
Toxorhynchites – Mosquito Eater - vezycash
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxorhynchites
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kouh
Spiders are also useful. My exgf lived in a farm and had dozens of harmless
spiders in the ceiling of her bedroom that ate all mosquitoes. It nuanced my
view on spiders.

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drmpeg
How do you determine if they're harmless? I had a spider bite a couple of
weeks ago that gave me a welt the size of a dime (and super itchy).

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losvedir
Depends where you live but you can look up what spiders are in your area and
which ones are dangerous. For example, in most of the US you only really have
to worry about black widows (which are pretty distinct) and brown recluses
which have a characteristic violin on them but IME often somewhat resemble the
harmless wolf spider, which is common in my area.

I'm pretty good at identifying the dangerous spiders now (i.e. distinguishing
brown recluse from wolf), but it took several instances of trapping the spider
under a glass and then breaking out my cell phone and looking at lots of
pictures.

If your area has _lots_ of kinds of dangerous spiders then it might be more of
a pain, though.

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aqme28
There are plenty of spiders in the US that are harmful if they bite you but
aren't "dangerous."

I think what the parent comment was worried about was painful bites more-so
than death (though that's also worrying).

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velox_io
I recently found out that Bedbugs are still a thing (I thought they were
largely eradicated). I also found out that I'm allergic to them, and While a
mosquito will bite once of twice (until it finds blood), these guys leave a
line of bites as they move around sampling your blood (my back, neck, and
shoulders were covered in welts).

I generally avoid killing/ removing spiders (they also prey on moths, keeping
clothes etc hole-free), wasps too to an extent (but they are still largely a
pest).

The Bedbugs were quite easily eradicated with insecticide around and under the
bed, but that's last a resort as it is toxic to virtually everything
(including pets and humans), something I don't doubt as the smell is more
irritating than Ammonia. I'd much rather use natural remedies (especially when
you don't have to do anything), than strong chemicals that we don't truly
understand the effects on the environment or the food chain.

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jbattle
[http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html](http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html)

Diatomaceous Earth is a dusty substance made from the shells of tiny sea
creatures. The shells are so tiny (and then ground finer) they wedge into the
exoskeletons of insects and eventually kill the bbugs. But it's pretty safe
for larger animals and safe for home use

~~~
chrisweekly
DE is also used for swimming pool filters.

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RenRav
Dragonflies are another great bug. They feed on mosquito larva during their
own larval stage, and as adults they chase down adult mosquitos.

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chrischen
Are these effective to have in your room to hunt down mosquitoes?

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smonff
You can have geckos. They are quite effective and don't care of human
presence. They just stay on the wall or on their branch.

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RomanBob
they poop all over your wall though

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anonytrary
Missed opportunity: "mosquiters", although that also sounds like a cutesy way
to say "mosquito".

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thaumasiotes
It's too close to "skeeters" to be interpreted any other way.

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test1235
skeeter-eater

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vbod
The biology of Toxorhynchites mosquitoes and their potential as biocontrol
agents
[http://www.cabi.org/bni/FullTextPDF/2000/20003030873.pdf](http://www.cabi.org/bni/FullTextPDF/2000/20003030873.pdf)

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jokoon
Oh, I thought mosquitoes had no predators.

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jacobush
Birds?

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mark-r
When I was a kid, it was believed that Purple Martins ate lots of mosquitoes.
People would build big houses for them to encourage the population.

Later it came out that Purple Martins much preferred dragonflies, which are a
more effective mosquito eater.

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known
Scent of Chicken can drive away Mosquitoes
[https://archive.fo/IJm4Y](https://archive.fo/IJm4Y)

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wrong_variable
So all the money spent on mosquite coil, net , aerosol, skin cream ( while
harming your own body ) was worth for nothing ? Nature had a better solution
all along.

If we lived in forests mosquitoes won't be a problem, well at least all those
activities increased GDP.

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spiderfarmer
The ignorance in comments like these is bugging (yes) me.

If you truly believe nature itself is perfect and human inventions are stupid,
leave the comfort of your home / office and try to survive buttnaked in the
jungle, all by yourself.

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j7ake
People who think nature is all beautiful and perfect and benevolent ironically
are the same people who have never tried to survive in the harsh wilderness.

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hutzlibu
Oh, I do believe nature is all beautiful and perfect and I did survive some
very harsh wilderness. I just never believed it is allways nice to be, if I am
unprepared ..

