Mosquito problem

[BaZ]

Hi all

It's not so much of a problem, more an annoyance. I have a room set up with 7 tanks and my computer, so I spend a lot of time here!

Recently with the wet weather, I've been sharing this nice warm room with a lot of mozzies.

I'm after a way to control them, which will not harm my fish. All the tanks in this room are air-filtered, so obviously any sprays I use will be sucked into the blower and will pollute the tanks.

Does anyone have a natural method to suggest?

[thermofish]

Here's a few natural Mosquito repellents.

Just use a few drops in an oil burner.

bonus is they smell nice too.

Citronella Oil

Castor Oil

Rosemary Oil

Lemongrass Oil

Cedar Oil

Peppermint Oil

Clove Oil

Geranium Oil

Possibly Oils from Verbena, Pennyroyal, Lavender, Pine, Cajeput, Cinnamon, Basil, Thyme, Allspice, Soybean, and Garlic

:^:

[edward]

how about a Citronella candle?

[Gav]

use castor oil use castor oil use castor oil!!!!

the consequences will be HIGHLY amusing Baz!!!!

or more likely they would give you the sh!ts lol

[23Skidoo]

You could cover the tanks with fly-mesh, like on windows.

[Luke Austin]

my suggestion,

Buy some chocolate cichlids, keep the lid off their tank, and watch them take care of your problem! LOL

luke. :lol:

[pride]

Isn't there those things you plug in the wall that give off some electric pulse or other that keep insects away from the vicinity? I think you can get them for around 40 bucks at Bunnings. Bunnings gets such a mention on the SCP I reckon someone should front them to be a sponsor :lol:

Adam

[hungsta]

I was told by experts that electronic devices that sends out wahtever signals are not effective at all.

I think you have to find a way for them to not get into the room, otherwise any solution would just be short term.

Those mossie incense also work.

[Guest Gutty]

Didn't everyone love watching those bug zappers as kids ?!?! bzzzzzap.........bzzzzap..zap.

Probably cheaper ways to fix the problem, like Hungsta said, find where they are getting in and fix/flyscreen it.

[thermofish]

there's no sound as soothing as a mosquito getting blasted to oblivion by a glowing blue bug zapper.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP !!!!!!

HAHAHAHA !!!!!!

:^: :^: :^: :^: :^: :^:

if only they made one for cats.

[BaZ]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Thermofish: Are all these oils fish-safe? I had thought of that idea but was unsure of the effect they may have combined with the air blower, pumping the vapours through my tanks. I may be just being a bit paranoid, but the one pump drives all my tanks, and I dont want a simple mistake to cost me heaps of fish. The citronella candle idea gives me the same worries Edward.

Kinerata:

23Skidoo: My issues with the mozzies is not so much the tanks, but me. I spend a lot of time out here on the computer, watching telly, etc. I'm sick of being bitten.

Hungsta/Gutty: This room is a brick and tile garage which I have put to a better use by bricking up the roller door and laying some carpet. Unfortunately being a garage it's not as easy to seal as a house, as there is no sarking or cornices, so they will always find a way in. The long-term plan is to do some more work on sealing it all down the track, but I am after a short-term fix for now.

I like the idea of the blue zapper, but I thought they only worked for other bugs which were attracted to the light. Am I wrong there? Are mozzies attracted to them too? I think I've seen small ones going fairly cheap somewhere recently...

[fiona]

I used to own a bug zapper. I'm pretty sure I got mozzies with it too. Although that was a while ago. They are attracted by heat, carbon dioxide ... don't think the zapper would get all the mozzies. Bug zappers don't cost too much.

You said you can't seal your room .

Here's a solution that might seem silly but would be cheap and effective. What about mossie mesh over the area you sit at? It would stop you from being bitten, anyway. I know it seems silly, ah well ... it would work though.

[Mbuna]

Hi Baz,

arnt you worried about the humidity in your fish room affecting your computer? wouldnt it get alot of moisture?

Just a thought

Harry

[YeW]

Here's an idea - put some large mosquito breeding tubs somewhere outside your room. Make sure you season them with some grass clippings and some yeast. The mosquitos will find it an attractive place to lay their eggs. While it doesn't help your problem - it will mean that any eggs that are laid in those drums will never become mosquitos - cause you'll feed the "wrigglers" to your fish!

[Sarah]

hi glenn

when i had my pc in the garage so i could be close to my fish i had a mozzie zapper that i plugged into the power point one tab would last a few nights for the period i was out there.

cheers

[BaZ]

Hi Mbuna

It's not THAT humid in here, and the computer seems fine. I have always had my tanks and computer in the same room.

I only have 7 tanks in here, and they all have lids and individual heaters, so the room does not have the same kind of 'sauna' properties i have experienced in other rooms.

Dave, I thought of that already, but I really dont' want to attract them anywhere near this room

Fiona, thanks for the idea, but i dont think there would be room for the fridge under my net... :lol:

[Exiledonmainstreet]

Hi. I definitely would not burn those citro, and other chemicals in your house. They're made for the outdoors. The bug zapper would be completely safe, and effective, only a little more expensive. I would also definitely find a new home for my computer. The humidity will kill it.

[BaZ]

Ok now you all have me worried about my computer

How much humidity is too much? I don't have a mould problem in here, and it does not feel humid to me at all. The mozzies come in here at night I guess because it is a little more humid than outside, but it's not noticeable. Perhaps the main reason they come is because it is warm in here at night, and also maybe they can smell my blood :lol:

This computer is only a couple of months old, but the last one worked perfectly in the same conditions for about 3 years before I upgraded it.

What sort of damage could I be doing? Is there something I should be looking for?

[pride]

You could also try having a fan blowing around the room? I find if there is some good fan wind blowing its keeps the mozzies off me.

[Exiledonmainstreet]

The amount of humidity that fish tanks in a closed room gives off is very bad for your computer, period!. You can also try a de-humidifier. I use one in my fish room that has stereo, and t.v., etc. It sucks the humidity right out of the air, and solves the problem.

[fiona]

You can get a thing that measures humidity for not too much. If your room really is as full of holes as you say (that let all the mossies in) it may only be as humid as anywhere else.

[Ducksta]

Guys, the room Baz has this computer in (as he has stated already) is NOT closed - (hence the mozzies getting in).

For all you people worried about humidity, in the average house, the most humid room (apart from bathrooms and kitchens obviously) is a study. Because these rooms tend to be closed up the most. Crazy when you think about the fact your computer, and your books, will hate you for it :

[Other Ed]

Hi Baz,

Can you draw the air for your filters from outside? Prehapps you could then do a tiny bit spraying or smelly oils. The tanks would be pressurised and push the mozzie spray out because of the air going in.

Ed.

[23Skidoo]

I wouldn't worry about ya 'puta mate! If you had another one in there for 3 years and you can't seal it up you won't have humidity probs. But i guess you've got lights in there for the tanks, right? So how about using the light to grow a fe planter boxes of Pyrethrum plants?

I'm not 100% that mossies hate it but i grow it in my gardens to keep bugs off the plants, any plant with a few of these around it's base get's left alone, they use pyrethrum (and chrysanthumum sp?) to make Green-pesticides, get a couple of styro boxes or those long skinny planters and liven up your shed!

[CThompson]

I personally would not use any sort of bug repellent that operates by putting something in the air. It WILL go into your tanks via your air supply, as you mentioned, and if it repels, that probably means it can also kill if the insect cannot get away from it. If it can kill, and goes into a fish tank, where over time, it may become concentrated. Where do the fish go to get away from it? What will happen to them over time?

Call me a puritan, but a life time with fish tanks makes me jumpy about anything that goes in the air to eradicate flies mossies or cockies, and so on.

My best suggestion has already been said, that is put fly screens up. Failing that, think about those sticky fly strips that can be hung from a ceiling. I’ve seen these things work with flies, and they only land on it once, and remain there after that as a permanent feature. I don’t see why this would not work with mozzies?

Craig