It is that time of the year. It all comes in waves too. First is the Biting Black Flies, then it is the Mosquitos (which last till almost August), then the Horse Flies, and Deer Flies, which also last till August (For the most part).
Recently Zach and I accidentally left our wood stove door open. Big Mistake! Once the Mosquitos came in swarms, they slipped down the chimney into our house. Zach and I came home hearing a humming noise, and looked up at the ceiling to find hundreds of Mosquitos. At first I started going crazy with the fly swatter.. but I thought there has to be a better way to keep them out. I turned on the generator, turned the fans on to see if the wind will push them out towards the screens, most of the mosquitos escaped that way. Oh and did I mention they can get through the tiny holes on the screen? Once most of them escaped I put gloves on and sprayed the screens with Permethrin. Be aware, this is a very strong repellent, so you do not want to get this on your skin. This helped keep the Mosquitos out.
There are still a few flying around the house and I swat them when I can. To avoid them at night Zach and I will turn on the Thermacell in the bedroom before we go to sleep to push them out. I do not recommend this, but sometimes desperate times calls for desperate measures.
The Thermacell is one of my favorite things. I highly recommend it, especially if you do not want to spray Deet on your body. A Thermacell is a device that releases a repellant that keeps Mosquitos and Black Flies away. They have full size kits which comes with the device, 3 butane cartridges, and a few repellant mats. Typically that one is pretty high priced. You can also get one that is just the device, 1 butane cartridge, and a couple of mats for roughly $40. These really work!!
Not only have the Mosquitos been visiting, but also some Spiders have made and appearance too. What usually does the trick on keeping the creepy crawlers out is spraying the base of the house with peppermint oil. Most bugs hate peppermint oil, so they will stay away. I recommend using the Essential oils brand, or the Plant Therapy brand. This also really works!
Another thing that has been a blessing, is having the chickens. The chickens have been working overtime from eating the bugs. I could not imagine what our house would be like with out the chickens. They really do take care of most of them.
So if you want to go out and enjoy a nice bonfire with your friends I recommend spraying Permethrin on your clothes (Before you put them on) bring your Thermacell, and if you really feel like you need more buy the Deet Free Bug Spray, or even bring your pet chicken to all outdoor events this summer. All of this you can find at your local hardware store, or go to your local Tractor Supply to pick up baby chicks.
Moral of the story.. Make sure your wood stove door is shut once bug season comes around.
This is not my picture, Picture taken off of Google*