On Wed, 26 May 2004 20:11:37 GMT, Hound wrote:

My daughter and her family recently moved to a small rural town in North
Carolina. She an her entire family like the area very much except for the
ticks and mosquitoes. Is there any thing they can use on their lawn to
control these pests?

Keep the lawn mowed, dead branches trimmed, improve drainage. This
time of year (May-June) ticks are common and actively looking for
hosts. Guinea hens and turkeys love to eat ticks. Carefully inspect
the naked body after working outdoors, and use a mirror.

There are probably several varieties of mosquitoes in NC. The small
striped mosquito bites in full sun. Wet areas and standing water are
breeding grounds. Keep your gutters clean, wash out birdbaths
regularly, drain old tires.

The best product I found that repels mosquitoes and ticks is Deep
Woods OFF!, but most products with DEET works well.

Ticks and mosquitoes are not nearly as bad as the black widow and
recluse spiders or poisonous snakes (timber rattler, eastern coral,
cottonmouths and copperheads). Most spiders and snakes are very
beneficial to gardening. I commonly see big rat snakes up to 8 feet
long (one was under my deck)--these hunt and eat copperhead.