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kposey · 05-28-2007, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brown bear

Hey gang, our problem has always been ANTS.ANTS.and ANTS. They climb up the power cord, the fresh water hose, the stabilizer jacks, the tires, and the electric jack stand. It does not matter if we are at the beach or the mountains, the ANTS always welcome us. I know that with all of your camping experience, someone has come up with a way to discourage these pesky critters. Any and all help will be appreciated and will be tried , Thanks, Pat B

Borax! The ants ingest it then take it back to their nests. The only thing I have found that works. You can get it in powder form or liquid. Ace Hardware has the liquid and it is called Terro.

LI Pets · 05-28-2007, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottW

One extreme measure is to use bovine (cow) ear tags available at any Farm Coop. Use care when handling them (gloves). put one on each stabilizer, and the power cord/hose. will repel all insects.

Hey Scott can you explain how they work?

ScottW · 05-28-2007, 10:33 AM

Ranchers clip one to an ear on the cow. Normal sweat helps spread the repellant. If you put one on each stabilizer and/or each compartment, the odor will repel insects. As Doorgunner said, it is effective nasty stuff. Actually had an Airstream Tech guy tell me about several of his customers that use them. Just wear a glove.

guy99 · 05-28-2007, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlenCoombe

Julie is running a mist net station to catch and band birds on the bombing range lately. She found "Thermocell" units for not a lot of money. They use sheets impregnated with "pyrethrin" (spelling not sure of) and are powered by a small integral replaceable fuel cell. All for about $20.
The little unit worked so well that they all discounted it's worth while on their first outing. After switching the unit off they soon became aware of it's value as the flying vampires returned almost immediatly.
I'll get the details and post here later.... she just left for work...

Bats, while bat houses are a great idea and the little guys are actually great to have around, they do little to control skeeters. Sorry Guy.

Bats feed on larger prey. They go for moths and bigger flying insects, hence the cast catch I guess. They will consume mosquitoes but they prefer the larger insects. While we lived in Florida Julie did quite a bit of bat work. In fact we met the first time at a costume party where she came as a bat.

I've done some extended duty as a bat catcher, cause I'm good with a net. Very cool critters and you all should have some. In bat boxes, not your attic.

Oh, and I'm so tuned into them that I can smell them. We walk around the historic area of town and I can tell you each of the many buildings they're making their homes in. Pretty talented Huh?

I think this might be the unit you are referring to http://www.mosquitorepellent.com/category-cordless.html

Any chance we have different bats out my way? I would swear I've sen them gorging on mosquitoes.

The fly I caught the bat on was a #18 or 20 midge pattern. Certainly smaller than some of our mosquitoes.

nickcrowhurst · 05-28-2007, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrs_RedSHED

You say you also spray the water hose. Do you take any extra measures when rolling up your water hose to avoid contamination of the ends?

Mrs_RedSHED

I screw the ends of the hose into each other after coiling, and before stowing. I only spray a short section of the hose that is in the air, close to the trailer connection. Terro is also the syrup we use inside the trailer, I now recall.
Nick.

ibgl6 · 05-28-2007, 02:57 PM

I have put comet around tires and powercords ants wont cross it I guess it burns there foot haha dont know but seems to work unless it rains then it is back to putting it out again...SAM

guy99 · 05-28-2007, 03:29 PM

Living with Bats
CA Department of Fish & Game

"Another benefit that bats provide is all natural pest control. Worldwide, bats are the most important natural predators of night-f lying insects. just one of California's little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) can catch and eat 600 mosquitoes per hour. The 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) from Bracken Cave in Texas eat 250 tons of insects nightly. A colony of ISO big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) can protect local farmers from up to 18 million or more crop-damaging rootworms each summer. Recognizing that bats help control insects and reduce the need for and expense of chemical pesticides, many farmers and vintners are now constructing bat houses or otherwise encouraging bats to reside on their property. Homeowners also construct or purchase bat houses to attract bats for pest control. Bat houses are often installed nearby a home or business to provide new lodging for bats evicted as unwelcome guests in the attic."

jdalrymple · 05-28-2007, 03:33 PM

Bats work. Search the web for several bat house plans and suggestions for places to intall them. I have seen and heard of the propane/CO2 method, most say it works. I believe Coleman makes one for RV use, more portable and a little less money.

guy99 · 05-28-2007, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottW

Ranchers clip one to an ear on the cow. Normal sweat helps spread the repellant. If you put one on each stabilizer and/or each compartment, the odor will repel insects. As Doorgunner said, it is effective nasty stuff. Actually had an Airstream Tech guy tell me about several of his customers that use them. Just wear a glove.

They are nasty. Suggest you check them out before you use them. Especially if children are around.

Organophosphate insecticides fact sheet
Organophosphate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Smokin Camel · 05-28-2007, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottW

One extreme measure is to use bovine (cow) ear tags available at any Farm Coop. Use care when handling them (gloves). put one on each stabilizer, and the power cord/hose. will repel all insects.

Now I am wondering, maybe the tags had something to do with it???

Up here in Wisconsin the Mosquito is our state bird (some chamber of commerce types will say it's the Robin, but most of us know better).

A number of years back they were really bad near the end of June. All you could hear was a buzzing sound. Some of them were the big ones. You know the kind that suck blood by the quart.

I noticed more than a few of them were near me.

So I walked real fast (never run from predator, it will trigger the pursuit instincts---that is either for mosquitos or dogs, I forget which

. I walked through a heard of Angus just as the skeeters were gaining on me. I was lucky and they got distracted by all of those Angus steers. Three or four of them were pulling one of the steers into the slough to drown it. Right then I made my escape to the car!

All this time I thought it was the Angus, but maybe those ear tags is what distracted those skeeters.

Aria · 05-28-2007, 07:55 PM

I know this does work for ants. 1/3 sugar 2/3 borax(20 mule team borax)washing soda. I add borax and detergent to wash our clothes.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-28-2007, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aria

I know this does work for ants. 1/3 sugar 2/3 borax(20 mule team borax)washing soda. I add borax and detergent to wash our clothes.

Hi, how many mules are there in the twenty mule team?

guy99 · 05-29-2007, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, how many mules are there in the twenty mule team?

Eighteen.

LI Pets · 05-29-2007, 05:57 PM

Don't ask why but wasn't there a lead horse?

So 21

tin sista · 05-29-2007, 06:08 PM

I know what has not worked on northern MI mosquitos, citronella, organic deet alternatives, yard gard, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by guy99

If you are a fly fisherman, watch your back-cast, I have caught a bat on my back-cast, guess he thought my fly looked pretty buggy.

So I gotta ask, what happened with the bat? As a new fly fisherwoman, I was wondering about the bat disentangling technique...seriously, did it survive?

ROBERTSUNRUS · 05-29-2007, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guy99

Eighteen.

Hi, there were 18 mules and 2 draft horses. [on the twenty mule team] guy99 was right and LI Pets was on the right track.

Wabbiteer · 05-29-2007, 09:15 PM

He's now marketing "Elvira's Bat Spit Fly Dressing" and making a killing??

guy99 · 05-29-2007, 09:16 PM

Cut to the chase, it flew away.

It took a while to figure out what was happening, at first I thought I'd snagged a backcast (I'm sure you've never done that). Once I figured out I had something on, I started to reel in. When I got enough line in so that I could see the bat clearly (and maybe he could 'see' me too), he got off. I was relieved.

bigeasy63 · 06-29-2007, 06:22 PM

If you like sitting outside during the warm evenings but can't stand the 'skeeters, (and other bugs), try getting a box fan and point it toward you. They'll run from the breeze and you'll be cool.

Alumatube · 06-29-2007, 07:08 PM

And not just in our belfrys either!

We have at least two bats that zip around over our house and the corral at dusk. I would guess they are not after mosquitoes since they are pretty high. They like our barn light--must be like the fluorescent lighting on the buffet table to them.

Here's a pic I actually got of one of them last year. I'm still amazed I got it that well.