Mosquitoe repellant

MatSuAK · Feb 7, 2014

My bunny barn situation is going to be changing this spring and I need ideas for mosquito control. Any feed supplement that truly works? Things to hang in barn? Anything I can apply to rabbit heads and ears? My rabbits are for meat & I show them.
Of course these are the giant teridactyl (sp) Alaska mosquitoes that will bite right through clothing and deet :evil: Window screening any openings is probably the only way to go but in the mean time, any thoughts on how to slow them down will be appreciated :mosquitos:

PSFAngoras · Feb 7, 2014

I do know that some people feed their horses quite large amounts of garlic powder in their in the hopes that it will make the animals less tasty for the Mosquitos. Not sure if it works as I've never tried it myself. Skeeters aren't a big concern in CO. You might want to do a bit of research on the potential recommended dose in rabbit application, just to make sure your not giving them too much, and it might potentially make give your meat buns a pre-cooked garlic marinade taste, if the idea is that it's carried in the blood stream well enough to repel Mosquitos.

If you decide to try it I'd love to hear the result. DH and I are planning to move up there in a couple years, and I couldn't make the move if the bunnies weren't coming with!

MaggieJ · Feb 7, 2014

Catnip - plain old Nepeta cataria - is a wonderful mosquito and fly repellent. It is hardy to Zone 2 but might need some winter protection where you are, MatSuAK. Grow it around your rabbitry and hang bunches of the fresh, bruised herb in the rabbitry itself. Don't make the mistake of getting the ornamental varieties... They are much less potent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepeta_cataria

Zass · Feb 7, 2014

MaggieJ":1m38x13e said:
Catnip - plain old Nepeta cataria - is a wonderful mosquito and fly repellent. It is hardy to Zone 2 but might need some winter protection where you are, MatSuAK. Grow it around your rabbitry and hang bunches of the fresh, bruised herb in the rabbitry itself. Don't make the mistake of getting the ornamental varieties... They are much less potent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepeta_cataria

It comes with the added benefit of attracting so many cats...you will never have to worry about rodents! :lol:

I do love the idea. If only I could keep the stuff alive long enough. The neighborhood cats always destroy my plants

I have used tansy as an insect repellent (in bruised bunches on and under their hutches), but I feel catnip would be a lot safer for the rabbits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tansy

MatSuAK · Feb 7, 2014

Oooohhh love the catnip idea! Considered about zone 3-4 where I'm at. As long as the moose don't like to eat it we should be good :lol: Those beasts demolish everything! :evil:
Yes Zass, we could use a barn cat or two at the new property

Maybe we can lure in a wondering neighbor cat to visit a couple times a week.
Thanks for providing the scientific name, will search for the correct variety :cat-hug: :cat-rub:

MaggieJ · Feb 7, 2014

MatSuak, in Zone 3-4 you should have no trouble growing catnip. It roots very easily from cuttings, so you will be able to increase your plants easily. Here it is so well-established that we could never eradicate it... Not that we want to. It's a rare day working in the garden that I don't grab a handful and rub it on me!

Zass, try planting the catnip under a sort of cage to keep the cats from getting the roots. They can nibble what comes through the top.

Zass · Feb 7, 2014

MaggieJ":2pcd3kpc said:
Zass, try planting the catnip under a sort of cage to keep the cats from getting the roots. They can nibble what comes through the top.

Would you believe that I've tried it? (That cat is a 3 legged, declawed stray we look after.)

Tent stakes and eventually zip ties were needed to keep the cats out. And a brick on top, those kitties are persistent!

This plant eventually died from the local toms SPRAYING it to death.
(There is an abnormally high cat population here)
This spring I'll try a much larger cage in a more open location to prevent the cats from being able to spray directly on the plant.

akane · Feb 7, 2014

Catnip, lemon grass, mint, calendula (marigold).. All can be crushed or bought as liquid and applied to animals or doorways. They are also all edible but I don't know if that helps bug repellent any. I get a dog insect repellent here that has those ingredients plus a few others and found it not only works to keep the killer mosquitos off the dogs but spraying it on the chicken coop doorway gave them a reprieve from buffalo gnats for a week. Before that I had a chicken fall off the perch and go in to seizure from the gnat bites.

Garlic is dangerous to feed. In small amount it's fine but in large amounts especially frequently it can cause anemia and death if the problem is not discovered soon enough. We feed nothing from the onion/garlic family to animals, particularly small ones.

michaels4gardens · Feb 8, 2014

I like Lavender, and rosemary oil as a topical repellent, [I have no idea if it is OK for rabbits] but it worked for me in Florida, [along with the catnip mentioned above] I planted catnip around the rabbit area and it really helped with a lot of "bug" problems, -- and eventually the cats got over rolling in it with froth on their face, and settled down to just rubbing themselves in it, and sleeping by it.. --for winter, try sitting some bales of straw over the plants, and removing them in spring [like saving seed carrots].
--I will admit that when I was working in Palmer, and Eagle River, the Alaska mosquitos were worse then anything I have ever seen. We had fans on the jobsite for air circulation, and we had to shovel the mosquitos into a wheelbarrow each day to remove them from in front of each fan. The locals had to blanket the horses to keep them alive-- Florida was bad, but nothing like that.

MamaSheepdog · Feb 8, 2014

There are more ideas in this thread:

post211202.html

GBov found that the rubber mosquito repelling bracelets worked wonders in her rabbit area.

akane · Feb 8, 2014

I got a taste of insane mosquitos at the farmhouse we were renting. One year the weather lined up just right and the population exploded. The dogs couldn't manage to run outside, pee, and run back inside fast enough to keep the area around their eyes and their ears from swelling with bites. They started refusing to go outside. My akita would lay there until she started leaking urine on the floor. She absolutely hated the herbal mosquito repellent but it worked wonderfully for several hours. I used it on myself occasionally but it had the slight problem that unlike dogs, people sweat and it was not made to withstand that. I got about a mile out in the wildlife preserve on a 90F day when it started to wear off. I had to walk a mile back being eaten alive by mosquitos which I'm mildly allergic to the bites. I was covered in dime sized itchy lumps for days.

skysthelimit · Feb 8, 2014

Now I spray the equine horse fly spray every morning.

Before, I crushed lemon balm, grows like a weed here.
I also dilute avon skin so soft and spray it around doorways, posts, floors. One summer I made a mixture of clove water lavender and a tiny bit of citronella. /had to spray it every morning.

michaels4gardens · Feb 8, 2014

I read about someone who sprayed her rabbit with Horse "fly spray", and killed it-- so-- I haven't tried that myself.

akane · Feb 8, 2014

The stronger oil based fly sprays I would never use on a rabbit but I have used Bronco. A weaker, water based spray. We used it on a horse with sensitive skin and allergies. I had a kit die in the heat and attract an insane number of flies to the box. After removing the kit I sprayed the top of the box really well and gave a couple squirts in to it with Bronco. The flies immediately left and all kits were still alive the next day and they grew up fine. I'm not sure that proves it's safe enough to suggest spraying rabbits directly but even kits didn't die from it so it would at least be safe to spray it on surfaces around the rabbits.

Off makes a little device with a mosquito repellent pack and a fan to blow it out across you. You are suppose to hook it to a belt or similar when you go outside. It avoids having to spray yourself and smell like mosquito repellent all the time. I don't really trust Off brand stuff though. My sister used Off while at a rock climbing camp and got bit a lot more than the people who used no mosquito spray. I prefer Cutter. They make a scent free version too.

skysthelimit · Feb 8, 2014

michaels4gardens":2ms49rmb said:
I read about someone who sprayed her rabbit with Horse "fly spray", and killed it-- so-- I haven't tried that myself.

I NEVER spray anything on rabbits (nor cats).

The barn is sprayed, in places the rabbits can't reach.

I have also become a fan of the automatic fly sprayers, just wasn't any other way to keep the flies down in the wet season last summer. The sprayers do not spray directly on the rabbits.

MatSuAK · Feb 9, 2014

Awesome! Thanks for all the great posts. LOVE that picture of the cat in the bird cage lol. Anything for some nip :lol:

Ivory · Feb 9, 2014

Thanks, MatSuak, for starting this thread.

I am allergic to mosquito bites and have never yet found anything that will stop them biting me.

This place will have catnip growing everywhere this summer.

BlueMoods · Feb 9, 2014

I Use Golden Malrin (out of reach of pets and livestock) for flies and, ADAMS brand repellant. It's all natural and, I spray the cages and wood near the rabbits but not the rabbits. It's a daily chore but, it keeps the skeeters, ticks and fleas at bay for the rabbits and my wolfdog who shares the barn with the rabbits. (Yes I know odd companions but, the wolfdog was raised with rabbits and thinks he's some sort of strange dog-rabbit LOL)

Mosquitoe repellant

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