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Post by brownrexx on Jun 29, 2015 10:18:46 GMT -5
This gnat situation is worse with all the rain. I am experiencing biting flies this year too! They seem to like my ankles. Grrrrr.
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Post by claude on Jun 29, 2015 10:21:26 GMT -5
They say to take a mint leaf, crush it in your hands and wipe those ankles with it bef you go out. I use it to repel mosquitoes too
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Post by mr. tomatohead on Jun 30, 2015 6:20:18 GMT -5
Hi Claude. Does the mosquito repellent really work, or are you just funning me?
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Post by claude on Jun 30, 2015 6:46:16 GMT -5
It's not perfect but it does help
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kew56
Sprout
eastern SD zone 4
Posts: 25
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Post by kew56 on Jun 30, 2015 8:42:45 GMT -5
the best gnat repellent is "Absorbine Jr." I've been using it for 50 years and haven't found anything that works better. I keep a bottle in my tackle box so I can't forget to bring it.
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Post by brownrexx on Jun 30, 2015 8:48:46 GMT -5
I saw a report on TV yesterday that mosquitos are drawn to our scent and that people have different scents from each other which explains why mosquitos like one person better than another.
Some people swear by using Skin so Soft lotion by Avon and others use dryer sheets.
Maybe anything that is stronger than our natural scent will keep them away.
I may have to give Absorbine Jr. a try because I hate gnats and they seem to love me.
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kew56
Sprout
eastern SD zone 4
Posts: 25
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Post by kew56 on Jun 30, 2015 8:57:41 GMT -5
I read an article yesterday, that talked about using self rising flour as a dust, to kill leaf eating bugs. Has anyone tried this?
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Post by brownrexx on Jun 30, 2015 9:10:01 GMT -5
Haven't tried it but I guess that it would suffocate them. It would probably have to land on them and it would wash off in the rain.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 2, 2015 8:29:45 GMT -5
Japanese Beetles are here and I think that it's going to be a bad year for them (good for them, bad for us that is).
My neighbor used to be a manager at a local landscaping place and he said that said that in dry years the JB are less numerous because the grubs have a hard time burrowing up out of the rock hard ground like we had last year. Last year I had no real problem with them.
But THIS year is really wet and the beetles arrived 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Yesterday my asparagus was full of them. I have never seen them on asparagus before. Aghhh. I have found some on the beans and tomatoes too, but not so many there.
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Post by Veggie Gal on Jul 2, 2015 11:39:33 GMT -5
I had a JB in my backyard. Hubby hit it with a paper and that was the end of it. I had a couple last year as well. Nothing in my garden so far.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 2, 2015 12:15:12 GMT -5
I had a JB in my backyard ONE JB??? I put out my trap yesterday to lure them away from my asparagus and this morning I dumped out about 400 of them. The asparagus had less of them though.
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Post by lisaann on Jul 2, 2015 12:38:05 GMT -5
Worst crop of those pest in 4 years.
I had an explosion in the last 24 hours. It breaks my heart.
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Post by desertwoman on Jul 2, 2015 13:48:23 GMT -5
I had to look JB up. I've never seen one before. I guess because it is so dry here.
I've noticed, since getting to know you eastern/southeastern gardeners, that we don't have a lot of what you have. I guess i better not ever again complain about the dryness here!
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Post by lisaann on Jul 2, 2015 13:52:15 GMT -5
Rain? And all other things; Yep, be careful what you wish for, YOU just might get it! (
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Post by restless on Jul 2, 2015 14:05:20 GMT -5
I have some problems with Japanese Beetles, too. They love zinnias, vegetable amaranth, basil, beans, cucurbits. They really go after my neighbor's roses. I noticed mine show up a couple of weeks ago. We'll see how it goes.
I read somewhere that Eastern Starlings and Catbirds eat them as grubs and beetles. I have both of those birds in abundance in my area. Maybe that's why I haven't had any out of control infestations.
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