This, not that

pollinator-safe mosquito solutions...

Bea and Harriet are raising painted lady butterflies that we plan to release in our neighborhood pollinator garden.

This morning, Harriet came downstairs a little before seven. “Mama, I’m so itchy!” she said. She had bug bites all over from our weekend of swimming and playing outside. Luckily a little anti-itch cream later, applied by Bea, and she was feeling much better.

Living in the South in the summer—most anywhere in the summer—bugs are a part of life. Mosquitoes, no-see-ums (this is what bit Harriet, I think), chiggers, ticks, and horseflies can tempt the best of us to pick up the phone and call a mosquito service—maybe assuaging our guilt by calling one of the “all-natural” places. I know, because I’ve done it! But no more, because spray services are harmful to birds, bats, bees, butterflies, and even people and pets.

Here are the best reasons not to hire a mosquito service:

1. It doesn’t actually work that well! Insect spraying may kill the mosquitoes in your yard at the time, but mosquitoes regularly travel 1-3 miles, so more will set up shop soon. Mosquito foggers also just kill adult insects, not eggs or larvae.

2. Mosquito sprays also harm pollinators like butterflies, bees, birds, and bats, which is a huge problem. We need these animals for our ecosystems and farms—they’re essential to life on Earth!

3. Killing bats is doubly problematic because guess what bats love to eat? Mosquitoes!

4. Many people say mosquito spray isn’t harmful to humans—the amount of pesticide is small, calibrated to kill a tiny insect! Plus it’s permitted by the EPA, etc. But the EPA lets all kinds of toxic chemicals (PFAS, for example) slide, so we don’t feel totally convinced. Why add more chemicals to the mix when they don’t work well anyway?

5. Once the spray settles, it lands on leaves and soil and eventually gets washed away by rain. The chemicals turn up in streams and rivers, where they’re especially harmful to amphibians (big mosquito consumers).

Instead of mosquito services, we’ve found these tips to be most helpful against unwanted insects…

1. Get rid of standing water! Look for tarps, watering cans, potion jars, anything that can collect rain water. This is where mosquitoes breed. Drain these areas and make sure they can’t collect more rain water.

2. Change your behavior. Spend less time outside at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active, or wear long, loose-fitting pants and shirts at these times. We think of the woods as free-for-roaming in winter/fall/early spring, but we’re more careful in the summer. Mosquito-borne viruses (very serious) aren’t a huge problem where we live (yet), but tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, are. So we stay away from long grass, brush, and deep woods unless we’re wearing long pants and sleeves.

3. Use outdoor fans on decks or other outdoor areas. Mosquitoes will avoid this area.

4. The Sierra Club says that personal insect repellant (applied to skin and clothing) is the most helpful protection:

Whenever you are outside, use insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil. The best way to keep mosquitoes from biting is to use a personal insect repellant, advises Jean Ponzi, Green Resources manager with the EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Gardens. Mosquitoes are attracted by the CO2 we respire through our skin and since everyone's chemistry is different, you may have to try a few repellants to see what works best. 

I’ve liked No-bite-me, but my friend Cat Warren (who has the best recommendations and spends a lot of time in fields and woods) recently suggested using a product with Picaridin 20%. It’s DEET-free and protects against mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks, and no-see-ums.

5. Our favorite advice—plant anti-mosquito gardens! Mosquitoes dislike citronella, catnip, lavender, lemon balm, basil, rosemary, bee balm, and many other lovely, easy-to-grow plants that pollinators happen to love!

What about you? What’s worked best to repell unwanted insects without killing pollinators? Do you have a favorite after-bite product? I feel sure that the Frog Troublers will have some good advice…