Organic Mosquito Control
By Bruce Lee Deuley - 7/24/03

There are years when we in the hill country have little to think about concerning the control or eradication of mosquito populations. Most years it is just too dry to support a great number of these blood-thirsty pest.

However, the past couple of years have been the exception. We have been blessed with rains the past few years. These rains have kept our fields, lawns and gardens green well into late July. Unfortunately, along with this excellent moisture comes the increased likelihood that we will be dealing with an inordinate number of pests including but not limited to mosquitoes.

Summer Mosquito

The female mosquito needs a meal of blood and all the nutrition that comes with it in order to reproduce. Many times she dines on some unsuspecting animal but if people are about she will just as likely make one of us her host.

Once bitten most of us have an allergic reaction to her saliva causing itching and swelling, which lasts for a few days and then subsides. However, these days there is another player on the field for us to deal with, West Nile Virus.

This virus has gotten a lot of attention since 1999, the first year there was a case reported in the United States. In spite of it high profile, according to the Center for Disease Control “Most WNV infected humans have no symptoms. A small proportion develops mild symptoms that include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph glands. Less than 1% of infected people develop more severe illness that includes meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord) or encephalitis. The symptoms of these illnesses can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. Of the few people that develop encephalitis, a small proportion die but, overall, this is estimated to occur in less than 1 out of 1000 infections.” There have been only nine confirmed cases in the U.S. so far this year, with four of those found here in Texas. While it is in actuality very rare, it can be a very serious disease, especially for those who are over 50 years of age or in poor health.

Organic prevention starts with the elimination of all standing water. Empty all buckets, trashcans and other receptacles and invert or cover them so they can no longer hold water. Water that can not be eliminated can be treated to prevent mosquito larvae from maturing by putting a light coating of Olive or Canola oil on the surface or better still purchase from one of the garden centers a product know as Bacillus Thurengensis. Israelis (BTi).

BTi is available in granulated or solid forms called Mosquito Dunks and is very effective for use in fountains or other water sources where you do not want to pollute but need to have some form of mosquito control. It works well in watering tanks or anywhere the water source may dry up and then be replenished, since the BTi is capable of going dry and reactivating several times before losing its effectiveness.

There are useful Sprays containing Garlic or a mixture of several herbs work well when used to spray an area such as your picnic table of back porch. These sprays repel mosquitoes for several days after application. Maestro-Gro's Garlic Pepper Tea, Victor’s Yard barrier and Gardnerville’s Anti-Fuego all seem to work well if applied to the shrubs and other dark quite areas around your house.

One other work of caution: Although there are many products containing DEET being promoted to repel mosquitoes. Considered unsafe by some scientist these products actually carry a warning on the label not to use it on children, making me wonder if it is safe for anybody. There are several safer alternatives on the market some of them such as Cactus Juice, Mosquito Defeater, and Cedarcide's Mosquito repellent are herb based and work well for most people. An effective repellent can be made by adding and ounce of vanilla extract (not imitation) and a ½ ounce of Isopropyl Alcohol to 8 ounces of water and spray or rub it on exposed part of you body. When you are out and of course wear long sleeve shirts and long pants when out in the woods or when you are going to be outside later or early in the day.

Good gardening