Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Ocean on July 26, 2008, 12:57:44 pm
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Our family cannot come outside without being attacked by mosquitoes. So my father had enough and decided to buy Scott's Outdoor Defense (Insect Killer) Ready- Spray. Before we do this i want to make sure it's ok for our bees. He only strictly wants to get rid of mosquitoes. Please let me know if its safe, because i don't want my 3 strong hives to become weak or even die. But if anyone here knows a more natural way to get rid of all these mosquitoes please let me know, we'd rather take the natural way. And we live in North New Jersey. I'm pretty sure other people here from that area know what I'm talking about.
Thank you very much once again.
Here are the ingredients in this stuff:
Active Ingredient- Permethrin**- 2.50%
Other Ingredients- 97.5%
PS. i found this stuff maybe its a better choice? since its natural? Do you guys know? http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/
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It will kill any bugs that come into contact with it, not just mosquitoes. Plus, it isn't going to do anything for the mosquitoes coming in from other areas. I understand your situation; we went to home depot and got a 13.5 x 9.5 screened gazebo for $200. Now we can be outside without being bothered by the mosquitoes.
The mosquito barrier stuff is just essence of garlic, which seems like a much safer alternative.
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i agree with moonshae. those backyard sprays won't help....however, if your father insists on spraying, cover your hives and have him spray at night. permethrin does last a bit on surfaces, but breaks down quickly in sunlight and weather.
a better plan for your family is the screened gazebo and the use of deet. mosquitoes carry many diseases and it is important that you protect your body from their bites. deet is very effective, but watch the product. many do not have much deet and are useless. get something that is at least 25%. i like deep woods off, but others will do fine. my horses and i share when we are out :-)
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Mosquitoes here aren't so bad this year as they often are, but one trick I learned as an adult: mosquitoes don't fly well in a breeze, so when we're sitting on the unscreened deck we turn on an electric fan pointed in our direction if the mosquitoes are out.
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all your suggestions are great thank you very much.. the fan we already use , and we will buy the garlic thing instead.
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I hate Mosquitoes so much. It's important to make sure you're not growing them. Clean your Gutters, check on your water sources for bees and animals. After it rains go around and get rid of any puddles. Is this so much to ask the neighborhood to do?
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>Active Ingredient- Permethrin**- 2.50%
This will kill bees quite efficiently. I would not use it at all, but make sure IF you use it you only use it after dark, never in daylight, and never when there are things blooming in your yard (which is probably anytime you'd want to use it, of course).
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This is what I use when turkey hunting: http://www.mosquitorepellent.com/olive-appliance.asp
This might look better on the patio:
http://www.mosquitorepellent.com/patio-lantern.asp
Either way,check out there site an see what they have, I can tell you first hand they work. You can buy them at Walmart in the sporting goods department.
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The lantern Wes mentioned uses the insecticide allethrin.
"Effects on Other Animals (Nontarget species)
At normal application rates, allethrin is slightly toxic to bees (1, 5). Its LD50 is 3 to 9 ug/bee (4). "
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/24d-captan/allethrin-ext.html
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Ok Eri, help the dumb kid out... what does that mean?
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Not dumb. I thought it looked like a pretty cool solution, until I read the fine print and looked up the insecticide. The original question was about treating with something that wasn't harmful to the bees, and after looking at a few articles, it seems that allethrin could be.
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Best mosquito control I've found are Barn Swallows and Martins. I have 3 pair of barn swallows that live in my barn during the spring and summer, don't have a skeeter problem.
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The mosquito magnet works well.
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Bats and Purple Martins...
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I use an electric bug zapper. I try to use as little chemicals as possible in my yard. The bug zapper seems to work fine.
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I use my smoker, filled w/ pine needles. It makes a great fog around yard and can be kept lit so guests can occassionally reinforce smoke shield. It works pretty darn good too. i am experimenting w/ putting in garlic leaves from garden as additional repellant too.
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The thermo cell Wes mentioned only covers an area around the device. You are not fogging the whole yard etc. I would not think in would target the bees in the application we are talking.
Yes, chemical used harmful to bees but I don't think a threat in this application! Of course everyone has their opinion :-D!
I've wondered about the miquito dunks in water supplies and if harmful to bees?
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Just talked to the Therma-cell co. (Nothing better to do recuperating from surgery) They said it does not kill the mosquitoes it puts them to sleep (not permanently). Allethrin they said is the synthetic form similar to that of chrysanthemum and should not be harmful to bees?
From web site on allethrins:allethrins are a pair of related synthetic compounds used in insecticides. They are synthetic pyrethroids, a synthetic form of a chemical found naturally in the chrysanthemum flower. This web site basically says it puts mosquitoes asleep by attacking nervous system before they die.
I would use them on a patio away from my bees but to each his own ---- Right ;)!
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One bee (sometimes four bees) has been visiting us on the front deck every evening since June. She likes to land on toes, shirt buttons, and bare upper arms. I'd miss her :(