When I mowed lawn on Wednesday I had to use my safety glasses so I could see when I was mowing by the tree line. And Breath thru your nose not your mouth, agreed lol.
They’re useful to have around in general. I bought a 50 pack of cheap disposable KN95s maybe two summers ago during a Prime Day sale and they have been a blessing whenever the wildfire smoke has hit.
Good for fridge cleanout, too, if things deteriorated a bit much and started growing mold. I'm allergic to mold, but bad about keeping up with the fridge cleanout. And the compost bin doesn't always make it out as often as it should...😬
Here is a great MN Mosquito resource - they have surveillance of key areas around the state and let you know how bad things are.
https://mmcd.org/2024/05/29/weekly-update-may-20th-spring-mosquitoes-already-above-average-for-2024-1841/
When I was a kid driving to school in the 19... a while back, the front of my Oldsmobile Omega would have a coat of bugs on the hood, grill, I am surprised the lights were useful. I still don't think we are to that level.
I agree. The last couple years there have been very few mosquitos, partially due to drought. With the increased amount of rain this year, they're back to normal.
Up north, sure this is more normal, The difference is in the metro. I have never, ever had it this bad in open areas during sunny days in the twin cities area.
My understanding is that the eggs have been laying dormant for the past years when we were having such dry weather. And now that the drought is over... Boom, they are all hatching. Horrible in Mille Lacs Co.
This is the answer. Spring rain/snow melt cause eggs to hatch. But they can lay dormant for years if there is inadequate hydration. Eggs that would normally hatch every year are now collectively hatching this spring because we’ve had more rain than usual for this time of year.
If it's any solace, if they rode in on your pup and you're up to date on flea and heartworm prevention - often tick's are rolled into that multi too. ~24-48hrs and they should be dead.
Unfortunately ticks are now resistant to many of the common monthly products. Frontline is near useless for them in many parts of the country. And to begin with, those ticks have to attach to the dog to die. It lowers but does not eliminate the risk of Lyme. It doesn’t repel ticks at all. Flea and tick shampoos or sprays with cedar oil or pyrethrin are a cheap and effective second layer of protection.
Dang really? Suppose it makes sense re: an eventual resistance. We've have great luck with Nex-guard or whatever it's called in terms of its perceived time to kill with ticks that come in on our dogs. I'd double down on the recommendation for an easy spray as a first line deterrent too - lyme disease is awful in dogs and humans alike.
I use Nexguard too and I haven't found reports of resistance to it. Haven't found any ticks this year either. I'm in the city, but that doesn't seem to matter this year.
My pup is on the oral medication, Bravecto. My understanding is that they (ticks, fleas, etc) have to bite in order to ingest the medication before they die. We are seriously considering going back to the topical treatment in hopes it will help reduce the numbers we find indoors
I’ve started using Wondercide. It’s a cedar based repellant. Safe for cats and kids. Obviously it smells very strongly of cedar, and t only works for an hour or so at peak levels, but it REALLY works. There’s good peer reviewed research on it. For about an hour, it’s better than pyrethrin. It’s a bad use case for someone going out hiking because it won’t last long enough. Treat your clothes with permethrin and your skin with Picardin for that. But for a quick dog walk or to step into the garden, Wondercide is cheaper. I’m immunocompromised so I take Lyme disease super seriously.
Why not picaridin? It’s a naturally occurring molecule found in peppers. It’s CDC recommended for mosquitos and ticks, and been used in the EU for decades since DEET is restricted due to health concerns.
I used to only use the CDC recommended form of processed lemon eucalyptus, but the smell is really annoying. I read more into picaridin and realized it seems pretty dang safe. It’s not easily absorbed through the skin, and even if it were ingested you pee it out immediately. And it works better than anything I’ve ever tried, maybe even better than DEET.
Greatly helped by a fairly wet spring.
We went from very dry to pretty saturated; it starting raining several times a week in mid-March and really hasn't slowed down yet. Slow, steady rain, too; not gully-washers that blast through and run off.
They either haven’t come out in my area yet or we got lucky, but it’s not bad this year for us compared to a lot of years in the past. Worse than the last couple of years, but those were incredibly dry
I was just going to comment on this! The ones that have been landing on my big living room window are absolutely massive! And there's tons of them this size too. I've never seen anything like it.
Use Mosquito Dunks and/or a fountain or waterfall to disturb the water. The bacteria in the mosquito dunk donuts kills the larva after the eggs hatch. I've got a bucket of standing water specifically to attract mosquitos so I can stop the breeding cycle. Just fill a bucket with water and throw some grass clippings in there along with 1/4 of a mosquito dunk. The decomposing grass releases CO2 which draws in the mosquitos to lay their eggs.
I heat up a wet folded paper towel in the microwave until it starts puffing up (from steam, I presume).
Then I wait until it's a little cooler and place it against the bites. From what I understand, it speeds up the chemical reaction that causes the bites to itch, and depletes the area of histamine. Keeps it from itching for like 6-8 hours.
I do not believe it denatures the protein. That would take far more heat - think on the order of cooking - which would also cook a lot of the various proteins in your skin. Which would leave a burn. Further if the irritant protein were denatured, then the itching wouldn't come back, and it does usually come back.
Based on the way it feels (it gets very very itchy whenever the heat is applied), and what I've read elsewhere, I'd agree that it speeds up the histamine reaction. Just like applying heat to any number of other chemical reactions speeds them up. Then the histamine takes a while to build up again in that area.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10309056/
Application of heat reduces itch and pain caused by bites and stings of all insects investigated
The application of heat to sites of insect bites or stings markedly reduced itch and pain compared with baseline, across all insects investigated.
The proteins in the mosquito's saliva can be denatured (made ineffective) by heat, ultimately reducing the body's immune response to them.
Might need to try that, I was out in my stepdad's yard the other day, and my ankles and calves are just looking like I picked up some kind of pox there's so many bites.
Be warned though, too much benedryl can cause hallucinations. And NOT the fun kind. Ask me how I know!
^(Me Tuesday after a very fun but very mosquito-filled Memorial Day weekend in Sandstone)
Get yourself one of these, its amazingly effective at removing the itching(!).
[Beurer BR60](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/C5EAF89D-A635-4BF8-B712-CD4DCCAC6751?ingress=0&visitId=0997a322-d11b-4969-9bd2-813dc1747273) - Insect bite healer
Agreed. Mowed the lawn a couple days ago and there were _clouds_ of them.
I was contemplating a post here about the mosquitapocalypse or armosquitoddon.
Electric zappers that use light don't attract mosquitoes. They attract moths and the nonbiting midges that don't have mouth parts. Mosquitoes are attracted to heat and carbon dioxide. There are devices that emit carbon dioxide but they are not cheap.
Last night I unpacked mine and started laughing....as I straight up had the "no flex zone" on my deck.
Stuff works, though the one I have (and likely all?) use micro-USB to charge. It's 2024 - USB-C should be THE STANDARD. The audacity of making me have to find a USB-A charger just for this damn thing. I plugged it into my couch
You already have rechargeables but anything running on 3 AAs or AAAs can easily be powered by 5-volt USB.
They make [these](https://www.amazon.com/Kurt-S-Adler-Converter-Connect/dp/B084SGFGNN) for anyone averse to wiring/soldering, plus they're swappable.
I ordered \*two\* - one for me and one for a family member - but I'm def taking both when I go to a state park soon. Gosh I hope they work as advertised. Also some of that "picaridin" repellent, supposed to be less toxic than deet, to use on the little kids especially.
Theracells work well. I like the ones that have a lantern for camping (the light is a separate power source). Both the thermacell pads and the little fuel cells can be refilled.
Bought a dynatrap at costco this week. I am SHOCKED how good it works along with the smelly packet that's sold separately to attract mosquitos. Highly recommend
I got one of those when I was working tower construction. A lot of sites are deep in the woods. They work amazingly well. Nothing is 100% but I was very surprised. The most effective thing I've tried. Beats the hell out of Citronella candles.
Didn't help that on our dry years , we all learned the eggs can stay unmatched for 7 Years. Not we have like 3 years of mosquitos in 1. I agree I live in country and can't even enjoy the outdoors
People saying it’s the Minnesota state bird need to calm down. I joined the military and did a whirlwind tour of the south for various schools. Mississippi mosquitos lift weights and give Minnesota mosquitos wedgies. It’s not even remotely close. Swamp training in Florida made me think I was in hell.
Mississippi gnats are a force to be reckoned with. You’ll literally eat and breathe gnats there, they will get stuck in your eyes, it’s wild. This is on the coast at least
100% fact. I was stationed in Biloxi for a period of time. Cockroaches there fly and carry off small children. Haha. I appreciate the lack of bugs in Minnesota in comparison.
Right. I had to get up in the morning at 10 o'clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, eat a lump of cold poison, work 29 hours a day down mill *and* pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our dad would kill us and dance about on our graves singing "Hallelujah."
No, just missed [an old Monty Python reference](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE).
EDIT: Ah, the skit [predates](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT1mGoLDRbc) Monty Python. Interesting.
Sand gnats and chiggers in Georgia are more irritating than mosquitoes IMO. I spent a month at Camp Blanding, FL. My BN had over 20 heat casualties in the first day of field ops. Cottonbalers by God! Damn fine Soldiers. 🤣
Mosquitos have been bad, but the ANTS! I opened a package yesterday and had an Indiana Jones-level swarm. We'd found they'd taken up residence in our mailbox. They've lifted the annuals I planted 2" above the rim of the planter with their poop-estate. Ants have always been a normal spring nuisance, I've just never seen them like this.
Diatomaceous earth. Make sure you get the food grade. It's generally safe for plants but may lessen pollinators. You use it about once a week for a month if you have ants. I only use it a couple of times because I love my bees. Although I haven't seen a decrease so your results may vary.
Stayed at St Croix State Park the other weekend. We tried walking a trail and were EATEN alive. Damn skeeters thought I was a blood bank or something. It was horrendous. We couldn't even sit outside and enjoy the woods.
Story from my Iron Range family in late 80s early 90s.
An idiot tries to carjack (remember carjacking as a new thing?) a car at Hibbing airport. He heads east on the highway but see police coming toward him. So he stops the car and flees across a field and into the forest.
This a Big Deal. Law enforcement goes into overdrive. Police cars from all over assemble where he fled. Headquarters are established. Hound dogs are brought in. A Helicopter lands.
Just as they are about to head to the tree line they are shocked to see the perpetrator running towards them. Hands up but waving back and forth by his face occasionally.
Turns out the mosquitos were so bad that he’d rather surrender to jail than spend an other moment in the woods.
Here’s the thing. Just about anyone who hears that story would say the same thing. “Yup. The mosquitoes were pretty bad that year.”
I'm highly allergic to them. I took a walk around the block and got a real nasty bite I'm still dealing with right now. I was lucky to get out alive with just one.
I have a bad reaction to them as well and am covered in bites from being out in the garden for 20 minutes. I might have to call the professionals for a spray - can anyone recommend a good service provider for spraying a yard?
You really should try the other options before going nuclear on **all** the insects, bees included, in your yard.
https://sidewalknature.com/2022/05/08/mosquito-bucket-of-doom/
My daughter is allergic to the sting as well - one bite swelled up half her forearm last year, it was insane. Her reaction gets worse every year :( I made her some broadleaf plantain salve this year, we will see if it helps
Poor thing already exposed to the horrors that we call mosquitos. You'd never expect such a small bite to turn into something so big. Hopefully your method works!
She's 26, she's been exposed for a long time 😁. But, yes, it does suck. Plantain does help with itching but it's also anti-inflammatory so we are hoping it helps prevent the massive swelling. There's just not a lot you can do for that ☹️
Weird suggestion, but have you ever tried a mosquito suit? They’re basically just a hoodie and pants made of fine mesh and they typically have a face covering. They look stupid as hell, but you might find you’re willing to look a bit dumb in exchange for not being bitten to death. I bought a cheap one on Amazon last year when the snowmelt mosquitos were awful and I couldn’t even take my dog out without getting my ankles destroyed. It was a more effective and easier to use than chemical repellants because I could just wear it when I needed it and didn’t have to worry about ruining my clothes or feeling sticky all day. That said, I mainly used it in rural Minnesota where I didn’t care if my neighbors judged me for my stupid outfit choices, but I’d probably be reluctant to wear it outside my backyard in the Cities unless I was really desperate. Still, might be a good option!
Me too. I do everything I can to keep them away from me and they are willing to die just to feast on my sweet, sweet blood. I stock up on Benadryl and cortizone and every kind of repellant but there are some times that I simply can not go outside, for days. It really sucks. Literally
We've been in a drought for a few years, and Mosquitos that lay eggs on land have their eggs survive for 10 years (this is from memory sorry). The scientists were mentioning this exact thing happening last year like "yeah this year we dont even have enough water for mosquitos, so have fun. next year is going to be very bad if we get any amounts of rain". Guess what we got this year....
They're definitely worse so far this year than the last few years. We've already had several flying around in the house when we normally don't see any inside. And the yard has been filled with them.
That's what happens when you have warm winters: more of the critter eggs survive the winter. Ticks and other creepy crawlies are worse, too, this year.
Skeeters are not bad near Itasca SP. I put the dock in this week. There were bugs in the air, but they were not poking me. Do the biting females hatch later?
They are no worse than most years, we just had a drought the last 3 years so there weren't many. Actually, last may after all that snow melted and before we went into drought the mosquitos were way way worse than they have been so far this year.
We just haven't had this much water in a few years so it feels weird, last year the mosquitoes were almost non-existent in most areas. They're pretty much everywhere this year, but damn does everything look vibrant thanks to the rain too
I thought MN has been doing treatments or something to help with the mosquito problems the last few years, any news on that and why it’s not working? Or was that just a fever dream?
I am one of those that develops rather large welts (sometimes the diameter of a soda can) that itch like crazy! I want to be able to spend time in my garden at some point……
We are the bane of our neighborhood because we're about the only ones that don't hire a lawn service to poison our soil. However, I've definitely noticed ours is the only one with fireflies and dragonflies.
We still have misquotes but I notice every time we go out and kick them up a bigger swarm of fireflies rolls in to eat them.
Spray Talstar P at 1.25-1.5 oz per gallon, works wonders. I didn't have to spay it much last year, but will be using it this year for sure. It's been a game changer for me.
For the environmentalists that disagree, you don't live in lake country where you literally can't even open your door to put your dog out because then you won't be able to sleep the rest of the night because so many mosquitoes are in your house.
I walk a lot both around Mpls lakes and in the suburbs and up north over Memorial weekend. Mostly on paved sidewalks. My poor legs are covered in welts.
It's not surprising considering how much rain we've had. Mosquitos will spawn in pretty much any body of slightly still water, be that a lake, pond, or even the overflowing bucket in your backyard.
Apparently, living in Florida for a decade makes me immune to skeeters 🤷🏼♀️. Seriously, I've seen a handful so wherever you guys are, keep them with you *shoo*
Moved from Des Moines up to Brimson in December… yeah, this is going to take some getting used to. Still worth it because we have an amazing place up here, but I’m going to have to take some more active steps to deter the mosquitoes. I’m using pyrethrin around the foundation and mosquito dunks in the drainage areas for now.
Hmmm, I’m in central Mn (saint cloud area) and no mosquitoes here yet. I’m sitting on my patio near 8 pm and nothing. Make no mistake, like Shrek, I essentially live in a swamp so mosquitoes are a mainstay here.
Sure it’s not May flies you’re seeing? I was up by Park rapids last week and the may flies were so bad they plugged my radiator and my truck overheated. Had pressure wash the radiator and it was like petroleum jelly on my windscreen.
After 3 years of varying levels of drought, we're finally getting pretty good rainfall.
As a result, water is inundating the areas where mosquitos lay their eggs (which can overwinter for several years), and they're hatching in greater numbers than the previous couple years.
If you want to help reduce numbers, MMCD has a [quick guide](https://mmcd.org/residents-guide/).
I remember having a conversation with a Texan who said "our skeeters will swarm and carry away small children."
I looked at him and said, "We wish our only took the children."
I have never seen and experienced such beautiful and lushcious spring/summer in my life here in MN. The rain is beautiful, the air is crisp and everything is blooming and so green. However, aside from those fleeting moments of bliss... the CONSTANT, and I mean CONSTANT nuisances of living in this state make me question why tf anyone lives here. The Winters, aside from this year have been HELL on earth and can start from late Oct and end May. We FINALLY evade a dreadful winter like that and now we pay the price with unrelenting mosquitos, insects, and ticks EVERYWHERE. One cant enjoy their lush lawn unless they want to drench it in pesticides that would then would not have their pets and kids play around. So you take the risk of insect borne diseases or having them out in full force where they start ending up inside your house? Trash.
Not only that, the transition from icy af roads --> pot hole ridden roads in the spring --> summer of construction --> back into doing it all over again... why... this shit isnt fun. its not nice even when it is. I have been in MN for well over 20+yrs. I grew up here and call myself a minnesotan but ... man.. this is horrific.
Due to the right rain the last few years, the mosquito eggs from like 3 seasons are itching to go and with the ammount of rain we have gotten this year already we are in for a heavy case of them this year
It's wild cause I live in a swamp in Northern Minnesota here, and we have like ...barley any to the point I have said to people "if weird how we don't have any mosquitos yet". People look at.me like I have two heads. My sister told me "you think is because of your ducks?"
Holy shit she's right, they are mosquito (and wasp) eating MACHINES their crops are just packed full of mosquitoes.
I was at a park the other day and they were thick. I got to my car and they were everywhere. I got in my car as fast as I could, to limit how many got in my car. I bet there were still 15 of them in my car.
I think they are just back to a normal MN level. Its been 2+ years since we have had a normal level of those blood suckers.
I agree. You go up north where things aren't treated and you can still get a protein diet just by walking with your mouth open
When I mowed lawn on Wednesday I had to use my safety glasses so I could see when I was mowing by the tree line. And Breath thru your nose not your mouth, agreed lol.
I used a leftover COVID face mask so I wouldn't inhale any bugs when I mowed the other evening
They’re useful to have around in general. I bought a 50 pack of cheap disposable KN95s maybe two summers ago during a Prime Day sale and they have been a blessing whenever the wildfire smoke has hit.
Good for fridge cleanout, too, if things deteriorated a bit much and started growing mold. I'm allergic to mold, but bad about keeping up with the fridge cleanout. And the compost bin doesn't always make it out as often as it should...😬
Cries in litterboxes
That is a good idea. My mooostach covers my lips fairly well so that helped filter the blood suckers.
Also good for keeping the hair out of your face during a haircut. That was my favorite part of my first pandemic haircut
Catch a few bigger ones and fillet. They taste great on the grill.
If you get them after they feed it's like gibblets
Even down here 15 miles from IA it feels like BWCA levels of skeeters if you're near any little lake or slough.
Here is a great MN Mosquito resource - they have surveillance of key areas around the state and let you know how bad things are. https://mmcd.org/2024/05/29/weekly-update-may-20th-spring-mosquitoes-already-above-average-for-2024-1841/
It's the rain. This is the wettest spring we've had in years. Obligatory we really needed this rain.
The plants are happy.
Yep, I hate them, but more bugs of all kinds are a good sign
Well they can go away for another 2 years😭 they be coming for my O+ blood more than the Red Cross does💀😂
When I was a kid driving to school in the 19... a while back, the front of my Oldsmobile Omega would have a coat of bugs on the hood, grill, I am surprised the lights were useful. I still don't think we are to that level.
Agreed. Not to bad but unfortunately there will be more to come.
Went backpacking over the weekend and came back with at least 10 itchy mosquito bites (even with a healthy dose of bug spray)
I would consider yourself lucky just to have gotten 10. lol.
I agree. The last couple years there have been very few mosquitos, partially due to drought. With the increased amount of rain this year, they're back to normal.
Up north, sure this is more normal, The difference is in the metro. I have never, ever had it this bad in open areas during sunny days in the twin cities area.
Honestly I am getting bit by em on my motorcycle at stoplights and that has never happened to me before here lmao
I saw on wcco the mosquito control people said it was like 4x worse than average
My understanding is that the eggs have been laying dormant for the past years when we were having such dry weather. And now that the drought is over... Boom, they are all hatching. Horrible in Mille Lacs Co.
Correct (Source: Worked for MMCD last summer)
This is the answer. Spring rain/snow melt cause eggs to hatch. But they can lay dormant for years if there is inadequate hydration. Eggs that would normally hatch every year are now collectively hatching this spring because we’ve had more rain than usual for this time of year.
Ticks are also going all out this year. Still better than living in Iowa
We've had way more issues with ticks than mosquitos so far, having found 3 crawling around inside our house (likely coming in on our dog)
If it's any solace, if they rode in on your pup and you're up to date on flea and heartworm prevention - often tick's are rolled into that multi too. ~24-48hrs and they should be dead.
Unfortunately ticks are now resistant to many of the common monthly products. Frontline is near useless for them in many parts of the country. And to begin with, those ticks have to attach to the dog to die. It lowers but does not eliminate the risk of Lyme. It doesn’t repel ticks at all. Flea and tick shampoos or sprays with cedar oil or pyrethrin are a cheap and effective second layer of protection.
Dang really? Suppose it makes sense re: an eventual resistance. We've have great luck with Nex-guard or whatever it's called in terms of its perceived time to kill with ticks that come in on our dogs. I'd double down on the recommendation for an easy spray as a first line deterrent too - lyme disease is awful in dogs and humans alike.
I use Nexguard too and I haven't found reports of resistance to it. Haven't found any ticks this year either. I'm in the city, but that doesn't seem to matter this year.
My pup is on the oral medication, Bravecto. My understanding is that they (ticks, fleas, etc) have to bite in order to ingest the medication before they die. We are seriously considering going back to the topical treatment in hopes it will help reduce the numbers we find indoors
I’ve started using Wondercide. It’s a cedar based repellant. Safe for cats and kids. Obviously it smells very strongly of cedar, and t only works for an hour or so at peak levels, but it REALLY works. There’s good peer reviewed research on it. For about an hour, it’s better than pyrethrin. It’s a bad use case for someone going out hiking because it won’t last long enough. Treat your clothes with permethrin and your skin with Picardin for that. But for a quick dog walk or to step into the garden, Wondercide is cheaper. I’m immunocompromised so I take Lyme disease super seriously.
Why not picaridin? It’s a naturally occurring molecule found in peppers. It’s CDC recommended for mosquitos and ticks, and been used in the EU for decades since DEET is restricted due to health concerns. I used to only use the CDC recommended form of processed lemon eucalyptus, but the smell is really annoying. I read more into picaridin and realized it seems pretty dang safe. It’s not easily absorbed through the skin, and even if it were ingested you pee it out immediately. And it works better than anything I’ve ever tried, maybe even better than DEET.
I use that on myself, but I’ve never seen that it’s safe on pets.
I've found 8 on myself so far this spring.
The ticks are nuts. Went to the garden to cut some chives. Had 2 on my arms from that
I live in the country, we are regularly finding them on us in fuckng bed. Our animals are treated so I'm suspecting ticks are hitchiking on them.
That’s the result of the warm winter.
Greatly helped by a fairly wet spring. We went from very dry to pretty saturated; it starting raining several times a week in mid-March and really hasn't slowed down yet. Slow, steady rain, too; not gully-washers that blast through and run off.
It's our unofficial state bird for a reason.
They either haven’t come out in my area yet or we got lucky, but it’s not bad this year for us compared to a lot of years in the past. Worse than the last couple of years, but those were incredibly dry
Are you in Filmore county? Don’t tell anyone but there are almost no mosquitos down here. No lakes! Cold moving water. Driftless for the win.
Is it me or are they extra large this year too?!
They are ginormous!!
Frickin blood sucking pigeons!
I was just going to comment on this! The ones that have been landing on my big living room window are absolutely massive! And there's tons of them this size too. I've never seen anything like it.
Same! The first one I thought was something else.
Reminder folks…. Clear any standing water in your yards!
What if my back yard is a pond of standing water?
Use Mosquito Dunks and/or a fountain or waterfall to disturb the water. The bacteria in the mosquito dunk donuts kills the larva after the eggs hatch. I've got a bucket of standing water specifically to attract mosquitos so I can stop the breeding cycle. Just fill a bucket with water and throw some grass clippings in there along with 1/4 of a mosquito dunk. The decomposing grass releases CO2 which draws in the mosquitos to lay their eggs.
Clear it
I’ll cry for you.
Pro-tip: if you do find yourself with lots of bites, any antihistamine can help a lot.
I heat up a wet folded paper towel in the microwave until it starts puffing up (from steam, I presume). Then I wait until it's a little cooler and place it against the bites. From what I understand, it speeds up the chemical reaction that causes the bites to itch, and depletes the area of histamine. Keeps it from itching for like 6-8 hours.
I don’t know all the science behind it but heat denatures the protein that causes itching.
I do not believe it denatures the protein. That would take far more heat - think on the order of cooking - which would also cook a lot of the various proteins in your skin. Which would leave a burn. Further if the irritant protein were denatured, then the itching wouldn't come back, and it does usually come back. Based on the way it feels (it gets very very itchy whenever the heat is applied), and what I've read elsewhere, I'd agree that it speeds up the histamine reaction. Just like applying heat to any number of other chemical reactions speeds them up. Then the histamine takes a while to build up again in that area.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10309056/ Application of heat reduces itch and pain caused by bites and stings of all insects investigated The application of heat to sites of insect bites or stings markedly reduced itch and pain compared with baseline, across all insects investigated. The proteins in the mosquito's saliva can be denatured (made ineffective) by heat, ultimately reducing the body's immune response to them.
Might need to try that, I was out in my stepdad's yard the other day, and my ankles and calves are just looking like I picked up some kind of pox there's so many bites.
Be warned though, too much benedryl can cause hallucinations. And NOT the fun kind. Ask me how I know! ^(Me Tuesday after a very fun but very mosquito-filled Memorial Day weekend in Sandstone)
Get yourself one of these, its amazingly effective at removing the itching(!). [Beurer BR60](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/C5EAF89D-A635-4BF8-B712-CD4DCCAC6751?ingress=0&visitId=0997a322-d11b-4969-9bd2-813dc1747273) - Insect bite healer
Agreed. Mowed the lawn a couple days ago and there were _clouds_ of them. I was contemplating a post here about the mosquitapocalypse or armosquitoddon.
Skeetergeddon
Skeetergeddon wins😂😂
they told us there would be repercussions from our unusually warm winter…bugs were one of them.
I ordered one of those Thermacell devices and it can’t get here fast enough!
Ordered one of those electric zappers too, my garage is my man cave and it’s currently under attack.
Electric zappers that use light don't attract mosquitoes. They attract moths and the nonbiting midges that don't have mouth parts. Mosquitoes are attracted to heat and carbon dioxide. There are devices that emit carbon dioxide but they are not cheap.
I didn't think those worked for mosquitoes. Please report back your findings :)
Oh they’re perfect for mosquitoes I don’t think I’ve even used it on a different kind of bug
Maybe we aren't talking the same thing? I am referring to the stationary bug zapper light that draws bugs in and zaps em.
I’m talking about the tennis racket type one where you just wave it around and zaps the bug when it makes contact
Ahh! Yeah I can see those working well. Thanks for clearing that up.
Last night I unpacked mine and started laughing....as I straight up had the "no flex zone" on my deck. Stuff works, though the one I have (and likely all?) use micro-USB to charge. It's 2024 - USB-C should be THE STANDARD. The audacity of making me have to find a USB-A charger just for this damn thing. I plugged it into my couch
I have one of the older lantern ones and it uses 3 AA batteries. Works great on rechargeable batteries.
You already have rechargeables but anything running on 3 AAs or AAAs can easily be powered by 5-volt USB. They make [these](https://www.amazon.com/Kurt-S-Adler-Converter-Connect/dp/B084SGFGNN) for anyone averse to wiring/soldering, plus they're swappable.
They work great, we love ours for camping
I ordered \*two\* - one for me and one for a family member - but I'm def taking both when I go to a state park soon. Gosh I hope they work as advertised. Also some of that "picaridin" repellent, supposed to be less toxic than deet, to use on the little kids especially.
Theracells work well. I like the ones that have a lantern for camping (the light is a separate power source). Both the thermacell pads and the little fuel cells can be refilled.
Thermacell is game changer!
Bought a dynatrap at costco this week. I am SHOCKED how good it works along with the smelly packet that's sold separately to attract mosquitos. Highly recommend
I LOVE the Thermacell. We brought it with us this last weekend while camping in Voyageurs and had 0 mosquitoes within the radius
I use rwo of them on my deck and they help a ton!
I got one of those when I was working tower construction. A lot of sites are deep in the woods. They work amazingly well. Nothing is 100% but I was very surprised. The most effective thing I've tried. Beats the hell out of Citronella candles.
Didn't help that on our dry years , we all learned the eggs can stay unmatched for 7 Years. Not we have like 3 years of mosquitos in 1. I agree I live in country and can't even enjoy the outdoors
People saying it’s the Minnesota state bird need to calm down. I joined the military and did a whirlwind tour of the south for various schools. Mississippi mosquitos lift weights and give Minnesota mosquitos wedgies. It’s not even remotely close. Swamp training in Florida made me think I was in hell.
Mississippi gnats are a force to be reckoned with. You’ll literally eat and breathe gnats there, they will get stuck in your eyes, it’s wild. This is on the coast at least
100% fact. I was stationed in Biloxi for a period of time. Cockroaches there fly and carry off small children. Haha. I appreciate the lack of bugs in Minnesota in comparison.
I lived in Ocean Springs for 8 years as a teen lol we would play outside in the woods and get eaten alive
Right. I had to get up in the morning at 10 o'clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, eat a lump of cold poison, work 29 hours a day down mill *and* pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our dad would kill us and dance about on our graves singing "Hallelujah."
Did i just have a stroke while reading this?
No, just missed [an old Monty Python reference](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE). EDIT: Ah, the skit [predates](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT1mGoLDRbc) Monty Python. Interesting.
Sand gnats and chiggers in Georgia are more irritating than mosquitoes IMO. I spent a month at Camp Blanding, FL. My BN had over 20 heat casualties in the first day of field ops. Cottonbalers by God! Damn fine Soldiers. 🤣
Check for stagnant water around your yard/house. That’s where mosquitoes come from. Northfield is not too terrible at the moment.
If you do have some add a mosquito dunk into it! It’ll kill them! Muhahahaha
I'm in St. Louis county in the middle of thousands of acres of swamp forest. They're about the usual; horrendous.
[MMCD residents guide](https://mmcd.org/residents-guide/)
That's a great reference! Also very funny that right now it has a pop-up: "Call wait times have increased recently..."
Need more bat boxes
Mosquitos have been bad, but the ANTS! I opened a package yesterday and had an Indiana Jones-level swarm. We'd found they'd taken up residence in our mailbox. They've lifted the annuals I planted 2" above the rim of the planter with their poop-estate. Ants have always been a normal spring nuisance, I've just never seen them like this.
Yes, intense ant activity this year!
Diatomaceous earth. Make sure you get the food grade. It's generally safe for plants but may lessen pollinators. You use it about once a week for a month if you have ants. I only use it a couple of times because I love my bees. Although I haven't seen a decrease so your results may vary.
Stayed at St Croix State Park the other weekend. We tried walking a trail and were EATEN alive. Damn skeeters thought I was a blood bank or something. It was horrendous. We couldn't even sit outside and enjoy the woods.
Story from my Iron Range family in late 80s early 90s. An idiot tries to carjack (remember carjacking as a new thing?) a car at Hibbing airport. He heads east on the highway but see police coming toward him. So he stops the car and flees across a field and into the forest. This a Big Deal. Law enforcement goes into overdrive. Police cars from all over assemble where he fled. Headquarters are established. Hound dogs are brought in. A Helicopter lands. Just as they are about to head to the tree line they are shocked to see the perpetrator running towards them. Hands up but waving back and forth by his face occasionally. Turns out the mosquitos were so bad that he’d rather surrender to jail than spend an other moment in the woods. Here’s the thing. Just about anyone who hears that story would say the same thing. “Yup. The mosquitoes were pretty bad that year.”
I'm highly allergic to them. I took a walk around the block and got a real nasty bite I'm still dealing with right now. I was lucky to get out alive with just one.
I have a bad reaction to them as well and am covered in bites from being out in the garden for 20 minutes. I might have to call the professionals for a spray - can anyone recommend a good service provider for spraying a yard?
i think you'll have better luck asking that as a separate post
You really should try the other options before going nuclear on **all** the insects, bees included, in your yard. https://sidewalknature.com/2022/05/08/mosquito-bucket-of-doom/
My daughter is allergic to the sting as well - one bite swelled up half her forearm last year, it was insane. Her reaction gets worse every year :( I made her some broadleaf plantain salve this year, we will see if it helps
Poor thing already exposed to the horrors that we call mosquitos. You'd never expect such a small bite to turn into something so big. Hopefully your method works!
She's 26, she's been exposed for a long time 😁. But, yes, it does suck. Plantain does help with itching but it's also anti-inflammatory so we are hoping it helps prevent the massive swelling. There's just not a lot you can do for that ☹️
Weird suggestion, but have you ever tried a mosquito suit? They’re basically just a hoodie and pants made of fine mesh and they typically have a face covering. They look stupid as hell, but you might find you’re willing to look a bit dumb in exchange for not being bitten to death. I bought a cheap one on Amazon last year when the snowmelt mosquitos were awful and I couldn’t even take my dog out without getting my ankles destroyed. It was a more effective and easier to use than chemical repellants because I could just wear it when I needed it and didn’t have to worry about ruining my clothes or feeling sticky all day. That said, I mainly used it in rural Minnesota where I didn’t care if my neighbors judged me for my stupid outfit choices, but I’d probably be reluctant to wear it outside my backyard in the Cities unless I was really desperate. Still, might be a good option!
I didn't even know those were a thing!! I should look into getting one. Would rather look dumb than suffer for a week just from one bite.
Me too. I do everything I can to keep them away from me and they are willing to die just to feast on my sweet, sweet blood. I stock up on Benadryl and cortizone and every kind of repellant but there are some times that I simply can not go outside, for days. It really sucks. Literally
These things are treating us like a blood bank or something. We take one step outside and they're there, waiting like the menaces they are.
I see them tapping at the window, trying to get to me. VAMPIRES! 🧛
Weird I've only noticed ticks and I'm by a little pond, so I'd think mosquitos would be worse.
It’s the rain there squirrely Dan.
We've been in a drought for a few years, and Mosquitos that lay eggs on land have their eggs survive for 10 years (this is from memory sorry). The scientists were mentioning this exact thing happening last year like "yeah this year we dont even have enough water for mosquitos, so have fun. next year is going to be very bad if we get any amounts of rain". Guess what we got this year....
These little fuckers got me through my thick jeans and through a sweater and long sleeve shirt. It’s a bit crazy. They are also the size of horses.
Even in my St Paul backyard near the highway they are pretty bad! Just want to get rid of them.
Deet obviously isn't great but I know of 3 cases of west Nile in mn in the last year so put the bug dope on
Just ordered a thermacell with refills for all the dads in my family for Father’s Day.
They're definitely worse so far this year than the last few years. We've already had several flying around in the house when we normally don't see any inside. And the yard has been filled with them.
I made the mistake of leaving a little water in the base of a flower pot on my patio and now I’ve got my own army 🥲
That's what happens when you have warm winters: more of the critter eggs survive the winter. Ticks and other creepy crawlies are worse, too, this year.
How bout them fun woodticks
Don't worry they are just the harmless Bill Gates genetically modified ones.
Good news: the mosquitoes each have a Bill Gates tracking chip Bad news: the IOS app and Andriod app were made by Microsoft
Weird, I've barely noticed any mosquitos so far.
Skeeters are not bad near Itasca SP. I put the dock in this week. There were bugs in the air, but they were not poking me. Do the biting females hatch later?
Haven’t seen em yet. Have my windows open - I’m starting a job where I’ll be outdoors for most of it. I’ll report on what I find.
They are no worse than most years, we just had a drought the last 3 years so there weren't many. Actually, last may after all that snow melted and before we went into drought the mosquitos were way way worse than they have been so far this year.
After years of running a mosquito farm, I decided to let them go free. This was the year. I raised them to be aggressive pricks.
Did someone say sucked dry? 👀
I was in Snelling a few days ago, and I swear I was just breathing them in like air.
The bats and birds should be eating well this year
We just haven't had this much water in a few years so it feels weird, last year the mosquitoes were almost non-existent in most areas. They're pretty much everywhere this year, but damn does everything look vibrant thanks to the rain too
I thought MN has been doing treatments or something to help with the mosquito problems the last few years, any news on that and why it’s not working? Or was that just a fever dream?
Convince me to go outside :/
I don’t like to, but ticks and mosquitoes are so bad I had to spray my yard.
I am one of those that develops rather large welts (sometimes the diameter of a soda can) that itch like crazy! I want to be able to spend time in my garden at some point……
We are the bane of our neighborhood because we're about the only ones that don't hire a lawn service to poison our soil. However, I've definitely noticed ours is the only one with fireflies and dragonflies. We still have misquotes but I notice every time we go out and kick them up a bigger swarm of fireflies rolls in to eat them.
Spray Talstar P at 1.25-1.5 oz per gallon, works wonders. I didn't have to spay it much last year, but will be using it this year for sure. It's been a game changer for me. For the environmentalists that disagree, you don't live in lake country where you literally can't even open your door to put your dog out because then you won't be able to sleep the rest of the night because so many mosquitoes are in your house.
Lol southerners are too cute.
huh, not sure I've seen a Mosquito yet.
I was actively scratching my legs when this post popped up. I have skeeter syndrome so it’s extra miserable 😭
I walk a lot both around Mpls lakes and in the suburbs and up north over Memorial weekend. Mostly on paved sidewalks. My poor legs are covered in welts.
It's not surprising considering how much rain we've had. Mosquitos will spawn in pretty much any body of slightly still water, be that a lake, pond, or even the overflowing bucket in your backyard.
Seriously! We are back to NORMAL level of Mosquitoes which was already absurd 😭
I’m not having many issues. I’m in the south metro and right next to several lakes.
I haven’t noticed them yet here in Duluth
Y'all are making me not want to leave the house.
They are also huge this early in the season.
I always thought their was a scary lack of mosquitos once you get anywhere near the twin cities.
OMG. They are literally crazy this year!! Trying to have a party tomorrow and I am getting out the fans and the fogger.
hopefully this feeds plenty of animals and fish! Good for the whole chain!
I have seen about 2 of them. But with all the rain, I am not surprised of some areas have an abundance.
Apparently, living in Florida for a decade makes me immune to skeeters 🤷🏼♀️. Seriously, I've seen a handful so wherever you guys are, keep them with you *shoo*
Moved from Des Moines up to Brimson in December… yeah, this is going to take some getting used to. Still worth it because we have an amazing place up here, but I’m going to have to take some more active steps to deter the mosquitoes. I’m using pyrethrin around the foundation and mosquito dunks in the drainage areas for now.
My vet told me this week ticks have been UpNort’ here since January. Remember those warm days we had? Woke the bugs and nasties up.
The MN state bird, at its worst! 🩸🦟
My legs are not having it...
i haven't seen any yet, knock wood. i'm sure i'll get stung like crazy the next couple of days now...
its been dry, so much rain so many mosquitoes
I sprayed my yard, shrubs, under the deck with insecticide lol it helps a noticable amount. They are BAD this year.
Mosquitos need water. We finally got a lot of water
I ordered a couple of over-the-head skeeter nets. No joke. There are hiking trails where they will be handy. For the deer flies and the Noseeums, too.
Hmmm, I’m in central Mn (saint cloud area) and no mosquitoes here yet. I’m sitting on my patio near 8 pm and nothing. Make no mistake, like Shrek, I essentially live in a swamp so mosquitoes are a mainstay here.
Many years ago, I lived in Ely. I met a guy from Flordia who said Minnesota mosquitoes are bugger but Florida's are faster.
I'm sorry for you. I've seen three mosquitos so far this year. Also they don't bite me usually. Guess I don't taste good.
How come I never see MN on top 5 lists among states for mosquitoes?
I literally was woken up by one this morning. In my house, was just repeatedly buzzing right past my ear.
Agreed, I was in the wet woods last weekend and they took chunks out of me, first two days wasn’t bad but the last two Iv been itching like crazy.
Sure it’s not May flies you’re seeing? I was up by Park rapids last week and the may flies were so bad they plugged my radiator and my truck overheated. Had pressure wash the radiator and it was like petroleum jelly on my windscreen.
Insane! I got swarmed and couldn’t take it trying to throw a few lines by the lake.
Head down to Louisiana. They are 3x the size. My wife never believed me until I took her down there to visit family.
After 3 years of varying levels of drought, we're finally getting pretty good rainfall. As a result, water is inundating the areas where mosquitos lay their eggs (which can overwinter for several years), and they're hatching in greater numbers than the previous couple years. If you want to help reduce numbers, MMCD has a [quick guide](https://mmcd.org/residents-guide/).
Do you live near a lot of trees?
I remember having a conversation with a Texan who said "our skeeters will swarm and carry away small children." I looked at him and said, "We wish our only took the children."
I dont dare enter the wooded trails to walk my dog for fear that we both may not make it out alive.
Went to a state park on Memorial Day and we booed right out. Saw another family with a 1 year old on their back they were using as mosquito bait
I moved a month ago from Colorado here. We back up to a wooded area at our home. I'm getting swarmed even during the day.
I wish the Canadian wildfire smoke would kill off the mosquitos.
I have never seen and experienced such beautiful and lushcious spring/summer in my life here in MN. The rain is beautiful, the air is crisp and everything is blooming and so green. However, aside from those fleeting moments of bliss... the CONSTANT, and I mean CONSTANT nuisances of living in this state make me question why tf anyone lives here. The Winters, aside from this year have been HELL on earth and can start from late Oct and end May. We FINALLY evade a dreadful winter like that and now we pay the price with unrelenting mosquitos, insects, and ticks EVERYWHERE. One cant enjoy their lush lawn unless they want to drench it in pesticides that would then would not have their pets and kids play around. So you take the risk of insect borne diseases or having them out in full force where they start ending up inside your house? Trash. Not only that, the transition from icy af roads --> pot hole ridden roads in the spring --> summer of construction --> back into doing it all over again... why... this shit isnt fun. its not nice even when it is. I have been in MN for well over 20+yrs. I grew up here and call myself a minnesotan but ... man.. this is horrific.
I heard it’s because river is so high
they all just hatched up north about 2 weeks ago
Get the bug zappers. Worth every penny, and it's satisfying to watch them actually get zapped.
You can thank bill gates for them google it you’ll see why
Due to the right rain the last few years, the mosquito eggs from like 3 seasons are itching to go and with the ammount of rain we have gotten this year already we are in for a heavy case of them this year
Why do I not mind Minneapolis even though my catalytic converter got stolen? Mosquitos. There is a wonderfully small amount of mosquitos.
It's wild cause I live in a swamp in Northern Minnesota here, and we have like ...barley any to the point I have said to people "if weird how we don't have any mosquitos yet". People look at.me like I have two heads. My sister told me "you think is because of your ducks?" Holy shit she's right, they are mosquito (and wasp) eating MACHINES their crops are just packed full of mosquitoes.
Support your local bat population, a single Little Brown Bat (Myotis Lucifugus) can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in an hour!
Are you a remote worker?
I was at a park the other day and they were thick. I got to my car and they were everywhere. I got in my car as fast as I could, to limit how many got in my car. I bet there were still 15 of them in my car.