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| Starting flowers, veggies, and herbs |
This is likely to be the first of many posts on how to be kinder to the earth in your own backyard. Affordably and safely garden, control pests, attract wildlife and do no harm.
Today's topic: Bug Zappers
Bug zappers attract insects then destroy them with an electric current running through the mesh. Noisy things. Annoying UV light. Most zappers attract the insects that are attracted to light--and kill lots of insects that are harmless. The percentage of mosquitoes and biting gnats in these zappers amounts to only 1/4 of 1 percent (0.25%). That's 99.75% of other insects.
Mosquitoes simply aren't attracted to light. They are attracted by carbon dioxide--the gas we exhale.
In recent years, there are zappers that emit the pheromone octenol, that acts as an attractant (although I question the wisdom in attracting mosquitoes to your yard). Sometimes these zappers also emit carbon dioxide.
But these also use UV light and kill many other kinds of insects indiscriminately. Many of these are food for songbirds, waterfowl, bats, etc. They also kill pollinators, and predatory insects that may be responsible for keeping invasive and destructive pests from your yard and garden. A decrease in these insect species will lead to fewer birds, fewer moths, fewer bats (which love mosquitoes) and more veggie- and flower-munching pests.
Instead think holistically. Use repellents. Eliminate standing water. If you do have standing water (like any open rain-catching barrel or bucket), put a few drops of Dawn in it. Install bat houses up high on a pole, wooden post or the side of the house (facing east or south, 12-20 above ground).
Plant artimesia, lavender, Greek catnip, geraniums, lemon balm, citronella, eucalyptus, marigolds, basil, peppermint, garlic, pennyroyal and rosemary. These plants contain fragrant oils that mosquitoes just don't like. Crush some of the leaves and rub on your skin to repel mosquitoes from biting.
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| Peppermint outside the front door. |
Another deterrent is wind. Create a breeze in your outdoor areas and this will also keep mosquitoes away. They are not very strong flyers and cannot fight against a headwind. Big fans down low (mosquitoes like ankles!) will simply blow them away.
Recently my next door neighbors installed bug zappers, one right outside of my office window. They moved it when I asked (I cannot stand the sound!), but together we wondered why their yard has so many mosquitoes when ours doesn't. Now I know--I have lavender, geraniums, lemon balm, marigolds, basil, peppermint, garlic and rosemary growing.
So I thank the spirits of the herbs that protect us, and hope my neighbors will read this article or something like it. We have so many pretty songbirds...
REFERENCES
"Do Bug Zappers Really Help Fight Mosquitoes?" How Stuff Works.
https://home.howstuffworks.com/do-bug-zappers-fight-mosquitoes.htm
"Do Bug Zappers Work? Yeah--About As Well As Any Other Indiscriminate Wildlife Slaughter."
https://thewirecutter.com/blog/do-bug-zappers-work/
"How to Install a Bat House."
https://batweek.org/install-bat-house/
"Ten Natural Ingredients That Repel Mosquitoes."
https://www.healthline.com/health/kinds-of-natural-mosquito-repellant
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