Mosquitoes

[bond]

It's very hot and humid here, and has been for several days. I live 1km from the Thames, and whenever a window is left open at night I am plagued with mozzies. Some of my friends think they don't exist in the UK cos they never see them (silly, but lucky). Do they travel far, or does it just depend on environment even if you are not right next to a water source ? There hasn't been any rain here for at least three weeks.

[rockyracoon]

Do you have any standing water or a water butt in the garden, these are the places that the damn mozzies lay eggs.

[woofgang]

buckets with a drop of water in, waterbutts without a lid, even plant drip trays that continually have water in are enough for them to breed and hatch. Maybe you or a neighbour have got even a small amount of standing water somewhere nearby?

[woofgang]

snap rocky!

[tamborine]

I live by Thames but no mozzies as I clear any static water in boats, butts & buckets.

[bond]

Thanks, I didn't realise they only need the tiniest bit of water to breed and spread out. But am I still correct in thinking only the pregnant females bite in order to feed their eggs? So what is the chance of being bitten and can pregnant females "sniff out" a human being?

[woofgang]

yes the pregnant females can sniff out humans (actually i think they do it by heat seeking) and its my experience that some people are more attractive than others. I get bitten lots and react badly whereas my late DH hardly used to get bitten at all.

[rockyracoon]

I read somewhere that putting a thin layer of oil (cooking) to float on top of the water in the butt will suffocate any baby mozzies and prevent further outbreaks, or loads of polystyrene balls floating on the top to completely cover the surface area also has the same effect.

[heathfield]

Females need blood, and fly silently. Males don't need blood, and they're the ones you hear, so you needn't bother trying to swat them. A stiff breeze can mean that mossies can end up miles from any water source. They go for the heat you give off, and for the carbon dioxide from your breath, apparently. A trick I learned in the tropics was to move your bed about a foot so so from any wall, and place an oscillating fan on a table at the foot of the bed. Have the draught blow a foot or two above you, down the wall, and under the bed. This way, they never find you! (Don't have the fan blowing directly on you, or you'll likely wake up with cramps).

[Barmaid]

Rocky - we use the oil method. We live about 30 feet from a massive lake and we are loused out with the wretched things. Raid doesn't seem to touch them. I am covered in bites.

[rockyracoon]

So it does work then BM? That's good to know. :)