Hello from dry SW Wisconsin!
I have 3 one yr old ND goats in a moveable electric fence. Well, we just moved the fence to a new browsing area at the back of a shed near the woods. Even though it's been dry here the mosquitoes are bad. This morning when I took them water, I noticed they were in their portable dog house and not out munching. The mosquitoes were hovering around them when they came out (and me too!).
I noticed on another site "Mosquito Barrier" was mentioned. I have a gallon of it that we've used around our yard. I like the idea of using something natural. Mosquito Barrier, is a liquid garlic.
Has anyone used this before for mosquito control on, or around ND's? I saw on a website it was being suggested as a natural wormer.! I was interested on just spraying it around the outside of their pen, or possible on their backs and heads.
I have referred to this site ALOT, especially when they were little. Soooo, much great information!!! I look forward to hearing from you!
Beth
Replies
After spraying the "Mosquito Barrier" around the yard and the goat pen last night the mosquitoes seemed less, but there was also a nice breeze, so that could be it too... I can't see any actual bites on the goats, but they look uncomfortable, switching their tails & ears. I'll probably end up keeping them in this wooded area only about a week then move them to a more open pasture. Was just trying to give them a break from the heat and at the same time have them clean up the area. I sometimes use a natural goat milk insect repellent called Skeeter Beater it has essential oils that help repel insects. I have used citronella candles around the deck and like that idea too. We have a bat house on our barn and lots of insect eating birds here. It all helps! Love hearing everyone's ideas!
This is not a barrier but rather a longer-term solution. I have a fish pond in my yard and want the mosquitoes to come to it, really. You see, I keep Mosquito Dunks in it so I want those nasties to breed in that fish pond as it reduces the population. Those bugs are going to breed somewhere so if they lay the eggs there, that is the end of that line! I have far fewer mosquitoes than other people around here so it must be working.
Another thing to try is to have citronella around, if you have a place that you can put candles in buckets of sand where there is no chance of fire, that might help a bit. Planting the plants with little "cages" around them in the field may be helpful (the cages so the goats don't eat them).
A third thing to do is to encourage the mosquito eating birds (and bats). I leave my compost bin open so there are alway insects flying around it which attracts the insect eating birds. Establishing a bat colony on the side of your barn may be a truly valuable addition.
Exactly, except I would anyway because I don't think you can have to much!
I wondered about the peppermint udder cream-I have some coming in the mail. Maybe you wouldnt have to add the garlic to the cream to get your garlic butter, it would save a step ha ha!
I have truly been waiting to get milk and practice butter so I can develop me an awesome garlic spread!
Amy, I swear as strong as garlic is and knowing its nature I bet if you put it on her udder she wouldn't get bitten but I would be willing to bet her milk would taste/smell like garlic. LOL! So if you resort to that let me know and I will turn one of my does into a garlic doe so I can make my special butter from her.
Now that would be cool! But seriously you will need something very safe and chemical free for her udder! I would think that peppermint the girls use on the udders would deter the biters!
I would be interested to see how this works Beth. Last week I brought my goats up north to my parents ranch for the weekend. I found that one of my white uddered does was covered with bumps on her udder, I think from either flies or mosquitoes. The bumps are healing now but I wonder if I could put anything on to prevent more bites.
This is the product I'm referring to http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/ . My brother purchased several gallons of it and we bought one from him. It's expensive, $84.95 per gallon, but it's supposed to cover 5 acres. I'm going to spray some around their pen. Says safe to use around children and pets. Active ingredients are 99.3% garlic, .5% citric acid and .2% potassium sorbate. While I'm at it I"ll spray some around the deck and see if it helps! We last used it in our yard a year ago and thought it helped. Forgot I still had some! So far it's just making me hungry, LOL! I'm a garlic lover too and don't remember the last time I was sick. I see there is also a product called "Garlic Barrier" that was used to deworm sheep, not goats. That's a different product than what I have, not sure what the difference is. Anyhow, I'll see how this works around the ND pen and if it keeps the mosquitoes at bay.
I have never heard of your "garlic" barrier but I am going to ck. this out. I am a major garlic lover and feel it cures what ails ya'. Maybe this will work too. I sure hope so since I live in Alabama, I really have my share of mosquitos! Where do you get this stuff? My skeeters don't know the meaning of hover they try to pik you up and tote you off while eating you at the same time! Let us know if you find a fix for the problem!