Mosquitos

I would get a mosquito fogger and use it the day before.

The day of the party, buy cheap mint mouthwash and mix with water and spray the patio.

Buy several citronella candles and tiki lights and keep them lit. I think that would do the trick, it worked for us!

Buy some mosquito and insect spray at the hardware store and spray your fence and the back of your house. Also light citronella candles the night of the party and have bug spray sitting out for those who are getting bitten.

We live right next to a swamp and a grassy area. In the past, I had good results with a garlic-based spray by victor pest control but I haven't been able to find it recently. I found products from a company called EcoSmart - http://www.ecosmart.com/products/ - at a local store. The mosquito fogger worked well in a small area of my yard and my deck (and my kids liked the way it smelled) but I haven't had a chance to try the mosquito and tick spray yet.

Hope this helps.

Look for standing water that stagnates - that's where they breed. Look in the woods and be sure there are no old tires or cans that collect rainwater. Check the yard for kids' buckets, flower pots, wheelbarrows, even little things like a shovel. It only takes a tablespoon of water to support thousands of eggs. We have a lot of woods too, but that's not all you need! Then, call the Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project that services your area - there's one in Northboro but I don't know how far their service area is. They will spray your yard and the woods - no charge. They do it at night and you just have to keep your pets in and your windows closed for about 20 minutes. I don't love the idea of the spray but the diseases the mosquitos carry (EEE, West Nile) are much worse. This is much more effective than a temporary chemical spray you buy yourself. We got a bunch of our neighbors to do it on the same night - it was easier for Mosquito Control and it made a huge difference. Some people also install a bat house - bats eat millions of mosquitoes!

I've used mosquito coils (small box, coleman or ozark in camping aisle at walmart) for 30+ years. We light them just before dusk, setting them all around the areas of yard we'll be in. I fill the little metal buckets from candles with dirt and stick broken sections of coil in, like sticking an incense in. The coils come with little stands, but there are never enough and we usually end up breaking the coils when trying to remove them from package. Just be sure to place them in safe spots where kids and critters won't bump into them. I put the buckets up beside canopy legs or garden statues where people are not walking through. They are cheap and one box will last a long time, especially if you are just doing the broken pieces. My yard is surrounded by national forest and we pretty much live outside in the summer. For us, dusk and D. are the bad mosquito times. Once it gets full dark, the mosquitos are gone....possibly because we have a health moth population. We also use christmas lights and torches for lighting as they don't attract the bugs.
Enjoy your party!
Deb Wright

garlic granules. My husband spread a ring around our property and had done the same for our outdoor wedding reception, worked great. We also purchased a Mosquito Magnet ($$$, propane attractor, trapper, that seems to be sucking up lots of the skeeters)...now on to the damn deer flies.

You can get insect repelling candles which are a must. I am in the same situation and I use a Deet-free repellant spray. Just keep it off the part of your hands that you eat with and cook with.

try serving your guests garlic dip. my family uses it every time we go camping, and we never get bit. :) you just use 2-3 blocks of cream cheese, about 1/2 can of canned milk, about 2 cloves of garlic (you can use the really fine grater or a garlic press) and salt to taste. my family loves it! (of course, we were raised on it. lol) The only problem is that you will smell like garlic for about a week... but the garlic is super good for you anyway! I had warts as a kid and it cured them! lol.

Place a few table fans or floor fans on your deck or patio. Mosquitos can't fly in wind so the fans will blow them away. Good Luck!

I work for a pest control company and we sell mosquito misters. You might want to call your local pest control and see if they offer them. Off makes a bug light and mosquito fan but you'd need several of them. Just a thought if your looking for something at a local store (walmart/Target/etc.)

Mosquitos are attracted to the CO2 we give off, you can purchase a block of dry ice (solid CO2) and dump it somewhere near the party but off a little way and the bugs should go for that target and not your guests. Have fun, Nat