If you ask me Mosquito! would be a great title for a horror movie.  It would strike me with terror as I really don’t like those critters and am always looking for ways to avoid them.  All summer no matter what the temperature, if I am spending time outside, I will be wearing long pants and a long sleeved shirt.  The misery of heat and sweat is far less than being eaten alive by blood sucking mosquitoes which seem to find me particularly tasty.  There are approximately 50 species of mosquito in Shelby County. Several of these are capable of transmitting disease. There is no avoiding them as some are active during the day and others are active at night.  As a result, shift change (dawn and dusk) is the period of highest mosquito activity.

There are three approaches to avoiding mosquitoes. 

1. One, don’t venture outdoors when they are around.  This is a bit extreme and won’t work for me as I truly enjoy being in the garden.
2. The second is declare war and spray insecticides. This is also extreme because there is no insecticide that only targets mosquitoes. The insecticides used on mosquitoes kill other insects that come in contact with them. Sterilizing the environment of all insect life means you also loose the beneficial insects and eliminate a crucial food source for birds and other animals. 
3. The third is to use deterrents.  By using mosquito repellents when we are outdoors and by reducing the number of available places they use for breeding is the compromise that makes sense to me and it can be quite effective.

Tips to control mosquito breeding

• Once a week, empty, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers. Include your neighbors in this effort to make a real impact.
• Check your roof gutters to make sure they are draining completely following a rain.
• Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs.
• For containers without lids, use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito.
• If you have a septic tank, repair cracks or gaps. Cover open vent or plumbing pipes.
• Use larvicides to treat large containers of still water that will not be used for drinking and cannot be covered or dumped out. Mosquito Dunks are a doughnut shaped product you toss into the water.  They contain Bt Bacillus thuringiensis a type of bacterial that kills the larvae but is safe for fish, pets and wildlife.
• Consider adding “mosquito fish” (Gambusia Affinis) to your pond, water feature or open rain barrel. This minnow sized fish eats mosquito larvae. In Shelby County, TN the fish are provided at no cost through the health department. They are an all-natural and pesticide-free way to control mosquito populations. Call vector control 901-222-9715 before going to assure they have fish available.

Tips to protect yourself from mosquito bites

• Stay indoors at Dawn and dusk the period most mosquitoes are most active.
• Mosquitoes are not strong fliers. At home fans are very effective in repelling mosquitoes. While I could not find any scientific studies, it has been suggested that wind speeds of 10 miles per hour will keep these nasty critters away. You can determine the wind speed of your fan using the following formula.
  • 𝑊𝑆=(𝜋∗𝐷∗𝑅𝑃𝑀∗60)/5280WS=(π∗D∗RPM∗60)/5280
  • Variables:
  • WS is the wind speed (miles per hour)
  • π (Pi) is a constant approximately equal to 3.14159
  • D is the diameter of the fan (feet)
  • RPM is the revolutions per minute of the fan.
  • To calculate the wind speed generated by a fan, multiply the circumference of the fan (which is π times the diameter) by the RPM and then by 60 to convert to hours. Finally, divide by 5280 to convert feet per hour to miles per hour.
• The repellent DEET works against mosquitoes, biting flies, chiggers, fleas, and ticks. It remains the most effective repellent and is the standard against which others are evaluated. The amount of DEET in a product is an indication of how long the protection will last 10% DEET provides about 90 minutes of protection, 100% protects for about 10 hours. For tick protection you will need a minimum of 20% DEET in your repellant.  An alternative is picaridin which has been shown to be as effective as DEET in several studies.  A 15% concentration of picaridin is needed for tick protection. For anyone preferring a natural repellent, Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) is a plant-based mosquito repellent that provides protection similar to low concentrations of DEET. The label for this product specifies that it should not be used on children under three years of age.
• Mosquito coils and Therma-cell® devices can also provide some protection. Both utilize a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide that has repellent properties but are most effective in situations of little wind.
• If you are a hunter or spend long periods outside, consider using pesticide-treated clothing. Make sure to select products with specific instructions for treating clothing.

0 Tips to kill adult mosquitoes should all else fail.  Remember this too is a temporary solution as more mosquitoes will move in within hours to replace those that were eliminated.

• Use an outdoor insect spray in dark humid areas where mosquitoes rest, like under patio furniture or in the carpet or garage. Always follow label instructions. Residual sprays (sprays that stay for extended times on surfaces) can suppress mosquito activity for up to a month. They are applied to mosquito resting sites on the sides of homes, underneath tables, around doorways, in tall grass and shrubs, and even in backyard trees. Residual spray applications can be made by professional applicators, or by you at home using aerosol sprays, pump-type garden-sprayers or hose end-sprayers.
• For temporary relief from biting mosquitoes your best choice may be a fogger. Although fogger chemicals do not control mosquitos’ long term, they can suppress them for several hours or more. Mosquito foggers generate very small particles of floating insecticide that drifts through leaves and kill adult mosquitoes through direct contact.
• Backyard mister systems consist of a timer connected to a series of nozzles that disperse a fine mist, or fog, of insecticide throughout the yard. These systems are expensive and controversial. Continual use of these systems may contribute to creating insecticide resistant mosquitoes. Daytime use of mister systems is also likely to harm beneficial insects.

Several of the 50 species of mosquitos found in Shelby County are capable of transmitting disease; however, there are only two diseases occur annually here – West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis. To protect yourself against mosquito born diseases.  Follow the tips already noted above and be thankful that our Shelby County Health Department has a vector control unit that works to monitor and control the mosquito population here in Shelby County, TN.  Each household pays $0.75/month in their utility bill to control mosquitoes and rats.

A mosquito control plan is in place to guard against outbreaks of disease. Beginning in February vector control sets up mosquito traps. They monitor population levels and test for disease organisms.  They use approved larvacides to reduce the population in standing bodies of water, culverts, electrical vaults, catch basins and ditches. The presence of disease virus in one of these samples is the justification used for spraying adult mosquitos in a particular area of the county.  If you would like to request that your residence, not be sprayed you can contact the health department to opt out.  In the off season the Shelby County team focuses on source reduction through the removal of materials and water sources that can contribute to mosquito breeding.

The real horror to this story is that it is never ending. From the days of DDT to today mosquitoes have resisted all of our attempts to rid them from our world, so we are best served by learn how to co-exist with them.

JUNE Gardening Activities

Plant Divide and replant bearded iris.  Tomatoes late this month for fall harvest.  Choose and plant daylilies when in bloom. Plants such as sunflowers, zinnias, Mexican sunflower, cosmos, basil and dill can still be direct-seeded. You can still plant watermelons, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. You can continue succession planting of corn and beans.

Lawn Care   Fertilize Zoysia and Bermuda with a complete fertilizer.  Raise the height of your mower. For best results, mow 2 inches for Bermuda grass, 1 to 2 inches for Zoysia and 2.5 to 3 inches for Fescue.

Fertilize  Late blooming azaleas after they bloom.

Prune   Deadhead flowers to encourage rebloom. Pinch back chrysanthemums. Remove blackberry fruiting canes after harvest and prune new canes to encourage side branching.  Complete any pruning for size and shape all spring flowering shrubs that have already bloomed to give them time to set buds for next year.

Other  Continue to water.  Water early in the day and is best not to get the foliage wet. Watch for insects and fungal diseases and treat as needed.  Mulch and weed as needed. The best time to harvest most herbs is just before flowering when the leaves contain the maximum essential oils. Be on the lookout for Japanese Beetles. You can easily catch them in the early morning and flick them into a container containing soapy water and they will quickly perish.  When you see orange daylily growing on the side of the road in bloom, it is time to check for bagworms. Pick as many as possible and kill them by stepping on them or dropping them in soapy water and keeping them submerged overnight. If you choose to spray they are easiest to control while they are small and young Spinosad, a newer naturally-derived insecticide, can be helpful as is liquid Sevin when applied when they are young (maybe 1/2 inch or less). The more mature they get the more difficult they are to control with any insecticide.

Attend  Experience Memphis Gardens continues through June 30.  Go to experiencmemphisgardens.org for more information.