Bar oil residue and mosquitoes?

[Fred Wright]

Folks,

The woodlot floods when we get a good rain. Normally this time of year, we're innundated with skeeters. We've had plenty of standing water in the woods this spring but there haven't been any skeeters.

Was out there recently observing the standing water. The surface was wiggling, I figured it was full of mosquito larvae. Also noticed what appeared to be a slight oily sheen on the surface.

This past winter I did a good 4 cord of felling and bucking. Piles of chips were all over the place. I'm wondering, maybe you folks have an idea, if the bar oil residue on them chips is what's keeping the skeeter population down.

Thoughts?

 

[kyle1!]

It has been wet and cool here in central IA. If we ever get some heat that larvae will hatch into a bazillion/gazillion blood thirty pests. I'm sure the oil is not helping them in that puddle but what about the other puddles in the area. It is gonna be bad :eek2: soon

Brian

 

[Cheesecutter]

Mosquitoes aren't out here yet either, but we sure have a buttload of gnats. I'm sure its inevitable that the miserable little buggers will start their feast next week.

 

[Fifelaker]

You don't have any because they are all here!:msp_angry:

 

[GeeVee]

You just jinxed yourself, Fredrick.

 

[deepsouth]

Yes, could be. Where I grew up was mosquito heaven and any still water left around would also be used for breeding.

And putting a fuel or oil film on the top would avoid that if there was a reason for having the water (usually just tipped garden buckets etc out right after rain).

Sounds like you need to drain your wood lot swamp
Or get frogs in

 

[woodchuck357]

Oil on water is a good way of keeping skeeter popultions down

but if you are seeing wiggle-tails in the water there isn't enough to smother them. I used to use oil on standing water to kill them buggers and it takes more than a little to keep the larvae from poking their snorkel breathing apparatus thru it.
I keep several partially water filled containers scattered around for the adults to lay eggs in. Every few days I add water(if there has been no rain) to encourage the eggs laid above the water line to hatch. When I see larvae in the water I spray with a pyrethrins mix I get from a farm store. I figure they are going to lay eggs somewhere so I make it easy for them to do it in a place where I can kill them easily. Dumping the water would just send them some where else.

If you live far enough north so they will not be able to live thru the winter release some "feeder" guppies into the standing ponds. They are cheap and they scarf up skeeter larvae like nothing else.

Putting out humming bird feeders is another way of getting rid of some of the adults. Baby hummers are raised on regurgitated small insects.

 

[blades]

Bats love skeeters

 

[bert0168]

Go throw a shot glass or two of bleach in there and watch the dance come to an end

 

[bert0168]

Bats love skeeters

sure but they don't get then all

 

[603doug]

The oil like sheen could be tannins from rotting leaves. Drop of Joy dish detergent will sink oil (do not let the Coast Guard see it )

 

[ShaneLogs]

The mosquitos have been in full force here too. There getting bad with the rain we had.

 

[7sleeper]

You guys are all in the amature league compared to all the flooding we are having here.

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