Mosquito mats use worldwide....

[kenmoreguy89]

Just a small question about these devices...you know, over here in Italy and Europe generally these mats and electrical burners devices  always been so common to be used and seen while in the USA I never seen them, this is pretty strange because here one of the leading brand of them is the Raid (Johnson Wax) that has been the first bringing up that kind of stuff many years ago....  over  here  in Italy in my area  for example  about everyone would use them,  this despite almost every home do have mosquito nets on windows, but these devices would keep  away and kill mosquitos and flies very effectively  and almost immediately whenever they comes up in the house while accesing  in or by doing back and forth from yard etc... there're also liquid forms, but looks like people just prefer the mats which for this reasons have the biggest selection.
I know they're common in Asia also and other parts of the world  I was just about curious to know if maybe in some areas of USA this stuff is sold and more common...
I recall down there in Olathe and other places in  KS I've seen  some of the burner things  with  the liquid kind of thing, but never seen much of them and  just never ssen  the  mats type  in the USA...the only mats I've seen were just for the external use, for example the ones to  be put in a  candle lamp ( I think it was a Raid thing, which is also sold here)  or even some  weird portable contraptions working on batteries I beleieve  ... but  what I'm talking about it's for indoor use to be plugged to an outlet.
So it's just pretty curious as a thing....I always wondered about... one over here would think it's obvious  that in  every country (interested in mosquitos)  these things are sold and so used , looks like  it's  not though.... and that's quite interesting.

Here is how the heat activated emanator is: http://www.inferramenta.it/katalog/...tore-con-19-piastrine-zanzara-zanzare-613590L
The mats: http://www.farmacosmo.it/product_in...ping&id_link=aa6fa4b4e05daf858a0924cbda5cf0ab

http://www.drugstore.it/vape-piastrine-mat-zanzare-ricarica-30.html

 

[wayupnorth]

My next door neighbors have a propane mosquito killer. It helps but at dusk and dawn they are brutal. Been so hot here all the biting deer and moose flies are out in addition. Of all places, Maine had an official heat wave today, go figure.

 

[arbilab]

Meanwhile in Texas we had record low high temperatures. Parts of the region are under West Nile alert, but not right where I am. We have skunks. I've come face to face with a half dozen. They're really pretty benign. Unless they have rabies.

 

[fido]

I have one of the lantern type devices but have not seen the mats. Mosquitoes have been such a pest here this summer I am seriously wondering if I should move house again, perhaps to a mountainous area. I do get a few that find their way into the house but most of my bites have been sustained when gardening. Even in the hottest weather I wear long sleeves and long trousers but they still bite me through my shirt or socks. Last week I even bought a bee keepers netted hat! I have been taking zinc tablets and spraying myself with lemon and eucalyptus oil solution.
Some of the bites seem worse than others. My left hand is one of their favourite targets as I tend to be looking at my right hand when pulling up weeds etc. One of the bites caused my hand to swell up to about twice its normal size and I have had red spots on my legs up to two inches diameter. Some nights I was in so much discomfort I could not sleep but I got some antihistamine gel and that does ease the soreness.

Amazon.co.uk

 

[iheartmaytag]

We used to have bug zapper that hung on the porch. Supposed to kill bad bugs, but most of what I saw in it were the "good" bugs.

Our biggie this year has been chiggers. Those little bastards just about ate my daughter an I alive. It's been two weeks and I still have welts.

As for Mosquitos most people around her are safe as long as I'm outside. I can sit next to my mother and be covered and she doesn't get even a lite. My Dad was the same way. Don't know if it's the blood type, or testosterone that attracts them.

 

[kb0nes]

I used to belong to a group of active amateur astronomers here in MN. A HUGE issue was how to deal with the mosquito nuisance. At one point or another we tried about everything. Most items are really only money makers for the company selling them, in other words they didn't do much.

Mosquito aren't attracted to light, so bug zappers are useless against them. They seek heat, humidity and carbon dioxide which is why the little blood suckers will find you easily in total darkness! This is why the commercial mosquito traps have a small propane flame in them, it is there to simulate the attractiveness of a warm blooded mammal.

The mosquito traps, the propane ones, do work. But its vital to locate then away from the area you are trying to protect, otherwise they are just an additional attractant. Put them in your neighbors yard!

Fogging wooded areas with insecticide works but its not very environmental. There are some crystals that are similar to mothballs that you can spread over an area and the vapor is supposed to ward off mosquitoes, never had a clear result with those.

Citronella candles and "incense" coils that you burn and anything else that emits a smoke or vapor never seemed to have any effect. Same with the ultrasonic electronic repellent gizmos. One guy bought one of those at the height of the West Nile scare and he thought it attracted the mosquitoes to him... I told him he had the batteries in backwards

Liquid repellents do work, the higher the concentration of DEET the better. But they are messy, destroy plastics and I don't like increasing chemical body burden with them. A little known fact with repellents is that they work by contact, not odor. When the mosquitoes light on you they don't like the feel so they don't linger.

Best thing by far is protective clothing. The Original Bug Shirt is a piece of outwear with a hood and mesh and made of fabric with a dense enough weave that they don't bite through it. Amazingly they are well vented and not at all uncomfortable to wear. www.bugshirt.com

 

[perc-o-prince]

Hey Freddy,

I've never seen the mats. Do they just sit there and mosquitos stay away from them? Or do they plug in?

I have a propane fogger (similar to this one: http://www.amazon.com/Burgess-1443-40-Ounce-Outdoor-Propane/dp/B000HMA7OK) that we've used for years, but I now also treat with Cutter Bug Free Backyard hose-end sprayer (2.5% permethrin) for longer-lasting results. I used them at about 10am for a 1pm gathering this past Sunday. While I was out there immediately after fogging, I was still getting bothered/bitten as it's a bit slow acting. After I used the Cutter, I went inside to get things ready. People were here until about 7 that evening and no one complained. Yesterday afternoon and this morning I went out for a bit and though it's hot and humid, I wasn't bothered by mosquitos. I'll see what happens when I'm out there late this afternoon.

Supposedly the propane-fueled traps work well, but they go through a 20# tank of fuel in 2.5 - 3 weeks and you have to keep the attractant filled as well. I'll take my $9 bottle and spray a couple of times this summer. So what if our robins have two beaks? (Kidding, of course, though permethrin is toxic to fish and cats.)

Chuck

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Yes I know all of the stuff you all said, by living in an area affected seriously from the mosquitos plague ( the mosquitos of the Po Valley are pretty famous LOL).
I also used to have one of those buzzers outside in the balcony,  my father used also to have them but  he recently bought  one of those propane gas things and now he use it only.
Talking about buzzers and stuff with neons over here arem also common  some ones working with a fan that is supposed to suck insects when are attracted from the neon light, needless to say that both  the two things would mitigate mosquitos "clouds" outside and in a dark place  you'd risk to attract them more near you,  also if used inside you'd get insects flying anyway and biting you while finding their way to the trap.
Like these:

INSECTIVORO mod. ROUND BASIC

Sicuro per l'ambiente e innocuo per l'uomo.

www.disinfestazione.it

http://www.awitalia.it/ventola-cattura-insetti-p-3456.html?tab=photo&ph=

Over here are so much common the coils for the outside, I'm sure they're common  in the USA also as we often used them...

Some people would just don't stand the odor of them even though lately they use to come with nicer scents variations, Geranium and citronella... they're proven stuff to keep mosquitoes away and protect your time outside, always been so for decades....In my opinion they just works nicely and keep them effectively away....some people says that their fumes are dangerous, well they alwyas been used for decades  over here and I never seen one  suffering for them.

Rich:
You would plug the burner/hot plate and lay a mat  (which is a kind of ignifuge "paper" soaked in substances) over it,  this would create some vapors, insecticide and repellent vapors that would kill and keep away insects (mosquitoes and flies)  from your room/s, in some mats  odors are imperceptible for humans, some indeed would produce some scents (like the raid ones) but usually are pleasant smells like an air freshner and never  so strong, are also availbale forms with natural essential oils of geraniums and citronella.
A mat usually last for  8 to 10 hours, the mat turns white when is finished...
I'm posting some advertisement that would explain how it works  better than I can do with words:


Here's  another oldie,  a spanish one for the Raid mats:


Here is the typical  liquid form thing , it works by evaporating the liquid, a bottle is supposed to last 45 nights....so about 360 hours of coverage...you then buy the refill bottle, most people (including me) do prefer the mats though I think they works better than any:


Also:

Recently Raid introduced this other type of electric device advertising you would not have to change any mat and, initially it was developped to automatically shutting off in the day light thanks to a sensor, but it didn't get much success for many reasons, one is that it does not work well like mats or liquids, it is supposed to work with "compressed sand"... other main reason is that many people do actually need it during the day also, they changed it later but  since it does not work well is one of the less bought kind of things .


Another version of it has been brought  recently and would have two "compartments", one is brought to work automtically thanks to the sensor with day light (for flies) and the other for the night (for mosquitoes), I managed to find an Ad in english:


[this post was last edited: 7/17/2013-15:04]

 

[foraloysius]

Because I have asthma I can't use things that spread a fog or that use some kind of scent. I therefor prefer to use screens. Never a bug in the house, but then again overhere it doesn't seem as much of a problem as in other places.

 

[sudsmaster]

I loathe mosquitoes.

Luckily I live in an area with predominantly dry summers, so the mosquitoes at home usually only occur in spring when pooled water from winter rains hasn't completely dried up. I have a couple of smallish fish ponds, which I treat with mosquito dunks each spring, which really do work.

Occasionally some mosquitoes find a water source (plant watering, etc) in the neighborhood and sometimes they manage to sneak into the house despite window and door screens. I've been known to stay up at night in the bedroom with the lights on and a flyswatter, waiting for the damn think to land on a wall or ceiling where it can be seen and squashed.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Phil, the ultrasonic things you mention are useless, I know it well, I used to buy one from LIDL time ago a thing you'd plug but it just didn't work...
I'm surprised to hear about your coils experience though ...  it all depend from the band I think, it's true some brands of coils  I tried  just would not  work,  but others indeed do the job greatly, I think it's all about the brand....

 

[kb0nes]

Freddie,

Perhaps for us the issue is that we were out in a field. The effects from coils or candles is too localized and the slightest breeze would disperse the protection. They might be more effective in a semi-enclosed area.

What we all came to agree on was that the Bug Shirt did the most. Luckily most of the areas we were observing at only had significant mosquito activity around dusk. Once it got really dark the problem largely dissipated.

One of the owners of a site we used would fog before an event and that seemed to help. I am reluctant to use insecticides broadly because of the possible connection to bee colony collapse though.

One thing that is highly effective is BTI which is a larvicide used to treat standing water. Its environmentally friendly and non toxic. Even small area like rain gutters or anywhere that water ponds can hatch mosquitoes so its best to treat them. Here in Minnesota we have a governmental agency that goes out and treats swamps and low lands with pellets of this product for mosquito control

 

[logixx]

I loathe mosquitoes as well. Ticks also.

I've never used any chemical repellants only screens for our windows. While they do keep them outside, I find most screens sold here also do a very good job at restricting any (cool) air flow from the outside. So all the heat stays trapped in the house. The only solution seems to be one of these window fans that one could place right onto the screen to suck air through it. Unfortunately, I have yet to see such a fan here.

 

[tomturbomatic]

When you have to be outside, use an electric fan to keep a stream of air moving past you. Skeeters don't fly very well and a strong breeze will not only keep them away, but also dispel the CO2 that attracts them to us. I lightly spray my clothes with cedar oil when I have to be outside. That repels them.

If you do get a bite, wet it with water and pour some meat tenderizer on it and rub it in. The more you rub, the better it feels and the more it activates the interaction between the enzyme and the protein injected in your skin. The enzyme papain in it will break down the protein anti-coagulant that the mosquito injects that causes the histamine reaction. You generally have to repeat the treatment once in about 5 minutes, but after that there is no sign of any reaction. This works with insect stings, and chigger bites, also.

 

[sudsmaster]

BTI, yes, that's the Dunks

What is the active ingredient in
Mosquito Dunks®?

The active ingredient in Mosquito Dunks® is Bacillus
thuringiensis subspecies israelensis. (B.t.i.). B.t.i. is a bacterium that is
deadly to mosquito larvae but harmless to other living things.

http://www.summitchemical.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/FAQ-MosqDunksrev612.pdf

 

[sudsmaster]

PS-Please don't use a "Bug Zapper", that is, a device with a ultraviolet light that attracts insects and then electrocutes them.

Why? Because they are basically ineffective for mosquitoes - who are not attracted to light. Instead they attract and kill a wide variety of harmless insects, and can impact the population of beneficial insects as well as the biologic diversity of the local insect population.

The propane powered mosquito lure/killers are different - they actually can work to reduce the mosquito presence. But the biological method of BTI or Dunks or Bacillus thuringiensis is probably the most effective form of control, along with eliminating standing water and other mosquito breeding sites.

 

[whirlpolf]

Rich, I second that

No UV zappers here:

They kill just any insect going by (and most of my favorite pests are not among them) but they simply fail after one or two years use: The UV tube just does not attract any insects anymore.
(Worthless, goes down and away to "poisonous recyclables" as a new bulb is more expensive than a complete new unit).

After the recent flood in East Germany we have 20 x more mosquitos than average this year and they keep spreading.

For mosquitos:
I cut the tapered (funnel shaped) top off of a 5 liters drinks bottle and re-glue it vice versa, so the screw neck points down into the "main body" of the former bottle.

Next I fill in a sugar/water solution and add some yeast (dry yeast that is).

I just leave it on the table as it is, the yeast will be producing CO2 for some days and will attract the obnoxious pests. (Ok, they want body odours as well but I have not yet tried out stinky socks in that solution).

After some couple of days, the bottle is filled with hundreds of these stupid "weeeeee"-sound pests. Dismantling the funnel portion of the thing, I give it some swirling motion and empty them into the toilet, refilling the reassebled trap with fresh sugared water /yeast solution. Re-tape the funnel and off we go for a new week of luring them into drowning.
Just works (Had just a handful of other insects there, the majority were the stupid mosquitos.)

 

[sudsmaster]

Great idea, Joe.

I bet the same thing could be accomplished by simply placing a very large funnel, pointed side down, over the mouth of a clean 1 gallon (4 liter) plastic milk jug. The funnel could be taped in place to make sure it doesn't get accidentally knocked off. Of course the tip of the funnel would need to be fairly large so the mosqujitoes can fly down into it. But they are not hard to find, and the tip could be shortened to a wider diameter if needed.

I wonderhowever if the sugar water solution has some live wrigglers in it, it wouldn't be a bad idea to add some bleach to the toilet before flushing it down.