do those bamboo citronella flled torches keep mosquitoes away? (1 Viewer)

[Jeremy Illingworth]

I love to barbeque and eat out on the porch but the mosquitoes are driving me mad. If I buy a couple of those bamboo torches and fill them with citronella based fuel will it help keep them away or is it just an urban legend.

jeremy

 

[Trevor H]

No they do not work. the only thing that repels mosquitoes is Deet. Your best bet is to spray your whole yard with insecticide every once in a while, and wear as much Deet based repellent as you can stand.

 

[Allen W]

They will not make every mosquito flee your yard (pun intended)but I think they do help some. They look cool and contribute to the party atmosphere.
Most of the women around here swear by Avon SkinSoSoft Lotion, supposedly it really works. Smoking a cigar works for me

 

[joe rizzuto]

no - it's deet or take your chances

 

[Michael*K]

I use the citronella torches. They provide a little backyard ambiance, but they suck when it comes to scaring off mosquitos. A friend of mine rented one of these and they are unbelievable. This machine is like a mosquito deathtrap, drawing them in with carbon dioxide and trapping them in a net. The drawback...I think the purchase price is about $1500. :frowning:

 

[Wayne Murphy]

We go camping every year..(leaving tommorrow in fact) and my wife thinks they work great. I watch the skeets fly right thru the cit smoke like it is nothing. I agree with the mood of the torches but I think DEET is the only real thing that has worked for us.

PS I am really interested in that skeeter smoker. You said it really did the job it advertises?

 

[Mary M S]

My Father in Laws neighbor just tried the Mesq. Magnet machine, within 2 weeks incrediable decline in Mesq pop on his acre lot. We are looking into to one. Mant. looks intensive. Attractant $40 for 6 (replaced every 3 wks), Propone tank refilled every 3 wks. Capture net replaced every ?.
But yes acording to the Coast Guard & my Dad's neighbor, it works!

 

[DaveBB]

I've had no luck with the citronella torches. They look nice and that is about it.

I use the citronella torches. They provide a little backyard ambiance, but they suck when it comes to scaring off mosquitos. A friend of mine rented one of these and they are unbelievable. This machine is like a mosquito deathtrap, drawing them in with carbon dioxide and trapping them in a net. The drawback...I think the purchase price is about $1500.

You can rent those? Where from?
Coleman sells a portable version for camping.
Link Removed Wonder if those do any good?

 

[Michael*K]

The additional attractant (Octenol) is optional. It supposed to attract the mosquitos even more, but my friend chose not to use them and the Mosquito Magnet still wiped out vast sums of the bugs. I see there's a new "entry level" model that costs about $500. I assume it works the same, but it requires a separate power supply (AC cord) to run it. The company says the propane needs to be changed every three weeks, but I think it will last a lot longer if the machine isn't left running 24/7.

Dave, check your local rental agencies that rent power tools and party supplies like tents and stuff.

 

[Andy_S]

This one seems like a more affordable alternative:
Link Removed
You can use those small propane tanks or the large kind used for barbecuing.

 

[Andy_S]

Woah! Here's a cool site:
http://www.mosquitobuzz.com/control/...2.html?k=12226

 

[Greg_R]

Build / buy a bat house (if they exist in AB). Bats can eat a huge quantity of bugs each night. You won't need repellant once a group of bats has moved in (all bugs get eaten).

For repellant, the Skin So Soft stuff works the best (and doesn't sting if you're sweating heavily). The 100% Deet works almost as well. This was my experience while paddling in northern Ontario last year...

 

[Jeremy Illingworth]

I've been interested in a bat house acutally. They do live around here. Can I get plans for them on the internet? I assume that a bird house with BAT written on it won't work. Plus, once I have it up, how do I attact the bats to it? Can I put something in it that they like?

jeremy

 

[Trevor H]

I just saw a report the other day where scientists studied the effectiveness of different so called repellents, their findings were that only Deet based products worked in repelling mosquitos, citronella based products provided little to no protection and Skin So Soft from Avon provided no protection at all.
My mom is an Avon pusher (I mean seller) and she is always telling me to use SSS instead of OFF, so I finally went to her place and picked up a bottle to try, well let me tell you not only did this stuff smell bad it was very oily and messy (it feels like cooking oil) but the main thing I noticed right away is that not only does it not repel mosquitos, I think it actually attracts them.

 

[BrianW]

My local Sam's Club has the Coleman Mosquito Deleto for $150. I was actually considering it until I read the comparison in Andy's link. (Thanks, Andy! ) I guess I'll start saving my money for the $1500 mosquito muncher.
Maybe next year...

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Andy's link is for Mosquito Magnet marketing material, so the accuracy is suspect. Good read, but "consider the source".

 

[Michael*K]

Well I agree with the marketing material that the mosqito catching net is easier to replace than some sticky flytrap type paper on the Coleman model.

 

[Michael Caicedo]

Build a bathouse:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest...ets/265-95.htm
or
http://ucs.orst.edu/~holubs/bat/bathome.htm

 

[Michael*K]

Build a bathouse

Mosquito Magnets don't carry rabies.

 

[Scott Dautel]

Heres a Link Removed entry level for $500. This catalog company is the best.