Large Scale Central

Mosquito magnet--does it work?

General Discussion
#1

About ten years ago northern VA gt invaded by a new kind of mosquito, the “Asian Tiger Mosquito.” It has black and white striped legs. Unlike the mosquitos we had when I was a kid, which came out at dusk and dawn mostly, it’s out ALL THE TIME, all day, and it’s relentless. And prolific. If I go outside there will be a dozen flying around in no time flat

I know about draining standing water–we’re pretty vigilant about that. Our pond is stocked with red minnows and goldfish and we drop those anti-mosquito “dunks” in.

So do those “mosquito magnet” things work? Even if they don’t stop the biting, I love the idea of killing lots of mosquitos.

#2

Dear Mike,

Buy or build a Bat House.

Keep your rain gutters clean, and remind your neighbors to do the same.

Joe Satnik

#3

we have bat house–my wife won’t let me put it up because she’s worried about toxins in guano!(?)! Also a bat house will not help with the tiger mosquito, because it’s active in daytime

Also I clean the gutters frequently. The mosquitos are really bad

#4

The rainy year we have had so far has been a boon for the mosquito population. The mosquito magnets work well but are not cheap to buy or operate. They need electricity, propane and the human scent pads have to be replaced pretty often. I prefer Repel Lemon Eucalyptus repellent. It works well, smells nice, and I always have a bottle in the truck.
I have read that bat houses seldom attract bats. We have a lot of bats (and dragonflies) where we are and they put on a great show at dusk most every night. We still have a ton o’ skeeters.

-Brian

#5

We have a Mosquito Magnet, and it works great. At the far end of our property (600 or so feet) is wetlands, and the woods are full of mosquitoes. The MM works wonders. About every other tank of propane (a tank lasts about 3 weeks) I toss out the net with a softball-sized pile of dead mosquitoes. They work great, but you do have to follow their maintenance schedule. And DONT get the self-powered ones, they break more often than the ones that you need an extension cord for. Cheaper, too.

#6
Brian Donovan said:
We have a lot of bats (and dragonflies) where we are and they put on a great show at dusk most every night. We still have a ton o' skeeters.

-Brian


Barbara & I think the mosquito-eating critters are actually farming the 'skeeters.

We are in a relatively dry valley-bottom clime with little standing water, and the mosquitos can still drive us inside.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

#7

Have you tried Skin-So-Soft? It is an Avon product. When I lived in Beaufort South Carolina, we slathered that on before going outside. It works by plugging their proboscis, making it impossible for them to “bite.” I never had to worry about being bitten by the buggers for the first time in my life, and I am a walking mosquito magnet. Another thing that I had success with is to take sulfur tablets. You can find them at the health food store. The mossies don’t like the smell of your blood. I guess it smells like rotten eggs to them.

#8
Steve Featherkile said:
Have you tried Skin-So-Soft? It is an Avon product. When I lived in Beaufort South Carolina, we slathered that on before going outside. It works by plugging their proboscis, making it impossible for them to "bite." I never had to worry about being bitten by the buggers for the first time in my life, and I am a walking mosquito magnet. Another thing that I had success with is to take sulfur tablets. You can find them at the health food store. The mossies don't line the smell of your blood. I guess it smells like rotten eggs to them.
Skin-So-Soft does indeed work well. We used sulfur powder in Texas to keep Ticks off. We would powder our clothes from the waste down when venturing into the "wilds". Ralph
#9
Steve Featherkile said:
Have you tried Skin-So-Soft? It is an Avon product. When I lived in Beaufort South Carolina, we slathered that on before going outside. It works by plugging their proboscis, making it impossible for them to "bite." I never had to worry about being bitten by the buggers for the first time in my life, and I am a walking mosquito magnet. Another thing that I had success with is to take sulfur tablets. You can find them at the health food store. The mossies don't like the smell of your blood. I guess it smells like rotten eggs to them.
Just be REEEEAAAALLLLYYYY sure you're not allergic to sulfur products!
#10

This is the chemical sulfur, not the antibiotic sulfa that we are talking about.