but they spread out in a radius and that radius also eats the bugs etc that you're wanting them to get.

I wonder if having lots of preying mantis's would be a good idea. I know you can buy their foamy egg cases at most nurseries as well.

[MarbleApe]

Originally Posted by ca21455

Get a Martin house. They work great! That is if you get Martins to live in it!

We put up one after building the new patio and didn't have a problem with skeeters all summer. When I mow, they swarm around me sometimes 10 or 12 at a time catching all the itchy critters I kick up.