Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mosquitoes

Do I pay for mosquito spraying even though I think it's bad?

clarkstonian — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:02:43 -0800

How do I solve my mosquito dilemma? We live on a swamp. Swamps breed mosquitoes. Much as I hate the mosquitoes, they are part of our eco-system, and the frogs, toads and dragonflies depend on them. Our neighbors went in together and paid someone to spray the mosquitoes. Since the spraying, I've been bitten a dozen times instead of hundreds. That's kind of nice, but...the mosquitoes are almost completely gone. We all knew we were buying homes on a swamp when we moved here. Given that the neighbors are going to spray anyway (I'm not going to persuade them it's a bad idea. They don't care) what should I do? Am I a total jerk if I don't pay for part of the spraying when when I enjoy the benefits - given that I really believe the spraying is wrong? Is it really as wrong as I think it is? I've googled, but people either are radically for it or hysterically against it, and I'm not sure where the truth lies.

How do you keep the mosquitoes out of your apartment?

helios410 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:21:00 -0800

Mosquitoes in Manhattan: how do you keep them out of your apartment? Screens are not an option for me. I have heard recommendations from citronella candles to garlic powder mixed with water. What works for you?

Best / fastest way to find where mosquitoes are coming from?

querty — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:22:59 -0800

Lately, I've been coming home in the evening to 2~3 mosquitoes flying around the house... windows w/ screens are closed during the day, where could they be coming from? Maybe the ducts / vents? Best way to track down the source? Something I could spray if the source is found? ...or maybe catch some dragonflies and release it in the house?!

Am I sharing blood with my cat?

woodblock100 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:59:14 -0800

We're well into the rainy season here in Tokyo, and that means mosquito season too! It seems to be quite a bad year for them here, at least it seems so in my area. Boots the Cat is being especially bothered by them, and I've even seen one probing at her nose as she sleeps. I'm of course getting bit too, and that makes me wonder - as Boots-chan and I are the only residents in this house, and it's quite possible that mosquitoes have been going 'back and forth' between us, am I 'sharing' blood with her? Is this something I should be concerned about?

How to kill bugs and mold?

b_thinky — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:34:43 -0800

How can I eliminate and prevent mold and mosquitoes from my apartment? The lowdown: I recently relocated to Macau, which is hot, muggy and prone to mold. Mold grows on the walls and floors, on clothes in the closets, and on food, sometimes almost instantly.

I seem to be allergic to the mold. Sometimes my athsma is so bad I can't sleep, even if I use aaaaaaallllll my medicines at once. A few nights ago I woke up and my cheek was numb and pulsating. I went to the mirror and noticed a gigantic bug bite lookin' thing on my face. I was afraid I'd been bitten by something weird, but the bump went down a few hours later. I went to a doctor the next day, who said the bump had some kind of medical name and was related to skin allergy, and that they appear on the body more often than the face. A couple days later I had one on my shoulder, and then on my chest.

Recently there appear to be more flies and mosquitoes in the house, which was never a problem until just the other day. I have no idea what caused the outbreak. My body is covered in marks, but I can't tell if they are bites or skin allergy thingies.

I know mold and mosquitoes love warm, damp, humid environments. We try to leave all the ACs on (only wall ACs, we don't have central air) and vent the apartment as best as possible. I got some dehumidifiers and an air purifier. But there are problems with the setup of this house.

The kitchen is tiny and doubles as the laundry room. There is no AC in there and any time you do anything in the kitchen it gets really hot. Opening the windows in the kitchen just lets bugs and humidity in. Closing windows and opening the door to the rest of the house just exposes the rest of the house to the heat/humidity - the layout doesn't allow the kitchen to properly vent.

The bathrooms are also pretty small and have no climate control. It obviously gets hot and humid whenever you take a shower, and it's pretty damp when you're done. Do I open the doors and expose the rest of the house to this heat and humidity? Or do I seal it off and let the bathrooms fester?

I think the situation is controllable, but being a rookie in these environs I let it get out of control. We're now trying to get a handle on the situation...

How to kill January mosquitoes in Brooklyn?

tk — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:37:14 -0800

How do I rid my Brooklyn apartment of mosquitoes--in JANUARY?! I live in Brooklyn. I've had mosquitoes in my apartment since the summer. I've had the windows closed since September, and I have screens on the windows that I've opened to try to freeze the place out.

I get bit by mosquitoes every night. And now, I'm so high-strung about it, I wake up to their buzzing 8-10 times a night, turn on the light, get out of bed and try to hunt the m-fs down. I spray myself with bug spray, but I can't bring myself to use the extra-toxic stuff b/c then it's difficult to sleep with that smell. The non-toxic stuff apparently doesn't keep them away from me.

I thought that going away for a week over Xmas would starve them to death. No such luck. Please help me. I need to sleep.

Also, I'm wondering if any other New Yorkers are experiencing the same thing. Two of my friends are, one in Manhattan, the other also in Brooklyn.

Gnats in my eyes!

washburn — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 12:54:34 -0800

Why do gnats fly into my eyes? Mosquitoes are annoying, but ultimately forgiveable: they *need* to bite animals like me to make more mosquitoes. But gnats fly around my head for no apparent reason, and seem especially inclined to fly into my eyes and mouth.

I mean, what gives? It hardly seems like good survival strategy on their part. Why do gnats fly around the heads of people and other animals, and why do they with such regularity fly right into their own doom as they harass my head?

Wheeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnn! For the love of God, help me sleep through the night.

donpedro — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 18:42:15 -0800

Bloody mosquitoes, trying to suck my blood, why won't you just let me get a good night's sleep? So here's the thing: The more the weather warms up, the more I wake up in the middle of the night with burning red bumps on my hands, arms, feet, and it takes a while to fall back asleep. Even when the nasty little fuckers don't bite me, sometimes I'll be awakened at 4 in the a.m. by that awful wheeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnn noise in my ear. I've started sleeping as much under the comfortor as possible, with only my eyes and mouth exposed, but too often I get hot (sleep hot, you know?) and kick off the covers. Please, somebody, help me get a good night's sleep. It's only going to get worse in the next couple of months. Here's what you need to know:

1) I find it almost impossible to sleep without a window open, so shutting them out isn't a good option. (It's a fresh, cool air thing, ya dig?)
2) I'm not sure a mosquito net will be a good option, as I have very high ceilings and a chandelier directly where a net would have to hang.
3) The people I'm subletting from left behind something made by Raid, a clear bottle of liquid that screws into an electrical device that one then plugs into a power outlet. Not sure what the stuff is, but the idea of airborne poison as I'm sleeping kind of freaks me out. Does the stuff work, and is it safe?

More details, to help you help me: I'm living in Mexico City, moved here about 5 months ago. Altitude is about 7,400 feet, so I'm not in the tropics. Hottest season is apparently around late April to mid-June; then the rainy season begins, when apparently I can expect daily thunderstorms and downpours until, say, August. My apartment is three floors up, with French doors in the bedroom opening onto a small balcony. There are no nearby parks or ponds, but I do have some potted plants on the terrace. Could they be breeding grounds for the skeeters, and should I get rid of them?

What's the best way to soothe mosquito bites?

kathryn — Thu, 02 Jun 2005 09:00:41 -0800

It's that time again: summer, and the bugs are out in full-force. Common insect bites and stings, while not life-threatening, can be irritating and uncomfortable. And scratching often leads to infection. What's the best way to soothe mosquito bites? After a Memorial Day in the park, I came home with some bites on my hands and fingers. I've tried Maximum Cortizone 10 (Hydrocortisone), Calamine Lotion, Aveeno Anti-Itch Lotion (Calamine, Pramoxine HCl, and Camphor), and Benadryl Extra Strength Itch Stopping Cream (Diphenhydramine HCl, Zinc Acetate).

I'm also currently taking Claritin for seasonal allergies which should help. And doing cold compresses when I can. But the itching is still driving me insane!

When I was overseas, I was given topical sulfadiazine. The sulfadiazine helps bring the swelling down, but it's not available OTC in the US so it's not a good long-term solution because I get bitten quite often.