Group:
Slight OT post ... so, having moved to LA from England, and having largely completed the unpacking we've started to turn our attention to the garden. Last night while planting in the twilight I got eaten alive by mosquitoes (or at any rate little insecty things). I'm not too keen on slapping on anti-bug stuff all over myself ... what do other folks do to keep the mosquitoes at bay? Are these blue zapper lights any good?
TIA
Den
PS: Now I understand why the windows have screens!
What part of California? Our climates vary from alpine, through Mediterranean and near-tropical, to desert.
LOLOL I can't imagine summer without mosquitoes. I like using citronella candles, they can help and create a nice atmosphere as well. There are citronella plants as well, lemon geraniums, and believe it or not......Avon Skin So Soft.
Lisa
Err ... Los Angeles.
DWe live in Southern California and find that the region is remakrably free of mosquitoes. In visiting other parts of the country I am usually eaten alive. Here, I can wonder around in the evenings and almost never encounter a mosquito. It must be that the particular location where you live has lots of standing water. The dry climate of California usually provides very few natural places for breeding.
Dick
citronella
There are
not......Avon
Gaaack! I play volleyball with someone that uses citronella bug repellant. The stuff smells so bad I feel like gagging.
Bob
First of all, let me give you the official California greeting, "Welcome to California, now go home!"
Bug zappers work reasonably well, although the sound of the bugs getting burnt a little squeamish. So if you intend to use one, keep it a little further away from where you typically sit. Citronella candles don't work too well, unless the weather is calm.
Anyways the mosquito season is just about over, the smaller creeks, and storm drains are all starting to dry out. Check your property for any buckets or pots that has any water in them, even an centimeter or two, is enough. If you have a bird feeder, be sure to empty it every few days and replace it with fresh water.
After this week's extreme heat and extremely low humidity, I think the problem will soon be gone. Although mosquitos are occasionally annoying in southern California, they are not a serious problem unless you live adjacent to a persistent wetland or some other breeding area (e.g., ornamental pond without fish).
Get the _Western_Garden_Book_ published by Sunset. Figure out what microclimate you are in -- the exact growing conditions can vary greatly in the distance of just a few miles. The greater LA map has 10 different climates listed. Climate varies by distance to the ocean, canyons, and altitude.
Drip irrigation is very important to conserve water.
If you have mosquitos, eliminate all standing water. West Nile virus has been detected in southern California.
-matt
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