This year we're enjoying one aspect of the season and paying for it with another. It's been relatively cool after a really hot start to this summer. Temps in the 80's in July? We'll take em. All of this rain we've had on the other hand is something we could've all done without. Even the farmers were complaining about the amount of rain, you know it was too much. Now, as a side effect, our mosquitoes are the size of those found in coastal Texas. They're huge, currently existing in record numbers, living everywhere because it's still really wet outside, and people are now having a hard time finding bug spray in stores. Luckily, there are some things you can do on your own to help mitigate a swarming attack while you're trying to enjoy the outdoors.

First off, the natural assumption is that you should create some kind of do-it-yourself type spray. If you search the web for an answer, you'll get hundreds of thousands of recipes that people swear is the best, but there's an easier way in building a mosquito trap. As a benefit, instead of just chasing a mosquito off to the next yard, you'll actually be culling it from existence. It's a win-win.

In looking at mosquito traps, there are plenty available to purchase online that seem to do exactly what they say they do... kill mosquitoes, but to be completely honest, a working and effective trap is dirt cheap to make yourself. Most of them consist of using a sweetened liquid like water or vinegar in a two-liter bottle, set it and forget it. I have the best luck providing what they consider reproduction brown chicken brown cow water (half full five gallon bucket) with a little soap in it. Soap eliminates the surface tension of the water, so when they try to land on it, they drown. They're surprisingly effective and work for an entire area instead of just for the individual user. You'll want to empty it daily though, it'll fill up fast and it stinks like old rancid grease. Good luck.

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