anti-mosquito device advice

[gsbodine]

hello all, hope you're having a great holiday. While we were out this morning, we noticed the mosquitoes are even worse than usual and figured something had to be done about it. <br /><br />I've seen at Lowe's and Home Depot et al. these gas-grill-type propane-powered anti-mosquito things. they range in price from around $150 up to $800 bucks or so and say they will eradicate mosquitoes for up to an acre and look like a little cart or something.<br /><br />Does anyone on here have experience with these things? Do they work and what's the difference between the lower priced ones and the higher priced ones? No one around here has one, and the sales people can't really tell me anything (what's new, huh?). How do they work anyway? <br /><br />Thanks y'all!

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

Repellant products with deet seems to work best for me and they cost a lot less

 

[JasonJ]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

Being in the pest control biz, I have seen a lot of these. I would say I have experienced about a 50/50 split on whether they work or not. Some people swear by them, others swear they don't work. Of course, you have to factor location. The people with poor results have stagnant water nearby, while those who love them are in relatively dry areas and don't get a lot of skeeters in the first place.

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

I just read a report on them in our local newspaper and the consensus is that they do work. They release CO2 into the air, which is what we do when we breathe. This attracts the mosquitos and traps them. A benefit over zappers is that they don't attract the bugs that eat mosquitos. Don't know about difference in prices.

 

[gsbodine]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

Thanks to all who have replied. It's funny to me how heavily they market these things around here, but I can't find anybody who's actually used one. I must say I'm skeptical (in case you didn't notice ). <br /><br />Of course we're reduced to using bug repellant, but honestly I don't like spraying our 1-year-old (who's already the world's biggest outdoor lover ) with a lot of that stuff and he still gets bitten regardless. we have to keep him in long clothes which is pretty uncomfortable in this heat and humidity.<br /><br />Thanks again for all the responses so far!

 

[JasonJ]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

I tell ya, when I was stationed down in Ft Stewart and Benning, the mosquitos were an emotionally traumatizing thing. We would be out in the boonies getting eaten alive. When it was time to go out into the woodline to take care of bathroom business, it was not uncommon to shroud yourself with your army issue mosquito net. Otherwise every aspect of your nether region was tore up in seconds. Miserable. At least on post they used the trucks that fogged the snot out of everything, and mosquitos were partially controlled.

 

[BinLurkin]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

Yep, it works 'bout as good as premium gasoline. It's your money, waste it as you please. Keep on dreaming.

 

[gsbodine]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

Originally posted by BinLurkin:<br /> Yep, it works 'bout as good as premium gasoline. It's your money, waste it as you please. Keep on dreaming.

yeah, what i figured. i guess i can find something else to spend the money on if I look hard enough ...

 

[byordy]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

This a is good place for a response from someone who actualy owns one, a "Mosquito Magnet". We live in a highly wooded area surrounded by wetlands and the Bay of St. Louis (Diamondhead, MS.)<br />The Mosquitop Magnet is about 90% effective. It is the difference between being able to use our porch & patio and not being able to go outside at all. In the normal mode there is an attractant that is used with the "Magnet" that enhances the effectivenes for Gnats and "regular" Mosquitos. With the attractant in place the Gnats and "regular" Mosquitos are well controlled. There is a strain of Mosquitos however, that are repelled by the "attractant", and for these mosquitos the attractant must be removed. <br />We've just begun to experiece this different strain, (for the life of me I can't remember the proper name), and until I removed the atttractant we were being eaten alive. Fortunately the Gnats are not swarming presently, so all is well.<br />Placement is all important and the directions are explicit on how and where the unit needs to be placed in relation to the occupied area. In my case I have to compromise, and that may account for the only 90% effectivness.<br />In our case it was money well spent.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

I have a cottage on a river in a pretty heavily wooded area. I just bought the magnet defender at Home depot last week and set it up last thursday night. Today I just changed the basket and I have well over half a pint (solidly packed) of mosquitos in four days.<br /><br />The theory is that the female mosquitos are the ones that bite. The more of them you catch the less they can multiply and that after a few weeks you will break the reproduction cycle.<br /><br />I think the other species is the African Zebra. This breed bites during the day while the others do not. The octenol repels them. Luckily for me I do not have these.<br /><br />Does it catch Mosquitos?? For me.. Yes it has exceeded my expectations so far. I have found that it catches them from dusk till dawn and not a lot during the day.<br /><br />I would not buy the Mosquito deleto or the Skeetervac as they rely on sticky strips to trap the skeeters. The magent actually vacuums them into a basket they cannot escape and ultimatley they die.<br /><br />I have also found that the 3M 25% deet spray is awesome in all but the worst conditions..

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

The mosquito magnets are used by the government at the federal barrier beach my wife and I frequent.It took them a long time to commit to them because the feds dont buy anything like that until they have tests and data and trial studies to be absolutely sure of their effectivness and the effect on the environment and wildlife.As stated placement is key and 2 units are better than one.They mimic a human exhaling and thats usually what draws them to us.They DO work.That is a fact.For a child I would not hesitate to get 1 or 2.There are also some great alternatives you can use instead of deet on the kids.I recently tried a lemon oil -eucalyptis oil combo that we got at Walmart in the hunting dept that worked very well and is all natural.Kids and deet dont go together well.My advice is Spend the bucks and protect your kids and family.Charlie

 

[gsbodine]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

hey, now that's nice to get some actual anecdotal evidence from people who have them. so it's the mosquito magnet type, huh? <br /><br />I'm definitely interested in an alternative to deet for the little one, even though it's very effective for the rest of us. Where are you anyway, Crazy?<br /><br />Thanks crazy, roger, byordi, et al.

 

[knobby]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

We had one of those but the mosquitos picked it up and carried it off. <br />McCrory, Arkansas - Home of the Mosquitofest.

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

Long Island NY , we have a barrier beach that runs parallel to long Island called Fire Island with the Great South bay seperating the two.The atlantic ocean is on the other side of Fire Island.I most cases you can walk from the bay over to the ocean in less than 5-10 minutes.Fire Island has many many communities of all different types from the ultra wealthy to the regular old working class guy with many in between including alternative lifestyles.All are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitos so I consider myself VERY experienced when it comes to them.I have tried everything and I mean everything.No one can deny that high concentrations of deet work best and I have used 38% and more which is hard to find.I am always looking for alternatives to deet.Charlie

 

[johnson-liner]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

I've heard the best thing to beat mosquitos is to have a lot of bats around. I was gonna build a couple bat houses myself, but having an old barn on the property, I figure they already have enough places to live and I must have as many as I can. Going to do a little more research...see if building bat houses will get more bats around and go from there. Good luck!

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

JL if you move into a cave you have it made

 

[backdraft]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

In Alaska , the most effective mosquito repellent is a shotgun. The bigger ones have landing lights.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

I thought that about the bats too, but I heard or read somewhere that only 10% of a bats diet is mosquitos. They are not the control agent I thought they were.<br /><br />If you are looking for a magnet, E-bay has the best prices I have seen thus far. I bought mine at HD for 295 +tax. On e-bay they are $259 with free shipping and no tax..

 

[ChrisMcLaughlin]

Re: anti-mosquito device advice

I was outside last night laying in the grass looking at the stars and two mosquitos landed on my chest. The one mosquito looked at the other and then turned over my dog tag. "Darn",the second mosquito said, "another Type O. Lets go find a Type A." So they flew off.