It's All the Buzzz...

MOSQUITOS AND THEIR NATURAL CONTROL

Mosquitoes, those annoying, whining, biting insects,  are high on the list of important pests due to their ability  to transmit diseases such as malaria and encephalitis.
While  human malaria is not an issue in most of the United States, there are  occasional out breaks of encephalitis. West Nile Virus is a mosquito  transmitted encephalitis, primarily a virus of birds, but other animals  and people are occasional hosts. You can find the most recent  information on West Nile Virus at the Center  for Disease Control website .
Adult mosquitoes feed on flower nectar. Soon after mating male  mosquitoes die and the females require a blood meal for protein for  their developing eggs. Some feed during daylight hours, others at dusk and dawn.
They will be found near water, as moisture is essential  for their reproduction. Mosquito eggs and larvae grow in water while the  adults are terrestrial. Eggs can be laid on land, but cannot hatch or mature until flooded.
The most effective, long term mosquito control is to prevent  reproduction by altering their habitat.

HABITAT CONTROL  CHECKLIST:

•Drain puddles of standing water, or fill with dirt.
•Empty containers that collect water and store them upside down.
•Check faucets and irrigation for leaks or seepage.
•Remove debris from gutters.
•Change water in birdbaths at least weekly.
•Drain water from plastic pools when not in use.
•Check pool and spa covers, as well as sheets of discarded plastic film.  These catch water easily, shield against evaporation and even help  moisture condense, providing superb breeding sites.
•Stock watering troughs and ornamental pools with fish and encourage  natural predators such as frogs.
•Regularly remove floating debris  from ponds and reservoirs to reduce  egg-laying sites.
•Fill tree holes with sand or mortar.
•Promote drainage of old tires by drilling holes.
•Avoid overwatering of lawns and gardens and drain standing water.
•Manage weeds around bodies of water where adult mosquitoes congregate.
•Encourage natural predators such as birds, bats, and yellowjackets(!).
•Treat standing water which cannot be drained with Bacillus  thuringiensis israeliensis (Bti), often sold as 'Mosquito Dunks'.

PROTECTION  FROM BITING MOSQUITOES:
•Limit outdoor activities during mosquito active dawn and dusk. Learn  the activity patterns in your area.
•Use window and door screens.
•Put mosquito netting over infant carriages or strollers.
•Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.
•Use repellents on exposed areas of skin.

NATURAL REPELLENTS:
Duration of Safe Protection: It appears that protection is about two hours for mosquito repellents that contain 10% essential oils. Catnip oil may be more effective than DEET, although not as long lasting, and citronella, catnip, lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon eucalyptus, bay, some of the mints, and others are also effective. Note that if you make your own, essential oils should never be applied to the skin full strength. Add them to a base, or carrier, oil such as soy, olive, canola or other vegetable oil.
From: Joel R Coats, Entomology, Iowa St. U.,: "The essential oils may not provide as long of a residual protection, but they can repel for two hours - so there would be trade-offs for people preferring the natural oil, or that don't plan to stay out for 6 hours,  or don't mind reapplying it every couple of hours, or prefer using it on  kids."
Citronella candles and incense work best if there is relatively little  air movement, but are otherwise useless. Research shows many products, such as wrist bands and pins with  repellent, ultrasonic & electronic repellers, brewer's yeast,  vitamin B1, and mosquito plant, to be of little or no value, although  some people swear by them.

Tip for natural oil based repellents -  it only takes a little. If you get all oily it doesn't work any better.  Put on a little and spread it around evenly, the residue left on your hands should be enough for your face and neck. While we used to make a natural insect repellent, it is not legal for us to sell it from our location in California. The ingredients: Lavender; Eucalyptus; and Catnip essential oils are not on the Minimum Risk Pesticide List, and there are restrictions for Citronella essential oil as well.

Your county  Agriculture agent will have more information and tips that are specific  to your local. Contact them for further assistance.

Sharing Opportunity...

We are fortunate. No way to deny it.
While far from monetarily rich, our life is full: we have food and shelter; clean abundant water; work; access to school for our children; and a certain amount of access to health care (see earlier posts "A Hungry Man" & "Health care Blues" ). Our life is full of opportunity.
While taken for granted by a large segment of the world's population, this is not a given for an even larger population. Much of the time opportunity is limited in one way or another for people who are ready to work and embrace the responsibility it takes to achieve their goals.

One opportunity we have is to pay it forward. Take some of our good fortune to enhance opportunities for others. We do that in a number of different ways.
As parents, we help our children have the best life possible. From providing nutrition to teaching them to be responsible, conscientious, humans, we do our best to try to raise them ready to face adulthood.
As family we try to be there when there is a time of need.
As community members we volunteer to help fulfill the needs and services within our community both as individuals and in our business.
As Americans we vote and work for the greater good of our nation.
As humans we contribute to organizations that work for the good of all mankind around the planet.

As I have mentioned before, we at Simmons Natural Bodycare have some favorite organizations that we contribute to regularly. These include Heifer International, Trees for the Future, CarbonFund and Kiva.

We have just started a Lending Team, SimmonsNaturals Sharing Opportunity, at Kiva.
Sometimes it only takes a helping hand to give someone the opportunity to improve their situation. We have benefited from the opportunities available to us and want to share, so we started a team to encourage individuals and small businesses who wish to give a lending hand to other entrepreneurs around the world.

Personally, while there are many areas of humanitarian and environmental work to be done, we have chosen to support organizations who facilitate the long term work that aids individuals in achieving a secure standard of living in keeping with their culture and community. These organizations provide the tools and education, a small loan that must be repaid, livestock, or other building blocks that people can utilize to improve their lives over the long haul. While our contribution may be small, it joins with the donations of others to help make a real difference in people's lives.

A percentage from every 4 ounce bar of Simmons special Soap sold goes to help Heifer International in their mission to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth.
By giving families a hand-up, not just a hand-out, they empower them to turn lives of hunger and poverty into self-reliance and hope. For every 12 bars ot the soap we sell we plant a tree through Trees for the Future.

Now we are asking you to join us in giving small loans to enable entrepreneurs around the world grow their small businesses and improve their lives by joining our Kiva Lending Team. It only takes as little as $25 to invest in someone's future. And, when your loan is repaid you can loan it again to help others. The perfect "pay it forward"! Learn More about KIVA.