Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Hi everyone

Ok- this may sound like a stupid question but how bad are they?? :scared:

Have just returned from a local shopping trip and my two daughters persuaded me to buy mosquito nets for their beds. I think they will be more for show than anything or at least I hope they will...

We will be moving to Newmarket, Ontario in early September. Has the season ended by then?

Can you leave windows open if they are not screened?

In Europe, the mosi's make direct hits on both my husband and I, so I am not relishing the thought of several months with the little blighters!

Comments please.

Bombards :cool:

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

I was in Newmarket last night. I couldn't tell you if I was bitten there because my arms and legs are already covered with bite marks from mosquitos and deer flies, but I did notice catching some flying bug thing in my teeth. I think the bugs will be gone by September. I wouldn't leave an unscreened door or window open in the summer but I may have a lower tolerance than you.

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

I've not been bothered much by the bugs this year, and I tend to forget to close the screen on my patio door. I think things are worse in Cottage Country :eek:

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Or in any sort of wooded area.

Incidentally, Bombards, what I was doing in Newmarket was looking for a liquor store while the other half was riding nearby. I found a big new one on Yonge Street, large selection including a "Vintages" room (that's for the premium wine imports). Lots of rough customers in there, dropping stuff all over the place, one even propositioned me. It wasn't genteel but, I suppose, you've got to accept that there'll be some PWT out in the country and it's probably different in the daytime.

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Eat fresh garlic and the mosquitos will leave you alone.

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Thanks dbd33

"Two birds with one stone" so to speak!!

If I get drunk enough, perhaps I wont feel or care about the mosquito's!!!!!!!! :beer:


Sorry to sound thick but what are PWT'S????

Bombards

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Poor White Trash, a vulgar term used to describe rural people, especially in America. It's a running joke that I drive a white trash car because none of the people who shout "Nice car, buddy" ever has any teeth or a complete set of clothes.

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Doesnt work. DEETs about the only thing I trust.

Its worse outside the cites, and all homes have screens anyway so its an academic point. And yes, they are done by September, mostly.

They can be annoying. Annoying enough that we got a $400 SkeeterVac (not the crappy cheaper one without the vacuum system, they dont work) , and it catches large numbers for us...even more than are plastered on the front of the car! I'll post a picture of the trap basket sometime...probably a couple of hundred thousand little bastard corpses from about a weeks worth of trapping.

With the aid of the trap our yard is mostly OK, until after dark. For the few that hang around we use the kiddy OFF deet spray, and can live our lives in comfort.

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Lots of them here in Cornwall and I'm a hopeless scratcher. So once bitten the result seems to hang around forever! :(

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Its not so much that the mosquitoes are that bad

But DEET will become your best friend

and it's not just because the bites irritate...

But because West Nile is becoming a reality in Canada :(

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

We've been having good luck with an Off! candle thing. It's a cone with a candle in the bottom and tabs of some active ingredient for the top. In the end though, I feel I have to go out despite the bugs as there are six months of cold and darkness ahead.

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

How bad are they well people spray toxi chemicals (Deet0 on themselves and then fog their enitre cities with malathion. Mosquito-plagued Winnipeg calls out fogging crews

Iaink,
will be tryoing the garlic spray today, Fresh garlic consumed isn't supposed to work but the spraying of garlic oil is. Stepnek dab with a cold wet tea bag and the itch will go away.

The girls are trying tea oil on their legs this summer as they tend to rip them up during the night, so far no problems.

I'll let you know on the garlic.

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

And does anyone know the toxicity or otherwise of the so called "natural" cures? Its boring I know but i prefer a more objective scientific approach.

West nile doesnt bother me, its largely a non event for all but the very sick, very old or very young, but as DBD says, its a long cold winter, so I'm damned if a few invertibrates and some humidity are going to keep me in.

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Mosquitos are attracted to alcohol so the more you drink the more you will get bit

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Bwahahahahaha... :D

IMO, mosquitos are nothing compared to blackflies! Though you probably won't have to worry so much about them in Newmarket (thank your lucky stars! :D).

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Erm, I think you should pay a bit more attention to the bug screens. If my memory serves, where you are in Oakville is Canada's West-Nile Central. When I lived in that area (only a couple of years ago), I was pulling dead crows and bluejays out of the ditch almost daily. I was even asked to take a blood test by the local health authorities, just in case. Not that I want to worry you or anything....

The mozzies are variable in their ferocity, BTW. The ones up on Montreal's south shore are gits. After a few hours in my MIL's back yard last summer, I looked as if I'd stepped into the path of someone with a sawn-off 12-gauge.

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So will everyone else.

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So there is NO hope for me then!! It's alcohol and mosi bites all next summer...

God, I never realised there were sooo many bugs.

What are black flies? And yes, even I can guess they are flies that are black in colour!!!

Looks like the tent we've just bought will stay in it's box for a very long time!!!

Bombards :D

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Little flies that bite and physically remove a chunk of flesh in the process. No fun, but only found in more remote spots.

http://res2.agr.gc.ca/ecorc/diptera/bf11-dp11_e.htm

Is there nothing the canadian government doesnt have a web page for?

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Horrible little buggers that tend to fly around in swarms, they are more short lived than the mossies and tend to be at the worst at the beginning of summer. If you live near water (duh this is Canada), running water breeds black fly, static water breeds mossies. Get screens!!!!!!

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Well the fashion police have obviously not seen that web page!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God- there was me thinking of all the great reasons to relocate to Canada only to be presented with enough bugs and creepy crawleys to keep me awake for a week.

Well it's too late to change my mind now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bombards

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

These are the ones I hate :

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2115.html

the bite gets a yellowish scab which itches. Invariably I scratch it off leaving a bleeding cut 1/4 to 1/2 and inch long. That then gets a scab and, if I scratch that off too it scars. I could, of course, choose not to scratch but more things are biting all the time.

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Now I really am going to be sick!

Bombarffs

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Sorry if that was a little graphic. The camera's at home or I would have provided pictures of typical bites.

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Will pass on that - thank's

So, am I going to get malaria or some other nasy infection?

Can I get the whole family injected against any of the above or had I better hot foot it down to Boot's and purchase ALL available bug spray in Bury???

Bombards

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

There's bugger all chance of getting malaria or similar. Yes, we're covered in bite marks but we've been camping a lot, searching for moose in bogs, riding outdoors a couple of times a week, kayaking in a swamp and generally doing lots of bug prone things. I suggest a trip to Canadian Tire, two cans of Backwoods Off! and an Off! candle.

What I would bring from the UK is Bendryl spray, it's good for itching and I don't think you can get it here (at least I assume not as it's something people often ask me to bring from the US. That, Marlboro and melatonin are the common requests.)

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

I have got so much to learn... sorry but what is Backwoods Off!???

And I thought I was doing so well talking to my "relocator on my cell" ! just before.

I appear to have a whole new vocabulary to learn. ( Sat outside, covered in bug spray, surrounded by garlic...)

Thanks in anticipation

Bombards :) :) :)

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IMO, I think you really only need to be aware about the West Nile virus and Lyme disease (from infected ticks), as far as insects go anyway. Risks from other creatures are another story. :D

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Oh !

Off! is a brand of bug spray. I'm not sure if Backwoods Off! is an alternative to Downtown Off! or Suburban Off! or if it's just part of the name but we used it at a very buggy cottage on the weekend with good results. I believe it's 20% Deet. The effectiveness of the sprays increases with Deet content but then so does the probable health risk. The Off! candle is a high tech alternative to the traditional and, imo, ineffective, citronella.

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Redneck aftershave.

;)

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Meant to eat a glove a day, the special forces used to eat it in the jungle.....leaches don't like it either......then afterwards you eat a barrelful of apples to neutrilise your breath so it doesn't smell. :D :D

Re: Mosquitos!!!!!
 

Y'all know this year we've been releasing our inner trash. Who needs Appalachia ?

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The strongest DEET out there. Just dont get it on your plastic sunglass lenses. :(

On the bright side, be glad its Canada and not Australia. The Australian "Lonely Planet" Guide has a much thicker section on things that will kill you:D Here its pretty tame, a few bears, the odd black widow spider, thats about it. There its sharks, jellyfish, spiders, snakes, all kinds of em!

Mostly I dont have a problem with the bugs, but I dont recommend walking in the woods at dusk either! The only time they really get me is if my chain breaks or I have a puncture on my bike...thats why my saddlebag always contains a small spray bottle of backwoods OFF. Emergency use only! Otherwise the skintastic or the kids spray works for regular light duty living in the country. When I lived in town there was no problem at all.

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The cure sounds far worse than the problem.

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I can hear the banjos dueling!

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Up river there was a shack with a sign "We don't call 911" !

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I can only hear the funeral march!!

Thank you everyone, for such graphic details. I look forward to sharing my horror stories next summer...

Bombards
:) :) :)

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Mine's trashier :p

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But you own. We rented.

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Ya yous aint legit, yous was juss purtendin.