mosquitoes...the VA state bird

[0rion]

This will be our 5th year going to VA Beach for vacation. It's great and we always have such a good time. It's a great family experience. The skeeters are always bad...particularly last year. There were a couple nights where you just couldn't stand to be outside after dark. I realize there's not a ton to do but if anyone has any tips/tricks that work I'd love to hear them. We had so many chemicals on everyone last year I'm surprised someone didn't grow a 3rd arm. The chemicals really didn't help. Thought about maybe a screen room at least to eat outside in but I imagine with everyone going in and out it would only be a matter of time before it's filled with skeeters not too mention the extra space one takes up on the trip and time setting up and taking it down.

[bukhrn]

0rion wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:

0rion wrote:
right....this isn't a thread to see who can brag about how bad they have it haha. I'm looking for solutions.

O.K. Here is the solution:

There is none, except don't go there :W

quality post right there....you've been helpful.

Helpful or not, that's our solution, we Never go to Va Beach. Has more to do with number of people vs mosquitoes, We head to the mountains, that's where the black flys get you.

[kvangil]

We use a couple thermacell units. Been using them for the past 3 years. They do help clear most of the mosquitoes, from our experience. Sometimes we'd pull into a site and several mosquitoes would be there to greet us. We setup the 2 thermacells around our site, and a few minutes later, it's relative peace... We still come home with a few bites, but would probably be more if not for the units. We run them from just before dusk, until bedtime, and in the early morning hours if we're up. They work best in a wooded site with little-to-no wind. In a wide-open site or with a lot of wind, it's pretty useless....

[Veebyes]

I beg to differ. If there is any state where the mosquito qualifies as state bird it is Alaska.

[jnharley]

Thermacell does not work for me. If there is a mosquito in the area, it finds me no matter what. Surprisingly, except for the Fairbanks area of Alaska, I had a bug free summer this year. I expected much worse. Spouse never gets bitten.

[Dtaylor]

During the summer time, we use a fan. Helps with heat and bugs. When it is too cool for the fan, we use a thermacell. Thermacells are great as long as it is not windy

[0rion]

Nutinelse2do wrote:
Have you tried Lemon Eucalyptus Cutter spray? How about Peppermint oil, Avon skin so soft original lotion, or Avon's bug spray? How about the Thermacell Units?
Heard all of these work well. Just loaded up on all of them for our first summer in the PNW and UP in 2015.
Hope you find something that works for you.

we've tried several different sprays and none are effective. We even used repel that's like 40% deet.....took all the girls fingernail polish off and the print from the table cloth stuck to everyone's arms. haha Not ideally what you want to be putting on your body every night and especially the kids. I'm going to look into the thermacell units. Haven't tried those yet. We usually run 3-4 citranella candles and I run tiki's with citranella oil in them. All the kids also have those repellents that you wear on your belt with the little fan in them. So far no luck really with any of that.

[3_dog_nights]

The Avon stuff helps for a while, unless they're hungry. I found some HD wipes that had 30% deet. It worked while on a trip in upper Wis. a few years back. Used sparingly but kept them off long enough to lose all my good lures in the weeds.
Hope that helps....

[0rion]

Caveman Charlie wrote:
I've had some luck with those yard guard type sprays that you spray around the campsite. But, they work best on a day with a slight breeze so you can spray them up wind. There is a certain chemical in them that is the best and not all of them have it. But, that info is out in my camper and it's winter here in MN so I don't remember what it is. You also have to apply them correctly , in the trees, and the tall grass around the site you want to protect.

I have a friend that has a yard sprayer that works on propane and bombs the whole yard. But, at a park some of you neighbors might not like that.

I also found that a cheap box fan plugged into my camper outside outlet and blowing a breeze the correct direction on certain days will help out the problem too.

Around here the mosquitoes are at there worst at dusk. If you bomb them before hand and then wait until after it's dark to go outside it works the best.

Not everyday is the same. Sometimes something's work and sometimes other things work. It's a******shoot. Sometimes nothing works.

I had thought about bringing a yard sprayer and doing that around the campsite.....not sure how others around us would like that though. Maybe if I brought enough to do some surrounding sites they may not mind? We get the same site every year and it's an island site so there's really no one right next to us. I want to try something at least. We're going to go a little earlier this year too I think.....seems to be a little better than like last year when we went in August. Tricky with the ocean temps though....you want the water warm enough so the kids can swim but before the skeeters get unbearable.

[0rion]

Dog Folks wrote:

0rion wrote:
right....this isn't a thread to see who can brag about how bad they have it haha. I'm looking for solutions.

O.K. Here is the solution:

There is none, except don't go there :W

quality post right there....you've been helpful.

[Nutinelse2do]

Have you tried Lemon Eucalyptus Cutter spray? How about Peppermint oil, Avon skin so soft original lotion, or Avon's bug spray? How about the Thermacell Units?
Heard all of these work well. Just loaded up on all of them for our first summer in the PNW and UP in 2015.
Hope you find something that works for you.

[Caveman_Charlie]

I've had some luck with those yard guard type sprays that you spray around the campsite. But, they work best on a day with a slight breeze so you can spray them up wind. There is a certain chemical in them that is the best and not all of them have it. But, that info is out in my camper and it's winter here in MN so I don't remember what it is. You also have to apply them correctly , in the trees, and the tall grass around the site you want to protect.

I have a friend that has a yard sprayer that works on propane and bombs the whole yard. But, at a park some of you neighbors might not like that.

I also found that a cheap box fan plugged into my camper outside outlet and blowing a breeze the correct direction on certain days will help out the problem too.

Around here the mosquitoes are at there worst at dusk. If you bomb them before hand and then wait until after it's dark to go outside it works the best.

Not everyday is the same. Sometimes something's work and sometimes other things work. It's a******shoot. Sometimes nothing works.

[Dog_Folks]

0rion wrote:
right....this isn't a thread to see who can brag about how bad they have it haha. I'm looking for solutions.

O.K. Here is the solution:

There is none, except don't go there :W

[0rion]

right....this isn't a thread to see who can brag about how bad they have it haha. I'm looking for solutions.

[dalenoel]

Must be winter and no camping when everyone brags about their own mosquitoes.

Can't wait for spring.

[spoon059]

I guess you haven't been to Minnesota in the summer? I remember them having the WORST mosquitos...