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[DonBartholf AT aol.com]

Dave - Mosquito abatement is one of those semi-hopeless quests that transfers money from your pocket to some slick marketers especially now that DDT is hard to get. Taking action will make you feel better but probably won't reduce the mosquito population in your backyard. If you wish, you may hand me a fist full of twenties and consider the matter dealt with.

Mosquitos breed in standing water. So if all that noisy mosquito sex going on in your backyard is keeping you awake, then get rid of standing water. If you can't drain the water, a drop of biodegradable oil on the surface will suffocate them. If the creek is flowing, then it is not a mosquito orgy site. 

Attracting mosquitos and luring them to their doom is appealing but consider the wisdom of attracting them to your house. You will not get them all in to the device and will basically increase the number of skeeters at your house while clearing out the neighbors yards. The same applies to Japanese beetle traps. Sneak over to the neighbors place and place the traps in their yard or better yet, give them to them as a housewarming present. The attracting devices give off CO2 and heat. The jury is out on whether they work. You can rig up an easy test with vinegar and baking soda. The candles do seem to work and smell good so consider those, however, they are a passive method and I know you are a man of action.  A guaranteed strategy is to encourage something that eats mosquitos to live at your house. Certain birds, dragonflies and bats fill this niche. I haven't figured out how to encourage dragonflies short of establishing a marsh ecosystem but a birdbath seems to help. They also seem to be attracted to people drinking alcoholic beverages so I do my part there after filling the bird bath. Bats can be encouraged with a bat house attached to the North side of your house near the roof. Locating a good bat house is half the fun. They do not like movement whilst resting so locating the house on a tree is no good, the house or nothing. Birds like Purple Martins eat lots of skeeters but are real hard to attract. They migrate in to this area after the sparrows have already set up shop in the Martin houses you see people putting up. The Martins will not cohabitate with the sparrows so you have to evict the sparrows just before the Martins arrive. Who has time for that! Lastly you can stay inside like my family does and come out this Fall.  A screened gazebo or porch is nice as well.  Cheers

Don Bartholf