O.T. mosquito traps

2 years ago, we bought a used Mosquito Magnet from a city feller that thought that the thing would clear out his yard in an hour or two. Paid half price...$600 for the thing. Set it up in the yard and let it run.

We emptied the trap every three weeks when we changed the propane tank and put in a new bait cartridge.

After the first couple of weeks, we started to notice that the horses were coming up to the fence near the magnet at night.

Then we heard the neighbors complaining about the horrible mosquitos and how they couldn't sit outside in the evening. Of course, these conversations were on our patio...in the evening.

It doesn't kill every mosquito. I still wear my favorite cologne, Deep Woods OFF, which is for all kinds of bugs, including ticks. But it sure does put a dent in the population in a major way.

The trick is to set it up at the start of the season and run it non stop thoughout the season, in our case, April through November.

Our unit is the biggest one made that year, there may be a bigger one made now. It can handle about an acre to an acre and a half.

I think it was worth it.

So you don't like those pesky mosquitoes, especially now that they have the potential to carry the West-Nile Virus? Here is a tip that was given at a recent gardening forum:

Put some water in a WHITE dinner plate and add a couple of drops of "Lemon Fresh Joy Dish Detergent". Set the dish on your porch, patio, or other outdoor area. I'm not sure what attracts them, the lemon smell, the white plate color, or what, but mosquitoes flock to it, and drop dead shortly after drinking the Lemon Fresh Joy/water mixture, and usually within 10 feet of the plate. Check this out --- it works just super!!! Loren