keeping bugs away while outside

Wile E

Well-known Member
On Sunday night I had a few people over my home. Well we were outside on my back deck and I had 2 citronella candles burning, also a fire going in a firepit 30 feet away. But, the bugs came around by 7:30pm and we had to go inside.
What else works to keep the skeeters and other flying bugs away?
Do Tiki torches work?
What about bug zappers? (are these noisy?)
Most people, like me do not like to put smelly sprays on like OFF or other chemicals.
What about spraying the grass with RAID ?

If you have used a product or technique that allows you to sit outside in the woods after dark then chime in.
 
Wile E,
We are using a product called Mosquito Barrier. It contains Garlic juices,which mosquito's,ticks,etc can't stand. Quite pricey,but it works. We are mosquito & tick free right up in the North woods,with a lake only 2 blocks away,and county forest around us. We use Insectrin on the borders of our lot to keep any ticks from entering and seems to hold back mosquito's as well. But toxic for some animals. Any thing with pyrethrins works,we use CV80 around doors and windows. Also use black flagg in our Burgess propane fogger at night.
Seems between these things we can sit outside and walk the dog around the yard without slapping ourselves silly and itching all night. Happy non scratching.
LOU
 
concerning bug zappers; just bought one to place in my garden with the thought that the loud zapping noise would deter deer in the garden at night. much to my surprise when I got it home in bold letters on the box "quiet technology". tried it anyway and it is quiet and highly effective for bugs. now as for effective for deer? so far-promising. 10 days prior deer was already browsing on green beans, since bug zappers in place-none. the bluish colored light is eerie and it does emit strange electrical noises when a bug is zapped. effective for bugs-yes. effective for deer-I believe it will be.
 
Good Evening Wile

I have heard that Listerine put in a spray bottle
And sprayed around the area will keep the bugs away and its cheaper than bug spray .
Might try a small bottler & see how it works .

John in Az.
 
2.5 percent Permethrin (spelling) in Mosquito-B-Gon (not the Malathion version that smells) and "Yard Guard" works pretty well. Plan to respray about every two weeks, or after the second rain.

Bug zappers use ultraviolet light to attract bugs. For me, they have worked best 50 feet away from the patio.

Zeta-Cypermethrin is labeled to work a long time, but I'm not impressed.
 
I am with the electric bug zapper. They Work quite well! Mosquitoes hate me cause I put one in the area I am working when gardening at late evening.
 
My problem is I can't spray every place I go, so long pants, long shirt, and a hair net like device to keep them out of my face. The hair net I got from sporting good dept at Wal-mart, only a buck or two.

The knats are the worst.
 
The only thing that ever really worked for us was a screen house. Yard Guard, the old sprays that went into the lawn tractor exhaust, etc were good for an hour or so. The screen house worked 24/7.
 

An insect light trap is an alternative. You mount it on a wall a little ways from where you sit. The light draws them in and they are caught when they land on an adhesive strip. Mine has a roll that slowly unrolls and rolls up on another spool. a roll lasts about two months.
 
agreed.

A screen house is the only solution I've ever found to be effective.

any spray with a lot of deet's good - but I hate the feeling of it. Better than having mosquitoes on you of course, but makes me uncomfortable.
 
We have a large screened in back porch - it's our favorite room in warm weather. No bugs.

A friend has a real nice un-screened gazebo in his back yard, and I laughed when he put a ceiling fan in the center of it. The laugh was on me - mosquitoes can't stand the wind from the fan and they leave you alone. Turned out to be a smart idea.

These are "old people" remedies - kids don't mind chiggers, ticks and mosquitoes like us old folks do.
 
Get a couple Thermocell units. They will keep mosquitos away for about a 15' radius. Should be available at your local Wallyworld or can be ordered online. They have a small pad of insecticide that is heated by a tiny propane bottle inside. They work well here in the South where we are plagued by mosquitos while hunting in early fall or turkey hunting in the spring.
 
Try putting an anti-static fabric softener sheet in a shirt pocket or somewhere on you. It is cheap and seems to be pretty good. Or you could move to this area. The drought has been so bad for so long the bugs can't exist without water!!!
 
My wife uses one of those little insect repellers you clip on your belt. Has a little fan inside that circulates air over a pad with some sort of repellent on it. Got it at a sporting goods store. I'm not much bothered by the bugs we have around here, so I can't swear to its efficacy, but she seems to think it works. I think it's an "OFF" product.
 
We have the same problem. Our lot is heavily wooded; the back deck becomes unbearable shortly before dusk on account the bugs.

I've found an oscillating floor fan or a "breeze box" fan - positioned to blow across the deck and running at medium speed - absolutely keeps the bugs away.

On a hot night the breeze feels good too!
 
Thanks a bunch for all the ideas, Never heard of trying Listerine, or a dryer sheet.

I will likely get a bug zapper too.
 
I've seen people put in professional systems in their landscaping spraying the bushes 24/7 and then come in and spray the grass. Then be eaten alive with mosquitoes. I use one of those bug zappers that look like a tennis racket. After frying a few they seem to stay away for a while. I think they don't like the smell of fried colleagues.
 
(quoted from post at 19:30:43 05/28/14) Hello wile E,

Give your neighbor a bug zapper! Worked for me.

Guido.
ork hard. Sweat to stinking! Don't bathe for a few days. They leave you alone, like other people. Clean up, smell good, yummy, they eat you alive. Tried & proven hundreds of times! And that ain't no BS.
 
Hello,

I eat a LOT of garlic, so I sweat mosquito repellent NATURALLY! HA! HA!

Guido
 
I've never found a better bug repellent than the smoke from a cigar. Works on gnats, mosquitoes, deer flies, and nosy neighbors.
 
The fan was just what I was thinking as well. I use one in the shop. If they cant smell me they cant find me lol....until the mosquitos got the bright idea to go on the other side of me away from the fan.
 
Hello Guido,
I'm just too sweet, bugs love me. I have a lake too and they are really bad this year. Haven't seen the county spray this year. In town not really a problem like it is in country.
George
 
I rigged a 120 volt squirrel cage blower (from a 4 ton A/C air handler) on wheels that I can move around and it has a 3 speed switch. It puts out a lot of air, is very quiet, and keeps mosquitos away on low speed. If its hot enough outside, medium speed keeps everyone cool and bug free. On high speed it serves as a turbo charged leaf blower.
 

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