I'm working on this awesome post for you, but alas, it was not destined for you this weekend. Would you like to know why? My mother-in-love is in town. And yes, I typed mother-in-love, which is a term I maybe invented? Or, rather, that I thought of and hadn't seen used anywhere else. I mean the term to be used as an alternative to mother-in-law, since Rob and I aren't married, but have been together for almost four years.
So, I thought I would do a funny mother-in-law/love post-- but do you know what? Flippin' Pinterest only provides me with two types of post when I search "mother in law". They are as follows:
- The posts that say "Thank you for raising the man of my dreams" on miscellaneous items (read: keychains, necklaces, frames, napkins, cards, etc...)
- Hilarious but rude posts that frequently include curse words, so I shan't post them here.
So, where does that leave me with the Sunday Surprise post for the day?
(goes and looks in my Pinterest likes) OH YEAH! Mosquitoes.
Please note, this has absolutely no relation to the mother-in-law beginning of this post, I just didn't feel like re-writing my mother-in-love introduction after finding a relevant topic in real time. Whoops. #bloggerfail
Here's what's going on: Rob and I are covered in mosquito bites. And I'm ready for it to stop. There are a few in our house that we can't manage to kill (they're like ninjas, I swear to you), and then about
twenty gazillion more outside. In preparation for the mother-in-love, Rob cleaned the patio, and it just seems like they are everywhere. Is there an epidemic that I didn't know about? Seriously, they seem worse than usual.
I turned to Pinterest for some home remedies, and here are the pins that caught my eye (though I haven't tried them yet).
To really get the post started off right, I felt an infographic was highly appropriate:
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| http://www.angieslist.com/articles/infographic-how-combat-mosquitoes.htm?CID=SocialPinInfoMosquitoes |
Huffington Post tried a whole bunch of different remedies for preventing mosquitoes. The most interesting of which was dish soap. Say what?! I'll have to look into this more! THey also had luck with chives...
Speaking of plants.... this graph seems useful. About time I read up to see which of these plants can handle the Arizona weather. Do you have any idea?
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| http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/79/6e/d2/796ed245deb9cedae380758b89ba4986.jpg |
For sure though, we'll have to try this mosquito trap. It's ALL OVER Pinterest, and this eHow instruction is super informative. I'll let you know how it goes. Maybe take some pictures. Hahaha.
If you have any ideas or tips on how to banish mosquitoes from the inside of your house (and discourage them from being outside), please, please, please, let me know. The eight (no exaggeration, eight!) horribly itchy bug bites that I am refusing to itch and I beg you.
Hugs to you all. If you have any funny stores about your mother-in-loves, I'd love to hear those too.
Happy Sunday you fantastic people!
Rachel
I don't have any suggestions for keeping mosquitoes out of your yard, but I do have some help for those itchy bites. I saw this on pinterest and just knew there was no way it could possibly work. But then I had a TON of mosquito bites and got desperate enough to try it. And it WORKED!!!
ReplyDeleteYou run a spoon under hot water, then hold it on your bite until the spoon cools. You have to get the spoon super hot, not hot enough to burn you, but it should be hot enough to be uncomfortable. This should get rid of the itching for good. It's amazing!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/33003009744016254/
Rosemary, basil, garlic, lavender, all grow well in AZ. Oh, and marigolds. Probably the other ones. too. on a porch. I should try that. My porch is full of mosquitos. I've been wanting to try growing basil.
ReplyDeleteBanishing mosquitos is the bane of my existence. Years ago, I was living in a rented flat and needed to put screens on my windows to keep the annoying bugs out. First step, I bought the mosquito bed netting and I stapled it to the inside of the our wooden window frames. Ever since then, I figure out some way to add my hacked window screens to my apartment. The second thing I did was buy lavender plants (the kind that look just like rosemary). I found that when I have a plant outside of a floor/ceiling window (which I cannot cover with mosquito netting), the mosquitos will not cross over. I've tested this and it worked. Also, I live in the Middle East so it might work here with our type of mosquitos and not by you. The most important thing - anything that has water in it is a breeding ground for mosquitos. I was growing green onions in a mason jar in the kitchen and found a whole family breeding in between the water and the onions (threw them out). Wishing you success killing the beasts!
ReplyDeleteI don't know about chasing them from the home/yard, but I do know a great smelling deterrent to being bitten is Avon's Skin So Soft bath oil (original formula ~ they actually have a bug spray, now, since so many were using the oil... but I digress). I'm not advertising for Avon, I don't sell it or know anyone who does, I just know this works because we used it to keep ticks (yes, ticks! EW!) off our past dogs and it stops me from being bitten by No-see-ums (gnats) when I remember to apply it before playing w/my current dog in the back yard. (and fleas since, even tho' he's bathed, others around us don't always stay on top of flea baths for their pets ~ and cats roam and fleas jump)
ReplyDeleteMosquitos love me so I'll be interested in your research results! I've told my husband I want to install a bat box (aka home for bats) on our house. I recently learned that bats eat hundreds of mosquitos an hour!! Seriously!? I am freaked out by bats, but they might be my new bff if that's true.
ReplyDeleteOf the plants listed, I have ALL but Lemon Thyme (I have regular Thyme) and Marigolds(I have had them before, just not this year). And guess what? Still have mosquitos.
ReplyDeleteMy Garlic Chives self seeded everywhere. Still have mosquitos.
The only things I've found that will get rid of them or keep them away are the Citronella Geraniums, Mosquito dunks(available at Lowe's, Home Depot, Hardware stores, etc) in my 2 bird baths and absolutely no standing water in any of my potted plants (means I have to water more often, but small price to pay for fewer mosquitos).
So, yeah, those plants they list? Great for pollinators and visual interest as well as culinary interest. Not so much on the keeping away of mosquitos.
As far as what ones will survive in Arizona, Lavender and Rosemary should do well if watered regularly. The herbs- Lemon Thyme, Basil, Chives, do very well in pots, so you could bring them inside if it gets too hot. Garlic should do very well, also. Lemon Grass is a tropical plant, so it may not do too well in a dry heat. Marigolds I think it'd depend on the cultivar. Your best bet is to find a local nursery and ask them, honestly.
Lemon balm is evil. It will take over if you let it. I'm still finding it in places 40-50 ft from where the original plant had been before being transplanted.
As far as the mosquito trap, save your yeast and sugar. Googling shows several websites that say it doesn't actually work.}:/
Yep the original Avon Skin so soft. Works great. The skeeters always attacked me more than anybody in the family. SsS worked. However since chemo 2 years ago, they don't bother me. I get bit maybe once a month, before I had 7-8 every time I went out. SsS gave me about 1 bite when out. BTW, I don't recommend chemo as a bug repellant, there are a lot of better ways! LOL
ReplyDelete