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Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

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Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#121

Post by VWWHFSfQ »

ben_w wrote: post #109
VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A 3" cut once a month during peak growing season is hardly "over maintained". Every HOA community I've lived in has been perfectly reasonable.

Without knowing where you are exactly, I can only give a vague and general response such as "in much of the USA, the mere existence of a lawn is 'over maintained'", see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeriscaping

Oh I don't live in Nevada or Arizona, if that's what you were implying. Also, this thread is about the utility of HOAs, so in the example you're giving, then HOA can actually be more beneficial since they often include bylaws to restrict or prevent landscaping and watering during periods of water conservation. It goes both ways.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#122

Post by owlstuffing »

VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #40
jmuguy wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bingo. We did these buckets, were very diligent about it. They appeared to work (at least in terms of attracting Mosquitos, which they're meant to do) but had no real effect generally. House next door is a rental, with a rotating cast of 20-somethings that do not keep up the yard and its filled with nice little habitats for Mosquitos. One thing that an HOA might actually be good for - I would love to see what happens…

> One thing that an HOA might actually be good for I've gotten nothing but benefits from living in neighborhoods with HOAs. Basic stuff like funding for landscapers to keep up the shared grassy areas along the streets, to plowing the access roads in winter time. But the main benefit has always been that it provides a legal mechanism to force everyone to maintain their yards and property. No need to drop passive-aggre…

Oh, how I’ve never wanted downvote power more.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#123

Post by ckozlowski »

8organicbits wrote: post #111

My neighbors and I have been using the dunks and mosquitos have been significantly reduced this year in Northern Virginia. I'd prefer not to use the dunks as I'm uncertain they only impact mosquitos, but my insect population seems healthy. I saw a stag beetle two weeks ago! There are certainly fewer spiders though.

Thanks for the endorsement. I'm in NoVA as well, and this piqued my interest. I have a company that does spraying monthly, but it seems to have mixed results. The technician doesn't spray my herb and vegetable gardens (or my neighbors lawns), which makes suspect that these areas just replenish my area after the insecticide goes away.

One thing this won't help with are the chiggers which also populate my yard. But I'll happily deal with less mosquitos. I'll look forward to giving this a try.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#124

Post by brianjlogan »

Interesting. I am a native of Florida and happen to have a really horrendous backyard for mosquitoes. I've had county officials out to examine the area and can't find sources of water causing them.

I'd like to know how to empirically measure a population of mosquitoes to be able to evaluate the over time effectiveness of the treatments I've used as nothing seems to help.

Mosquito tubes with pesticide placed around the property, butane dispersers, zappers, citronella candles. I've tried everything! More than willing to try this.

That being said on an ecological level I am concerned about wiping out sub species non biter mosquitoes.

https://www.alieward.com/ologies/culicidology

Great episode going over them but I'm curious as to whether science should step in and eliminate human menacing mosquitoes. Why? Well clearly we're trying to accomplish it ourselves and there's no selection for sub species here.

We always hear about mosquito science rumors down here in the land of UF inventing love bugs (myth). I wonder if it would be capable of impacting only a single species. (Neutering males with a generic modification ruining breeding efforts.)

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#125

Post by throwup238 »

AngryData wrote: post #85
chasil wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This bacterial strain was discovered in 1976, but has been in the environment for a long time. Resistance should have already emerged? "As a toxic mechanism, cry proteins bind to specific receptors on the membranes of mid-gut (epithelial) cells of the targeted pests, resulting in their rupture. Other organisms (including humans, other animals and non-targeted insects) that lack the appropriate receptors in their gut…

It does exist in nature all over, but it generally isn't in such a high concentration. Its like releasing 1,000 goats in your backyard. Even if your backyard could support a few goats, it will certainly be destroyed by 1,000 of them.

Bacillus thuringiensis is the most used pesticide in existence and has been for nearly a century. We’ve sprayed it everywhere in huge quantities, including on pretty much anything labeled “organic.”

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#126

Post by VWWHFSfQ »

swiftcoder wrote: post #89
VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I question the motivation of people choosing to live in a place where they are constantly at odds with the agreed-upon standards of the community. They should leave if it is really that stressful and onerous.

And this is how we get Redlining

Not sure how redlining comes into this. Everyone in my neighborhood provided no fewer than 3 signatures in a contract agreeing to abide by the well-documented community standards for use and upkeep of their property.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#127

Post by filleokus »

nsksl wrote: post #98
filleokus wrote: post #67

Many people with mosquito issues around here (Sweden) uses something like https://www.clasohlson.com/se/Mosquito-Magnet/p/31-7190 which burns propane to produce Co2 to lure in mosquitoes and then sucks them in with a fan towards a metal grid to zap them with electricity. Non-poisonous and from what I've heard fairly effective. Not sure if these exists in the US?

How is that better than what the article describes? You need gas, electricity (outdoors!) and get constant fan noise.

I guess it depends a lot on your situation, but for OP's method to be effective you need to out-compete other breeding grounds in not only your backyard but also X feet/meters away (whatever distance mosquitoes typically fly to "hunt").

If there's a nice shallow pond on the property line 100 feet from your porch (or water filled tires at the sloppy neighbour or whatever it might be), I seriously doubt the efficacy of the method in the article.

This thing would lure in any mosquitoes (and unfortunately other things, as per sibling comment) that fly in your backyard, wherever they come from.

For electricity: That also of course depends, but around here it's not uncommon to have an outlet on the outside of some garage or outbuilding or something. The product I linked have a 50 feet cord as well. The fan noise has not been noticeable at all when I've seen it.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#128

Post by axus »

VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #40
jmuguy wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bingo. We did these buckets, were very diligent about it. They appeared to work (at least in terms of attracting Mosquitos, which they're meant to do) but had no real effect generally. House next door is a rental, with a rotating cast of 20-somethings that do not keep up the yard and its filled with nice little habitats for Mosquitos. One thing that an HOA might actually be good for - I would love to see what happens…

> One thing that an HOA might actually be good for I've gotten nothing but benefits from living in neighborhoods with HOAs. Basic stuff like funding for landscapers to keep up the shared grassy areas along the streets, to plowing the access roads in winter time. But the main benefit has always been that it provides a legal mechanism to force everyone to maintain their yards and property. No need to drop passive-aggre…

A neighbor had a bus under renovation in their driveway for a few years. That really bothered one guy, the rest of us just rolled our eyes.

HOA is another layer of local government, I think it's great that moving is a chance to choose the government (or anarchy) that you prefer.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#129

Post by pavel_lishin »

One question - how does this prevent mosquitos from breeding in other bits of standing water that I can't locate?

I have no idea where ours are coming from; I suspect they hatch somewhere, and then migrate to the shaded areas of my yard, which is where I typically get bit.

Adding a bucket will prevent some mosquitoes from laying eggs elsewhere, but not all, right? Or is the bucket so attractive to mosquitoes that they ignore other water sources?

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#130

Post by gspencley »

kspacewalk2 wrote: post #46
VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One thing that an HOA might actually be good for I've gotten nothing but benefits from living in neighborhoods with HOAs. Basic stuff like funding for landscapers to keep up the shared grassy areas along the streets, to plowing the access roads in winter time. But the main benefit has always been that it provides a legal mechanism to force everyone to maintain their yards and property. No need to drop passive-aggre…

To each their own. I much prefer to live in the neighbourhood where each neighbour does what they feel like with their property, within reason. It ought not be any business of yours what I do with my yard, front or back, as long as it doesn't adversely affect your enjoyment of your own property - and this last part is key - as a reasonable person would interpret it. In other words, smells and health hazards - sure. U…

> and the laughter of children

This I will take a nuanced position on. If your kids are playing in the backyard, and it doesn't impact me at all ... perfect please enjoy life.

But I can often hear people outside, especially children screeching and yelling, over my television with all of my doors and windows shut and the air conditioner on full blast.

In those scenarios, the laughter IS adversely affecting the ability of other people to enjoy their own property.

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