I have no idea how to attack this but lately we almost can't even go into our backyard without getting eaten alive in the first 5 minutes. There seems to be a ton of options on Amazon or at Home Depot, but reviews are mixed on all of them. Don't want to spend a bunch of money on stuff that is junk. What's the consensus here on best sprays/foggers or options??

Everything sucks.

I have a pest control company that fogs once a month.
I have a DIY fogger that I use 1-2x a month.

Back yard is very shaded from some large old oak trees but the mosquitoes thrive.

Pest guys are recommending a $6k mister system around our yard and while I don't want to drop that cash, I want my yard back.

edit: we're in SW Fort Worth.

Bifen in a cheap fogger kit rigged to a backpack blower was the trick for us. I'll spray all the foliage, shrubs, and taller ground cover as often as needed to keep them under control.
Distant second was finding bug spray that works but isn't greasy so we'll actually use it when sitting outside. Picaridin-based is better than most DEET sprays although Off Skin so Soft works and is not oily.

Bifen XTS.
Ortho Dial-a-Spray hose end sprayer.

Just ordered a gallon of Bifen off Amazon. I'll try House end Ortho sprayer first and if needed, get a fogger kit for my blower.

Bifen gets good reviews. Hope it works. We are miserable after 5 seconds of being outside.

We had a mosquito in the backyard last month. I wanted to smack it, but my hands were full. Haven't seen her since.

If the upcoming monsoon season is as active as they are predicting, we will have a few more mosquitos by the middle of the Summer. Guess I should buy a can of Off or somethin'......

C
S.E. AZ

Honest question, isn't this just solving a self-perpetuating problem? The dunks kill the mosquito larvae but not the actual mosquitoes. What is the difference in putting out a 5-gallon bucket of water with dunks vs. an empty bucket? Is it breaking the breeding cycle?

Does the Bifen kill/hurt plants or pets? In south Dallas and having all the same issues. They're everywhere.

ConstructionAg01 said:

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Honest question, isn't this just solving a self-perpetuating problem? The dunks kill the mosquito larvae but not the actual mosquitoes. What is the difference in putting out a 5-gallon bucket of water with dunks vs. an empty bucket? Is it breaking the breeding cycle?

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First, you will need more than one. I have smaller containers (mostly black water bottles) with this set up all around my yard. I have a large lot with lots of trees and vegetation in Dallas

To kill the adults, you will need a lid for the bucket with a few 1-inch holes in the lid. Buy Hot Shot No-Pest Strips, available at Lowes, HD or Amazon. Amazon Link

The strips encase a vapor-releasing strip. Open the white case around the strip, remove and cut it into pieces. Attach a piece to the lid on the inside. You can use a wood screw. These will last a couple months

Mosquitoes will enter the bucket through the holes, lay eggs, but will hang around inside long enough for the vapor to poison them and they will fly away and die eventually. You should also add a small piece of cellulose sponge to the water. They will like to land and lay eggs on it and will also absorb some poison from the vapor.

You will need more than one because the type of mosquitoes we have in Dallas will try to lay eggs in multiple containers.

I've been doing this for years. Put them out in march and keep them filled, and replace pest strips pieces in late May or June. It works to really keep the populations down.

I also spray the yard occasionally with Bifenthrin. Works on all bugs. Ants and chiggers

I hate to be obvious but 100% deet spray when you go outside is prolly cheaper/ more effective…..

These work pretty good for us.

https://bonide.com/product/mosquito-beater-granules/

1oz Bifen XTS + 1oz Tekko Pro + 1 gal water. Use a pump sprayer or a backpack sprayer to spray the yard and fences. I also use this mixture to fog the yard with a ryobi handheld fogger (wet fogger). Be careful because you don't want to breathe the stuff in. No wind and N95 mask is a must if you're fogging.

Bifen kills the live ones. Tekko Pro messes up the reproduction cycle of the survivors. It takes a couple of applications to get full results. Follow the label for how often you should apply.

RoadkillBBQ said:

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Fill a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full of water, throw in a handful of grass clippings and add a mosquito dunk. Set the bucket anywhere out of the way. Kill the mosquitoes before they hatch. You can get dunks on Amazon for about $1 each and you don't need to use a complete dunk in a 5 gallon bucket. They are harmless to pets, wildlife etc. If you have a creek or any other standing water around, throw a piece in there too. If you can get your neighbors to do the same you can get a huge part of the problem resolved.

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This is what I've done, and it has helped immensely. Has not completely eliminated them, but I can at least go outside in the morning to water plants and not get swarmed.

Another helpful option is to throw out a few oscillating fans on your back deck or patio. Mosquitos hate wind.

Apache said:

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Another helpful option is to throw out a few oscillating fans on your back deck or patio. Mosquitos hate wind.

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Did this. It does help. One of those larger fans with a long neck that goes back and forth when we're on the deck. Then a sturdy ceiling fan under the outside deck when I'm cooking or watching TV. With planning, I also use thermacell units placed a few minutes prior help as well.

Apache said:

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Another helpful option is to throw out a few oscillating fans on your back deck or patio. Mosquitos hate wind.

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This. I also hooked up 5 window units strategically placed around my back yard. They hate the cold too.

The Ortho Bug Clear that you attach to your hose works great for me. I spray every couple months and don't have any issues. In Houston.

ChemAg15 said:

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1oz Bifen XTS + 1oz Tekko Pro + 1 gal water. Use a pump sprayer or a backpack sprayer to spray the yard and fences. I also use this mixture to fog the yard with a ryobi handheld fogger (wet fogger). Be careful because you don't want to breathe the stuff in. No wind and N95 mask is a must if you're fogging.

Bifen kills the live ones. Tekko Pro messes up the reproduction cycle of the survivors. It takes a couple of applications to get full results. Follow the label for how often you should apply.

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Exactly what this Ph.D. chemist has been doing for 20 years. Only I don't do any fogging. I just use the handheld $10 pump up sprayer. Within 24 hours they are gone. An extra benefit that I haven't proven is that I have a gorgeous Zoysia yard that I never do anything to except water and cut.

I also treat the inside of the house. Lethal on roaches.

ConstructionAg01 said:

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Honest question, isn't this just solving a self-perpetuating problem? The dunks kill the mosquito larvae but not the actual mosquitoes. What is the difference in putting out a 5-gallon bucket of water with dunks vs. an empty bucket? Is it breaking the breeding cycle?

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I laugh everytime my security camera at one of my properties shows a video of the county with their little spray rig spraying for mosquitoes. With even a gentle breeze, the vapor drifts to one side of the street but not the other. They have been spraying for them my entire life (though I have no videos of way back then) yet there are still a lot of mosquitoes.

Any standing water will be the source of new ones. You can put dunks in water on your property, but unless all the water on properties surrounding you get the same treatment, I doubt it makes a lot of difference. At one of my places, I can treat the 5 acres we have, but there are hundreds and hundreds of surrounding acres with standing water in many places that go untreated.

Yeah, I treat 1.2 acres with the bifen/tekko. Takes about 2 gallons and 30 minutes.

Roughly how often and any concerns with toxicity to pets?

I'm on 4 acres with a bunch of big trees that have hollows that hold water and a creek with a marshy bank. There's no controlling them in that situation. If you wear long sleeves and pants like lightweight fishing clothes and use Picardin spray which is non greasy you will be fine. A good high speed ceiling or box fan in an area you want to sit keeps them down since they can't handle wind well. None of those pesticides are selective and they will kill every other insect that comes in contact with them.