MOSQUITO PREVENTION TIPS FOR THE HOMEOWNER

(also known as The 4 D's)

DUMP IT OR DUNK IT!

• Eliminate trash, dump standing water, unused swimming pools or other places where water can accumulate and will not drain in 3 days. Help an elderly or out of town neighbor to do this, too. Check your alley, empty lots or trash areas. It's up to all of us!

• Put mosquito dunks or bits into water that you can not drain, does not flow (as in a dry creek bed area), or is in clogged up gutters or other grassy or areas with debris you can not clean out. These inexpensive, non-toxic (unless you are a mosquito larvae) products are available here at Eden's and nearly all retail stores with garden or livestock departments. They last up to 30 days and are the best way to control mosquitoes because they kill mosquito larvae before they hatch into biting adults.

DEFEND YOURSELF!

• Did you know over 70% of victims of the West Nile Virus last year in Dallas was NOT wearing ANY kind of mosquito repellant? Using a FDA approved lotion or spray on you and your family when outside during mosquito season is a simple and easy way to help protect yourself from the nuisance of mosquitoes. Oil of lemon eucalyptus, oil of citronella and IR3535 are repellents made from natural materials such as plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. DEET and certain other repellents should NOT be used on very young children! But remember, children are not usually in the high-risk groups of people that typically get WNv either.

• Dress in Long-sleeves and loose fitting long shorts, socks should be worn if kids (or you) need to be out during peak mosquito times such as dusk or dawn. Normally, during the heat of the day in full sun or on windy days, mosquitoes are not much of a problem.

• Some people are just more tasty !

 It's up to everyone to do their part to help reduce mosquito populations. They are a part of our environment, so they'll never go away completely, but we don't need to encourage them to breed in our back yards, empty lots, trash receptacles or anywhere else we can control standing water. Most natural bodies of water contain fish and other predators that eat the larvae and if the water is moving quickly, adults can't lay eggs and larvae can't attach to the water's surface to hatch.

Please spread the word about using the Dunks containing BTi - a safe and effective, inexpensive bacterial method that has been used on farms and ranches for decades to control larvae in the big stock tanks. They are available just about anywhere garden supplies are sold. ASK for them if you don't see them. Buy 2 packages and bring one to a neighbor.

Thank you - we'll all breathe a LOT better if we can avoid the toxic pesticide truck spraying this summer.

Professionals, including Texas Honeybee Guild co-founder Brandon Pollard and The Dirt Doctor, Howard Garret,

speak out against crop dusting our citizens, our property and our environment at Dallas City Hall.

Marie's stance against spraying pesticides for controlling adult mosquitoes at the Dallas City Hall

    Beneficial Nematode Weather is coming!!!! The soil is nice and moist, but maybe a bit cool.  When rain is expected or at least the clouds are, that is an ideal time to treat your yard for fleas, fire ants or even grubs.  See beneficials for more info! 

 A swallowtail butterfly hatched here at the shop!

Survival of the Fittest?

Let's face it, pests were here long before we moved in.  And likely, they will be here long after we move out.  So, at best, we can expect to learn to live among our somewhat smaller neighbors in an amicable way.  Now, there are many times when this is not desirable, safe or acceptable.  (What was the purpose of creating fire ants anyway?) 

We do have alternatives to nuking the entire house, yard or neighborhood, though.  Because in the end, whatever you apply to your yard, eventually ends up in the runoff from your sprinklers or the rain.  Your runoff eventually ends up in the creek your dog drinks out of and the kids play in, the river where the wildlife live or even the storm sewers which eventually, become our drinking water.  And if you use toxic synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, there is no telling what kind of damage it can do.

• Non-hazardous pest control can start with something as safe as water.   A strong blast of water can remove lots of pesky insects from your prize plants leaving them waterlogged and without a food  source.                                                                                                             

• We carry a variety of orange oil products containing D-Limeonene which serve as a contact killer in a spray formula.  I'd much rather eat my cookies off the counter where orange oil was used to kill a roach than a toxin like diazinon, wouldn't you?     
• Live Traps can be effective when the pest runs faster and can hide in places much smaller than you can get into.  We stock sizes to fit most needs.
• Red Fox Urine is an old hunters trick.  Make the prey think they smell something that isn't really there.  Many small rodents are on the menu for red fox and will stay clear of an area where they think they may become lunch!  This is most helpful in enclosed areas where you can later block off the entrance.   
• Beneficial insects is not an oxymoron.  There are more "good bugs" than bad ones out there.  Granted, most of them look creepy or gross, but many insects help control things by eating other insects!  We have some that you can actually buy and release in your yard, to help control the damaging ones.  Check out our beneficials page for special pre-season ordering packages. 

You'll find lots more information and a good source of natural insect controls at Eden's Organic Garden Center.   

And remember, a healthy plant is much less likely to be bothered by pests!  So check out our

Happy and Healthy plants page for tips on how to keep your plants in tip top shape!