# Mosquito treatment around hives



## Mandkfarmer (Feb 14, 2013)

I have a couple hives in my back yard, staying treatment free, using no pesticides and the Mosquito's are just loving life around here. Obviously I can't control the neighborhood, but has anyone found a safe, bee friendly spray? 
I thought about just making up an esential oils spray and just wipe down with it.... but anytime anyone would need to go outside we would have to do this...
Trying to come up with something to spray the yard just to keep them away.

Any suggestions?

Thanks


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Build a bat house, we have nearly 100 bats that fly out of ours we rarely have a mosquito and we have a pond 100 yards from the apiary


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## Deezil (Jul 1, 2013)

I've been reading on mosquito-repelling plants, actually..

Lemongrass
Citronella grass
Marigolds
Catnip
Garlic
Herbs like mint, rosemary


.. Do bats eat bees? 
I like the idea of bat houses, myself


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## roberto487 (Sep 22, 2012)

Deezil said:


> I've been reading on mosquito-repelling plants, actually..
> 
> Lemongrass
> Citronella grass
> ...



I doubt it, bats are night dwellers and bees day dwellers. Mosquitoes are 24/7 dwellers. So, when the bats are out the bees are sleeping and vice versa.


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## jeffnmo (Mar 16, 2013)

I agree with Tenbears, Bats keep the little blood suckers in line. As far as some of the plants I think they help but coverage is limited


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## jwhatman (Nov 26, 2012)

I have had a bat house here for 2 years and no bats. Keep looking for them to occupy it, but no luck. I have had it mounted to my rear garage up high, and now on a 10ft pole, no luck yet. Any ideas?


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## jeffnmo (Mar 16, 2013)

Can't think of why bats wouldn't move in. Will do a little research and see if I come up with anything. good luck


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## Blackwater Bees (May 7, 2012)

Spraying your yard won't help if you cant do anything about the neighbors yards. Mosquitos normally fly only about 100 yds from hatch to bite. Contact your neighbors and as a group, get rid of every drop of standing water, flower pots, birdbaths, stopped up gutters, etc. That will solve it. Now if you have something you cant drain (like storm drains, or ditches), a product called mosquito dunks will solve that. Its a "doughnut" that dissolves to release BT, a harmless bacteria that will feed on the mosquito larvae. The thing I like about them is they dissolve in water, if the water dries up, they stop working and will start working again the next time they're wet. Lowes sells them, or you can order online. 
Bats all across the country are taking a beating from several diseases. Some areas the bats have pretty much died out. I would also look at purple martins, they do eat a few bees, but not enough to notice in population levels.


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## RiodeLobo (Oct 11, 2010)

They do make mosquito traps which can be effective. 
http://www.consumersearch.com/mosquito-traps


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## Mandkfarmer (Feb 14, 2013)

Thanks everyone..... I'm going to go the bat route.... just another reason to get in the wood shop and build something and help the bat population while doing it.


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## jdmidwest (Jul 9, 2012)

I had a skeeter pick a small Indiana bat out of the air last night. Any other suggestions?

I too have a skeeter problem. We have had so much rain the last few weeks that it is like a tropical jungle around here and the little vampires are thriving. I have seriously considered suiting up just to work in the garden.


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