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Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

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181–190 of 320 posts

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#181
post #45

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…

> people parking their cars on their lawns. Indeed, God forbid people would like to park their cars on their property!

Some people like living in communities that look nice. It seems fair that you can opt-in to those rules by buying in an HOA, and if you do want to park on your lawn, buy elsewhere.

(And I am not a fan of HOAs personally, so I do in fact live elsewhere, but my neighbors house is also an eyesore)

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

The issue is that it's hard to agree on where the line is and (without a HOA) impossible to enforce. Wildflowers? Generally good. Tall grass that allows rats to thrive and spread into adjacent yards? Bad. Most people don't want to have to go to court to battle pedantic neighbors who confuse the two.

If it comes to it, cops, 311 and probably other means are available. It's possible to enforce and court is not needed.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I’m sure those community standards don’t suggest in any way that they might impinge on the freedom of expression of any minorities who might consider moving to the neighbourhood…

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#184
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…

> edit: apparently you guys don't like HOAs haha. Well I love them. Keeps the neighborhood from looking like a dump.

This is so good, it can be used as a textbook definition of a strawman.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#185
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've gotten nothing but benefits from living in neighborhoods with HOAs. I'm happy somebody has. Except for you, I have never heard anything but nightmares from the people I know who suffer under HOAs.

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.

> place where they are constantly at odds with the agreed-upon standards of the community.

I didn't write those standards, so why would I agree with them? Should I be homeless now?

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#186
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

What I'm implying is: HOAs can mandate bad things, including in various cases lawns, because an absence of good reasoning when mimicking others isn't the preserve of individuals.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#187
post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Porcelain isn't zero percent porous. It's just the least porous material that can also support the weight of two people when fashioned into the shape of a toilet. There's a reason toilet cleaners still contain bleach.

Two people - what are people doing on their toilet? (Or do you just mean 2x normal weight, as a safety factor?)

This whole thread is comedy gold.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#188
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…

"Keeps the neighborhood from looking like a dump."

The single highest priority in life. Completely reasonable to give up everything else to get that.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#189
post #28
post #18

Every time I have read science guys about things that you can do to kill mosquitos there is an analogy to putting a drain in the ocean. You can kill mosquitos at a fantastic rate but, unless you are also killing them in all your neighbor's yards for a mile around, they are just going to keep coming as fast as they die.

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…

I would love to live in a neighborhood full of meadow style gardens, where native plants are allowed to flower and feed bees, with bug habitats instead of neatly cut astroturf looking golf green lawns chock full of pesticides.

I can't understand the people that think the artificial look holds any beauty whatsoever.

Re: Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death

#190

The comments saying that other sources of water need to be removed are spot on. Another technique I've tried which works (observably) well is described in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BhV-o77RqQ tl;dw: Get a big drum fan with a screen on the back, attached with small/powerful magnets. Mosquitos are such poor flyers that they get pulled against the screen and can't escape, and they pretty quickly desic…

Unclear from the video: do you need to use any sort of bait or lure to attract mosquitoes upstream of the fan?
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