Declare Victory over Vampires!

The threat of the Zika virus invading our territory is becoming more and more real for those of us who live in steamy southern states. And even in the not-so tropical North, pesky mosquitoes can ruin the day.

Don’t become an unwilling blood donor to hungry skeeters when you’re relaxing outside this summer. Set out oscillating fans to keep the air moving, and when you’re barbecuing, toss a handful of sage, rosemary, or citrus peels on the coals. Both strategies will make mosquitoes keep their distance. But for long-term control, you need to eliminate the little devils’ breeding grounds. And that’s really not as hard as it may sound. Here’s your six-item to-do list:

1.   Get rid of any water-collecting debris, like old tires or discarded buckets.

2.   Fill in holes and any low-lying areas in your yard where rainwater collects.

3.   Change your pets’ water at least once a day, and clean and refill birdbaths every couple of days.

4.   Empty portable wading pools as soon as the kids (or pets) are through using them. Then turn them upside down or take them indoors.

5.   Keep rain barrels covered.

6.   To make water gardens and other permanent water features off-limits, use either Laginex® or Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). Both are available online and in many garden centers, and both kill mosquitoes without harming any other living things. Just one word of advice: If you go with Bti, make sure you look for slow-release tablets; some brands lose their effectiveness after about three days, so you’ll have to add more.

6 Signs of a Skeeter-Borne Disease

While mosquitoes do most of their dirty work in tropical countries, they can spread a number of serious diseases in the United States, the most infamous being West Nile virus and several forms of encephalitis.

But—and this should get your attention, folks—more kinds of skeeters are heading our way and bringing their sinister baggage with them. A recent case in point: two Caribbean species that transmit the crippling chikungunya virus, which was first diagnosed here in 2014.

Despite wide differences in both severity and damage, all mosquito-borne diseases share similar early warning signs. So if you’re bitten by a skeeter and experience any of these symptoms, see your doctor ASAP:

• Chills
• Fever
• Headache
• Low blood pressure
• Malaise
• Nausea

Spread or spray one of these DIY formulas on your skin to keep mosquitoes from having their wicked way with you:

1. Straight rubbing alcohol
2. A (gentler) half-and-half mix of rubbing alcohol and Avon Skin-So-Soft^™ bath oil
3. A half-and-half mix of water and pure, clear vanilla (available online and at health-food stores—not to be confused vanilla extract)
4. Mentholated rub (This also a terrific tick repellent.)

Declare Victory over Vampires!

Don’t become an unwilling blood donor to hungry mosquitoes when you’re relaxing outside this summer. Set out oscillating fans to keep the air moving, and when you’re barbecuing, toss a handful of sage, rosemary, or citrus peels on the coals. Both strategies will make mosquitoes keep their distance. But for long-term control, you need to eliminate the little devils’ breeding grounds. And that’s really not as hard as it may sound. Here’s your six-item to-do list:

1. Get rid of any water-collecting debris, like old tires or discarded buckets.
2. Fill in holes and any low-lying areas in your yard where rainwater collects.
3. Change your pets’ water at least once a day, and refill birdbaths every couple of days.
4. Empty portable wading pools as soon as the kids (or pets) are through using them. Then turn them upside down or take them indoors.
5. Keep rain barrels covered.
6. To make water gardens and other permanent water features off-limits, use either Laginex® or Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). Both are available online and in many garden centers, and both kill mosquitoes without harming any other living things. Just one word of advice: If you go with Bti, make sure you look for slow-release tablets; some brands lose their effectiveness after about three days, so you’ll have to add more. 

Put “Pest Peeves” in the Past!

Annoying insects come in all shapes and sizes, from munching mosquitoes to freewheeling fruit flies. Try whipping up a pest repellent from simple ingredients that you already have on hand.

Ants

To get rid of a colony, you need to eliminate the brains behind the brawn: the queen, who’s doing nothing but churning out eggs. And here’s an easy way to do it: Sprinkle instant grits on top of the anthill. The worker ants will carry the grains into the nest, where they and Her Majesty will have a feast. Within 48 hours or so, the whole colony will be history.

Earwigs

Drop dollops of bacon grease into shallow containers, like jar lids or cat food cans, and set them around your kitchen. Then all you’ll need to do is pick up the traps and dump the ugly bugs into a bucket of soapy water.

Cockroaches

Apply a liberal glob of petroleum jelly all around the inside of a glass jar, then partially fill the jar with some kind of bait, like beer-soaked bread or pieces of fruit. Wrap the outside of the jar with a paper towel, and set it where you’ve seen the bugs. They’ll crawl up the paper towel to get to the bait, fall into the jar, and then won’t be able to get back out!

Spiders

To prevent spiders from webbing up your windows, spray rubbing alcohol on the sills or scatter a handful of perfumed soap shavings on the sills. Either method will deter Miss Spider from spinning her web.

Fruit flies

Fill a small glass halfway with apple cider vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid. Mix well, then set the glass away from areas where people gather. The annoying flies will be drawn to the glass, fall in, and drown.

Mosquitoes

For my money, no commercial repellent can beat the ones that you can grow in your herb garden: lemon thyme, lemon balm, and lemon basil. To put them to work, all you have to do is crush the leaves to release their volatile oils, and rub them on your skin. You’ll love the strong, citrusy scent—but skeeters will avoid you like the plague!