Mosquito Control for Patio that works

[harllee]

At my new apartment in a Continuing Care Community I have a patio. I have bought a patio umbrella and chairs but I was having trouble using it because the mosquitos were so bad. I did some research and bought the Thermacell Rechargeable Mosquito Repellent which covers 20 foot area. IT REALLY WORKS. You put it on the patio and turn it on for 15 minutes before you go out and no mosquitos seen. I see a few gnats but no mosquitos. A charge last 10 hours and the the replant lasts 12 hours. You buy replacement repellent. No smell, no mess. Costs $30 at Amazon, the refills are cheapest at Walmart, $17 for a 30 hour refill.

 

[Montecfo]

I wonder if there are other products to consider? Amazingly our mosquitoes have not been bad this year but DW can't tolerate sprays or any scent so very interested.

 

[harllee]

I wonder if there are other products to consider? Amazingly our mosquitoes have not been bad this year but DW can't tolerate sprays or any scent so very interested.

I have noticed no smell whatsoever and I am sensitive to smells also

 

[MarieIG]

Excellent! I will discuss with DH when he comes back from the store. (We have been discussing doing something about the mosquitoes lately.)

 

[steelyman]

I got the Thermacell product too. There is a faint scent but only barely noticeable (and you’d have to be sniffing for it).

 

[bltkmt]

We use these as well here in CT. Excellent product.

 

[Scuba]

Will your CCRC allow you to screen in your patio? We have been amazed at how well the “cages” around the pool and lanai work in Florida. Obviously a higher up front cost but no hassle after that.

 

[harllee]

Will your CCRC allow you to screen in your patio? We have been amazed at how well the “cages” around the pool and lanai work in Florida. Obviously a higher up front cost but no hassle after that.

No, there is no balcony above us so no way to screen in. Now that I have found out about the mosquito repellent I would not want a screen blocking my view.

 

[2017ish]

I saw the thread title and clicked on it to spread the word about DW and her Thermacells!

She has used it for years and even had good results with it when we were RV'ing in Alaska in the Summer of 2020; after those hardy beasts, it isn't a surprise that their paltry middle-Tennessee and southern-Missouri cousins are also deterred.

(In addition to being mosquito bait, she has a sensitive nose; as others stated, this product passes her hyper-smell test.)

 

[latexman]

Thanks, I'll try it.

Also, look around your CCRC and report the standing water sources that are breeding these mosquitos. Undoubtedly, there are some. I used to lived in Singapore, where it's illegal to raise mosquitos. We could learn a lot from their mosquito prevention programs. Standing water is the #1 thing to eliminate.

 

[ERD50]

I was curious how these worked. At first I thought it was one of those ultrasonic things, which never seem to pass any scientific testing. Their website is suspiciously vague. But I did find elsewhere: "the Thermacell is EPA approved and uses allethrin".

wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins

The allethrins are a group of related synthetic compounds used in insecticides. They are classified as pyrethroids, i.e. synthetic versions of pyrethrin, ...

Toxicity

Chronic exposure to allethrins alters the plasma biochemical profile of humans and may have adverse health effects.[1] Bioallethrin has been shown to cause oxidative damage, cellular toxicity and necrosis of human lymphocytes studied in vitro.[2] It is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates. At normal application rates, allethrin is slightly toxic to bees.[3] Insects subject to exposure become paralyzed (nervous system effect) before dying. Allethrins are toxic to cats[4] because they either do not produce, or produce less of certain isoforms of glucuronosyltransferase, which serve in hepatic detoxifying metabolism pathways.[5]

That toxicity may not be an issue for the way this is used, just posting as an FYI. The battery is used to create heat to disperse the chemical, they also make a butane cylinder powered one.

-ERD50

 

[harllee]

Thanks, I'll try it.

Also, look around your CCRC and report the standing water sources that are breeding these mosquitos. Undoubtedly, there are some. I used to lived in Singapore, where it's illegal to raise mosquitos. We could learn a lot from their mosquito prevention programs. Standing water is the #1 thing to eliminate.

Good idea--I will check around near my patio to see if there is any standing water anywhere. It has been pretty hot and dry here for several weeks but worth a look.

 

[Time2]

Here's an alternative, there are many designs on Youtube. I have seen regular box fans used also. This particular one seems to noisy, but it presents the idea well.

Here's a Youtube search query link.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mosquito+fan+trap+

 

[Lawrencewendall]

DIL swears by growing citronella in pots.