Community Discussions

Here in Nova Scotia we have an unslaught of biting bugs that seem to hit every Spring.  (misquitoes, black flies, no seeums, etc..)  They seem especially bad since there's lots of wet, soggy ground for them to breed in.  Is there any way that any of you have found to 'scare' the biting bugs away.  They were so bad last night that they upset the bucket of soapy water Chris was using to wash the truck.  They were absolutely horrid!!!  Thick black clouds of biting fury, no swatting could keep them away.

Thanks for any advice that you can provide.

Sherri

Okay now seeing the growing cycle of a purple martin - I'm sure that I haven't seen any.  I am however going to find out which trees Chris isn't going to cut down and figure out how to make bird houses.  Small ones, medium sized ones, and large ones...they can't be that hard to make.  I'm real good with a needle and thread - so how hard can it be for a hammer and nails???  Hopefully my housing will attract bug eating birds.

Sherri

Marshall,

That's interesting. I was always believe the purple martin ate mosquitos.  The golf course thought they did. Sounds like you don't want them since they eat dragon flies.

Sherri,

Bats are probably your best choice. You can google for ideas on how to make homes, but they are simple and I don't think bats are too fussy about whether you sew them nice duvets or couch covers.
Sorry, I don't make enough of a breeze to keep them away. They don't go after me as much as they do other people, except when they are real hungry.

And like typical females they are out for all the blood they can drain from you.

Paula,

"Smart dragonfly....smart enough not to go for the great big pest....just wait for all the small pests to congregate.."

Yes, and they were still waiting for you to show up the next day, but you didn't.

Marshall,

Martins are not however, prodigious consumers of mosquitos 

I bet  the martins stocked their cupboards with mosquitos and ate them after the nosy researchers left. 

Highwind wrote:

THAT'S GOT TO BE IT!

Windy, I could have sworn they ate mosquitos. My grandparents were purple martin lovers, they had five of the very tall houses, etc. I would sit and watch the martins fly around and eat, I was always under the impression much of their diet was mosquitos.

Marshall,

We should always keep in mind one of the basic laws of scientific research:

"Any organism, when observed under rigidly controlled conditions of temperature, light, pressure, water, and subjected to controlled stimuli, will do as it darn well pleases."

Actually, that sounds like how Paula reacts to other folks postings on here. Sort of uncontrollable.
<right back at you short block >>

http://www.batconservation.org/content/bathouse/buildyourown.htm

This is the first set of instructions I've looked at.  Not real good with anything that requires thinking about numbers (maybe I'll have to send you my dimensions Highwind).  Maybe I'll stick to making them some curtains for the windows and pretty cushion covers to rest their weary head on after a hard nights bug eating.   I think I'm going buggy.

Sherri

Highwind wrote:
Watch out Wind, I think Paula likes controlled stimuli. 

Sherri,

Here are some more detailed plans for a single chamber home:

Bat house

There are other links on this page to some other designs for multichamber ones, but they all seem to have the same basic design:

Bat house plans

Marshall wrote:
Actually, I think Paula likes to control her stimuli...or any other guy that gets near her.

Oh sure...walk away from your desk for a minute and see what happens?

As to my stimuli....lets just it stays as stimulated as it wants to be.