Fight the bite

MAT-SU — Nobody likes barbecue-crashers, especially those who make nuisances of themselves and don’t know when to leave.

When it comes to alleviating summertime swarms, even experts say residents are mostly on their own dealing with mosquitoes. From slapping and swatting to expensive mechanical remedies, there are no sure-fire ways to stymie those pesky skeeters.

“We’ll never win that war,” said Jay Evenson, an Anchorage-based exterminator who does extensive service in the Valley. “There’s what, 35 or 36 species of mosquito up here.”

But other than chemical bombing the entire Southcentral region, mosquitoes are here to stay, said Kevin Nolen, a self-proclaimed “pest death technician” and owner of Professional Pest Control Services.

“As far as an actual cure (for the mosquito problem), that’s pretty much nonexistent,” he said. “We could get in a helicopter and spray the whole area, but unfortunately, you’d end up killing everything else on the planet, so that wouldn’t work out so well.”

That doesn’t mean people need to resign themselves to endless summers of misery and scratching. Both Evenson and Nolen said there are many things residents can do to minimize mosquitoes around their homes.

Two devices, one called a mosquito vacuum and another a mosquito magnet, can help greatly reduce the population of mosquitoes in an area as large as an acre, Nolen said. Both are powered by propane and can include a chemical that attracts mosquitoes.

The propane emits carbon dioxide, which attracts the pests. It’s that same CO2 that’s created by our breath that make humans a favorite target for mosquitoes.

“The mosquito magnets, people swear by them,” said Ellen Tingley, who works in the garden department at The Home Depot in Wasilla. “The best thing to do is to start early in the season, because it takes a couple weeks (for the device) to get control.”

Propane-powered magnets and vacuums are “hot items,” Tingley said, and can cost anywhere form $288 to nearly $1,000. “Normally, we can’t keep them in stock.”

There are also numerous chemical repellents on the market that can do a good job of keeping mosquitoes away, but it’s not a solution Evenson likes.

“They work, but it’s kind of invasive on the body,” he said. “You can use them if you’re in an extremely bad area, but I don’t put it on myself.”

Simple property maintenance can also make a significant difference in the mosquito population in an area, Nolen said. Mosquitoes are territorial, which means if you reduce the number of them in an area, it’s not likely more will swarm in to take their place.

Nolen recommends checking around the property and eliminate any areas of standing water, which can be breeding grounds for the pests.

For small bodies of water, like ponds, homeowners may want to consider a “mosquito dunk,” he said. A dunk is a chemical compound that, when dissolved in the water, kills mosquitoes while not harming other life. It’s also not practical for larger bodies of water, like lakes.

“You would be amazed at how many times I go to people’s houses where they’re complaining about the mosquitoes and I’ll find a tub with 5 inches of water in it,” Nolen said. “I can’t see the bottom because there are so many mosquito larvae in there.”

If you have a mosquito magnet or vacuum — also commonly called mosquito eaters — have eliminated standing water and are still bothered, Evenson said another low-tech compromise may provide some comfort.

“Wear a head net,” he said. “I wear one sometimes, but we’re never going to get rid of (the mosquitoes).”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.