Stop me if this is too chicken crazy

[TOMTE]

There's always a but, ugh!

Wait, the mint too? I didn't think they flowered . . .

I'm guessing growing them indoors and hanging them dried would be less effective as a deterrent . . ?

Yup, mint flowers. Pretty little flowers, too.

Dried herbs can be used in the coop/nestboxes to repel mites and other small pests, and as scratch to get your chooks to churn the bedding. It can make your coop smell nicer but isn't as effective as live plants.

I can say that lemongrass doesn't work. I can be sitting right next to my lemongrass plant and the mosquitoes don't care a bit

Good to know! I have read that it doesn't actually help much but eh, can't hurt to try if you have the money and space for it I wonder, have you tried crushing some of the stems so the scent gets stronger when you're sitting by them, and observed more or less skeeters? Or do they just not give a heck about citronella at all atp?

 

[redinator]

Growing most herbs indoors isn't really an optimal choice. Most of them become more potent with more light while they're growing.

I've seen yellow jacket traps on YouTube made by attaching meat to a stick and then suspending that an inch over water in a jar, bucket, etc. The meat is upside down. The yellow jacket, or other protein eating wasp, lands on the stick, crawls underneath to the meat, and then launches "vertically", hitting the water.

The "bug people", those who collect beetles, moths, butterflies, etc, a well as those who keep them as pets, collect large numbers using a black light at night.

I'm not entirely sure of the science surrounding it, but supposedly the insects navigate using reflected UV light. So a black light pointed at an old bed sheet collects large numbers of nocturnal insects.

Given that you specifically mentioned night time insects available while you're chickens are roosting? You might do a web search for black light insect collecting. Long story short, relatively inexpensive black lights available online, pointed at a bed sheet, might result in significant harvests. And if you really get into it, and get some interesting beetles, you might find that you can sell them in the dark corners of the internet!

Sell them? I plan to freeze and store what they don't eat during the summer to give to them during winter. I might want to label the bags though or we might have a very interesting dinner one night.

 

[FrostRanger]

Yup, mint flowers. Pretty little flowers, too.

Dried herbs can be used in the coop/nestboxes to repel mites and other small pests, and as scratch to get your chooks to churn the bedding. It can make your coop smell nicer but isn't as effective as live plants.


Good to know! I have read that it doesn't actually help much but eh, can't hurt to try if you have the money and space for it I wonder, have you tried crushing some of the stems so the scent gets stronger when you're sitting by them, and observed more or less skeeters? Or do they just not give a heck about citronella at all atp?

They just don't care at all. I also have a pot full of various mint plants that they also don't care about. Lavender doesn't do well for me at all for some reason but I also noticed no difference in regards to mosquitoes when it was alive and lavender has a very strong scent. Only thing for me that's helped is commercial bug repellant and even then I might still have a few bite me. There are a LOT of mosquitoes here (including some the size of wasps that can bite through clothing, ask me how I know they can do that) and they are determined

 

[FrostRanger]

Oh, and mint flowers are small and light purple. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures when mine were flowering

 

[redinator]

They just don't care at all. I also have a pot full of various mint plants that they also don't care about. Lavender doesn't do well for me at all for some reason but I also noticed no difference in regards to mosquitoes when it was alive and lavender has a very strong scent. Only thing for me that's helped is commercial bug repellant and even then I might still have a few bite me. There are a LOT of mosquitoes here (including some the size of wasps that can bite through clothing, ask me how I know they can do that) and they are determined

Maybe everybody's been using the same stuff for so long they've evolved to resist it.

 

[Zenmonkey]

Sell them? I plan to freeze and store what they don't eat during the summer to give to them during winter. I might want to label the bags though or we might have a very interesting dinner one night.

I think the bug people prefer their bugs either pinned and dried or alive. I don't think there a large market for frozen bugs.

As far as dinner goes, bugs are high in protein. The texture... I'm guessing isn't great? But let me know how it goes! Or, actually, maybe don't?

 

[TOMTE]

Maybe everybody's been using the same stuff for so long they've evolved to resist it.

That's pretty much it. Even a lot of bug sprays don't work anymore. I've had success with high DEET and picaridin sprays but I still get bit.

 

[TOMTE]

They just don't care at all. I also have a pot full of various mint plants that they also don't care about. Lavender doesn't do well for me at all for some reason but I also noticed no difference in regards to mosquitoes when it was alive and lavender has a very strong scent. Only thing for me that's helped is commercial bug repellant and even then I might still have a few bite me. There are a LOT of mosquitoes here (including some the size of wasps that can bite through clothing, ask me how I know they can do that) and they are determined

Do you have snow mosquitos where you're at? Those things suuuuck

Literally

 

[FrostRanger]

How is it administered?

They're 6 weeks and it can be given at 8 weeks this is perfect timing. Who's gonna give them the shot, I hate needles . . . .

You mix the vaccine, stick the needle in the vial, then stick the needle all the way through the wing web. It's best done with 2 people, but it's doable by yourself too (I vaccinated my birds by myself). How I did it was I held the bird in my lap with my left arm, held the wing with my left hand and then used my right hand to do the actual vaccination

 

[redinator]

Do you have snow mosquitos where you're at? Those things suuuuck

Literally

I feel like you're pulling my leg, are those an actual thing?