My sister lives in Massachusetts and her friend there has started using an organic service where they come in and spray her lawn with an organic garlic infusion. She says it works great and is good for at least a month. I don't know what her friend's yard is like relative to yours, but it sounds like it's worth trying!

Another, possibly odd, idea is to have large fans blowing constantly. Haven't you noticed fewer mosquitoes on windy days? :)

Good luck, gellchom, I can't think of any really good way except spraying.

Here the owners of the blueberry u-pick places have backpack sprayers and spray for mosquitos. It seems to help but I don't know what percentage, only that I don't get bitten if they've just sprayed. I also don't know how long it's effective...

Annie

We attended an outdoor wedding ( last summer) in a beautiful wooded area of PA. At the entrances to the tent the hosts had a table with every imaginable mosquito repellent available (with a nice space away from the tables for spraying).

Organic repellents as well as those with Deet. The guests got to choose which to use. After a few minutes, most went back for the Deep Woods Off.....

They also were wise and rented a few porta potties so the guests wouldn't have to go through their house for their bathroom needs.

I can not say how good it works but I know there is a natural product called "Liquid Fence".

We have a huge mosquito problem too.
The best defense we've found - fans.

I would borrow every fan I could get my hands on. Set them high and low; oscillating fans are best. Don't leave any space that doesn't have air flow, especially in the back where most people will be. Personally, I wouldn't be able to breathe if there's a lot of spraying going on, and citronella makes me feel nauseous. Good luck and have fun. I hope you can be mosquito-free.

Some friends of ours host an annual outdoor party. They use a garlic-based granular formula that they simply sprinkled on their lawn. Worked like a charm!

They sell it in garden centers here, and I am not sure of the brand. Below is a link to one that I have seen. I just googled mosquito repellent for outdoors and several came up.

We have a "Skeeter-Vac". Its a device that runs on a 20lb propane cylinder and uses an attractant to lure the mosquitos into a trap. Works great, but you have to put it out early in the season to get the skeeters before they can reproduce.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Mosquito barrier

I never knew the fan trick. I've always just sprayed my ankles. I also think a dryer sheet works. Mostly I just give up and go inside. I do have an Off Clip On which seems to work but is expensive and only lasts less than an hour.

Be sure to get rid of all standing water starting now.

I sure hope you get good weather. September is always gorgeous around here.

In years past I have had quite a few big out door parties. My back yard alone is about 1/2 an acre....and ringed with bushes and trees and gardens.
The best solution I found was something called "skeeter beater"...granular stuff you sprinkle around a few hours before the party. It worked fairly in combo with yard guard....but every flower it got on became discolored in a day or 2...some leaves too...spotted. New growth and flowers covered it up but....
If I were doing sometning like that now, I would start now being vigilant about any water. I would have a dunk in every birdbath and pool and ask my neighbors to do the same. And I would start soon with spraying every few days to reduce the population. I know...I hate to put that much poision into the air but....
Then the day of....I would do lots of Yard guard....fans aw far as I could string them. Not blowing from the shrubbery into the crowd but from the crowd to the shrubs. and I would have a table with every type of repellant I could think of. No citronella candles...gag!
I don't know what your time frame is, but skeeters become most active at dusk, It won't be too bad before that time and once it gets good and dark they sort of go to sleep. So perhaps a second run around the perimeter of the yard about 7:00 would further knock them back.
Good luck....sounds lovely!
Linda C

Fans work! I have one on my patio and don't know how we ever did without it. I also have a fogger that I use before outdoor parties that works pretty well, as well a Skeeter-Vac. We usually have a mosquito problem in the summer, but this summer I haven't seen a single mosquito because it is so dry. We have had two rains since last October, a half inch in July and a quarter inch a couple of days ago!!

Good luck on the rehearsal dinner, sounds like 3 days of fun. My daughter married in July and her wedding shower and recipe shower were this past Saturday morning and afternoon. We had a busy weekend, but it was fun!

I agree that fans work best -- I learned about it here, and we bought one, and we love it.

But it's just not going to work for such a big space. You really need to be sitting pretty near it. I liked the idea of pointing the fans outward, though. But even if I could borrow or rent that many fans, I'd have to run extension cords for yards and yards and someone would surely trip.

I read your post on 'Discussions' and just wanted to say I am taking detailed notes!!!! Boy, do I get the 'checkers to chess' comparison, oy!

Gellchom...there are big fans of the sort used in cattle barns to cool the cows and at the State Fair to keep the barns and the animals and handlers cool. I am sure you could rent several....and not turn them on to "blow you away" but adjust to provide a big breeze.

Here is a link that might be useful: Agricultural fans

Lots of alcohol and a camp fire.... the classic skeeter beaters. Make certain all standing water is gone... tires, buckets, kiddie pools. Swamp area can be treated with a mosquito killer... I think it is bacterial. I put a "flea" treatment on my dogs called Revolution... expensive but it also clears the area of mosquitos because they die after biting the dog.

Bug zappers don't work but they do entertain people. Skeeters are attracted to CO2 not light. I'm not a fan of chemicals but the right amount in the right place is not unreasonable. A week before the party I'd apply malathion around any bush, brushy areas, tall grasses, and pine trees. Malathion stinks and is oily so it needs a few days to dry up... organophosphate. Farm store may have new products that smell less... none are safe so extreme care... gloves, paper mask.