Cinta said:I think the spray they are using all over the city is going be more of a health risk than the mosquito. Ten years from now they will find out that people will have some aliment from the poison they are spreading like the agent orange debacle.

These sprays seem to kill more than mosquitoes, and quite possibly could be health hazards.

Do any of you really see mosquito larva growing in your brom cups? I grow a bunch of broms, but have never noticed mosquito larva in them - and I've looked! I've actually always thought it was weird that I *didn't* find any larva in the broms. I find them everywhere else holding as little as an ounce of water, but not the broms.

Which makes me wonder, is there any fact behind this new "evil mosquito haven bromeliads" hysteria or is it just the latest media hyped bandwagon? Or is my house just the anomaly? And believe me, we do have plenty of skeeters around!

You may have something there with ' just the latest media hyped bandwagon'! I've had different carnivorous plants in the past, and they all lived in water, or held water, and mosquitoes never bothered them either.

Perhaps the extension service would have some valid information.

Good idea, RJ. Maybe one of the Florida gardeners could check with them.

Always amazed at the stuff the media gets wrong on information I know about, have to wonder how it is with other information.

Living in a marshy mosquito haven I have used the bits (they are made of BT) for years in my broms and anything else that might hold a bit of water, so I really don't know if there ever were any larva there or not. I cannot take chances however, mosquitoes are just too much of a problem here. You raise an interesting point though Carter, I wonder if Broms could possibly contain some repellent substance?

LOL, I think it's probably just Media frenzy due to the Zika outbreak. I've been in Florida almost 50 years and I've had my share of mosquito bites but I haven't noticed many mosquitoes at all this summer; even with all the rain we've had the past couple of weeks! I'll have to make a point of checking the broms closely tomorrow for larvae. We have lots of birds around so hopefully they are filling up on skeeters and I'd like to think all the little anole lizards catch their share too.

Yes, the birds and lizards are helping keep them down around here. We aren't as bad as it has been some summers. I'm betting you won't find any wigglers in your broms.

I wish I could say the birds and lizards are helping keep them down in my yard but truth is you can't go outside for longer than 10 minutes without getting attacked. For me to tend my plants along the woods edge I have to put on some off spray or they will swarm in clouds to attack. We have the Asian tiger mosquitoes here and they bite 24/7 not just in the evening. They bite through shirts and jeans so trying to where long selves and jeans don't help. I'm so surprised but grateful more Zika cases haven't been reported in my area. We only have 1 travel-related Zika virus confirmed so far in York county SC.

I guess we are in the mosquito capital of the world Daniel.. Aren't those tiger mosquitoes horrible and huge? I remember going to Hawaii where everyone advised us to spray up for the skeeters and we laughed because there were so few there. My son lives in FL and we never have mosquito or no see um problems when sitting on his deck. Fortunately we have an abundance of anoles and birds to help keep the insect population in check. I live on the marsh and I am pleased that, by law, they cannot aerial spray our property (to prevent contamination of the waterways) but there are times when I feel like being outside without being so covered up with clothing or deet.

I hate having to put on deet period and I've been having to put it on almost everyday.

Especially with all the rain from Hermine. We expect a bumper hatch of marsh mosquitoes in the next day or so.

We hate having to use bug sprays too. I've read it can just be applied to your clothing. Does that work?

plantmanager said:We hate having to use bug sprays too. I've read it can just be applied to your clothing. Does that work?

Nope not at all nor does the clips

Thanks, Daniel. I have tried the clips, and agree that they do nothing.

Why not just flush the "urns" with copious amounts of water? Wouldn't flushing eliminate the larvae?

I believe it would but that means you must be present to do that every day or two at the latest. I am often off premises, like my recent 12 day trip, and I can't take any chances. I think I live in the most beautiful place on earth but it is chock full of chiggers, no see ums and mosquitoes!