Mosquito control outdoors

[myoung]

Unlike our home, many of the places we visit while camping have mosquitos. We don't like covering our skin with smelly liquids and chemicals, so we're wondering if any portable devices are available for effective mosquito control while sitting outside. Something that either attracts and kills or simply repels mosquitos that could cover an area large enough to give us a little peace and comfort while enjoying our time outside the trailer would be nice.

Any ideas? Any experiences with products that really work well?

[coastal me]

I've had mosquitos, and worse, in my opinion, gnats, since I've been at this lake the first of April. I wear a mosquito hat. And disposable gloves. The mosquitos land on the gloves, but apparently can't bite through them. There are complete mosquito outfits available.
Anita

[davidz71]

I've seen devices which operate off propane that either repel or kill mosquitos. I don't know if they work or not. I use citronella candles purchased from Lowes that are in painted or galvanized buckets. I place 4 of them around the front of the camper and picnic table when camping and they do a good job.

[john hd]

i got some of those old fashioned road flares at sams and filled them with kerosene citrenella blend.

they are stainless steel and look good with the trailer. and do seem to keep the skeeters away.

i think they were about 11 bucks for two.

the best part is that they are weighted and hard to knock over!

john

[ipso_facto]

it's a major problem for me. the things that worked for me:

You have to wash often enough, if you are sweaty, that seems to attract them so much more.

You have to practically bathe in that bug spray. Even then it's kind of marginally effective.

The other thing I heard, you can eat something that will repeal them. Was it garlic? Any truth to that?

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by ipso_facto

. . . . The other thing I heard, you can eat something that will repeal them. Was it garlic? Any truth to that?

You supposed to wear it around your neck, not eat it!

[Pick]

Those propane mosquito traps give off heat,Co2 and pheremones, which attract the skeeters to the trap where they are sucked into a filter bag. I heard they work, but most cost around $300.

[crowbar68]

i use several citronella in a tiki torch's and a fan blowing in your general direction. i've seen all natural bug repellent soap you bath w/ . i don't know if it works though.

the garlic necklace might keep bugs away and handy for cooking

[TurtleBunky]

You might look at this link, http://store.arbico-organics.com/1211901.html
I haven't used this particular product yet, but their other products are effective. Also, there is a repellant called "Repel" that is made from lemon eucalyptus. It's just as effective as deet and I'll attest to that (Consumer Reports thinks so, too). Otherwise, I haven't had much luck with "natural" sprays.

Lori

[cooperhawk]

We purchased a Mosquito Magnet three years ago and it really does work. The critters are attracted by co2 and sucked in where they die of dehydration. It keeps our back yard liveable all summer. The problem is that it is quite bulky to take along and takes a period of time to do it's job. It uses a tank of propane about every three weeks.

I would think that for traveling the candles are better. My wife drives me crazy with these mosquito coils that she burns under her lawn chair. Gives me headaches.

[JBK]

The Mosquito Magnets WORK!
I live in Northern Minnesota where the skeeters are really bad. My 2 acre yard consists of probably 60% woods and the rest grass. I live on a lake with mosquito bed weeds along the shore and there is a stagnant pond on the neighbors property. The property I have across the street is similar with mostly woods and small ponds, again, mosquito heaven. I have two MM's in my yard and can spend the day outside and maybe get bitten a few times. I no longer use "Off or anything else. If I go to my property across the street, they are over me like stink on poop.
These are not something that you take camping for a weekend, since they take time to work. Say, if you were to get one in the middle of the summer and fire it up in your mosquito infested yard, it would take about a week to really see the difference. In three weeks you would be nearly mosquito free.
I swear by these things.
One of my units is totaly portable in that it has a battery that runs the fan all summer (amazing to me) so you don't need electricity. The units use a 20# tank of propane per month and use an attractant that you should replace every 6 weeks.
So, if you are camping in the same place every weekend or have a lake place, I would certainly recomend the Mosquito Magnet. If you are weekenders at different locations, get out the citronella and deet. If I needed a mosquito net over my head, I'd find a new place to camp.

My two cents.

JB

By the way, MM's are on sale this time of year and you should be able to save a hundred bucks or so.

[coastal me]

Mosquito clothing -besides Cabela's, www.nettingworld.com
and www.websoft-solutions.net have mosquito gear.
I've had my mosquito hat for years, no need to keep replenishing like repellents, and no added weight in the RV. I'm tempted to get one of the net jackets-
The campers get a big smile when seeing me with my mosquito hat!
Anita

[razorback]

It seems mosquitos are a problem everywhere. While in Wisconsin and being swarmed by them, we lit several buckets of Citronella and decided that was not the solution when there were several mosquitos sitting on the edge of the bucket! We have had the best relief by using a strong fan to keep the air moving around the sitting area. Mosquitos are so light that the moving air keeps them outside the turbulence zone. This has worked better for us than ay of the other solutions.

A side note that might help someone in the future. One RV park had so many that evertime we opened the door to come in or out, several would end up in the AS. Each time we entered or exited we would have to hunt four or five of them down and swat them. On the white surfaces, I would just pinch them between thumb and forefinger while they were sitting so they would not leave a mark on the surface. One particular mosquito sitting on our white LR curtains was particularly engorged with bood and when I pinched it, it exploded all over our white curtains. Two large red splotches of blood the size of a pencil eraser! For some reason my wife was mad at me instead of the mosquito! I remembered reading somewhere that peroxide would disolve fresh blood stains so I directed her to blot the spots with peroxide. Presto! Not a trace of the boodstain! You can't even tell there was as stain ever there. Hopefully you won't ever need the information, but just in case, now you have it.

[Goin camping]

We got a attery powered bug zapper from CW. Does it save us from skeeters? Nope. but at least you feel like you are fighting back.

[2airishuman]

hello and welcome to management of the minnesota state bird!

i'm with markdoane on this issue...
if ya tick off enough mosquitos,
they might call on the big blood sucker!

so for camping...
-get a big fan,
-light a bunch of candles,
-turn on the magnets,
-wear a hat, wear a net, wear clothing made with bug repellant...
-light a propane thing
-open trailer door, so all the bugs go inside...close the door; then sit outside,
-light some road flares, filled with citronella
-light some citronella candles,
-have a citronella daiquiri...
-turn on classical music...i read that mosquitos hate mozart....
-seems that catnip repels 'em too!
and...
-don't forget the bat house...
bats eat 1000s of mosquitos...its the vampire/blood thing again...


wouldn't it be easier just2hire a crop duster and have 'em fly over your campsite...with a little ddt?

cheers, buzz, suck, slap, itch...repeat cycle
2air'

one of my 2 favorite gary larson's on mosquitos....

also the tabasco tv spot with mosquitos igniting is pretty funny...
http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/2151/

[bobchevy89]

Hello,
I used to work in mosquito control in FL.. to get the count of mosquitos we used a trap with dry ice in it.the dry ice gives off carbon dioxide which attracts them.I went camping and put a small chunk down wind of the camper worked great.we put it in a small lunch cooler for safety's sake.you can get it at some super markets ora welding supply will tell you were to go..

[eubank]

We hate mosquitos. That's part of why we moved to high altitude. My last bite was about a year ago ... and then only because I left the mountaintop and visited friends in Texas.

Lynn

[Devoman]

Man..I am so glad I live on the beach.We are lucky to not have anything like that here but when I go into town to see my parents it is a blood fest for them little buggers.

[CanoeStream]

I see only two options missing -- copper bracelets and tinfoil helmets.

A bit of 'Up Nort' intelligence is to look into the so-called driftless area of SE Minnesota, NE Iowa and SW Wisconsin. This area was never glaciated and the terrain is ancient and eroded so there are few water holding areas. Most of my experience is around the Rochester and Lanesboro-Preston areas (Whitewater S.P. and Forestville S.P.). We'll usually see 2-3 skeets at about 8:45 at night -- and that's it for the day! There are few lakes but bike trails abound and there are quite a few trout stream choices (mostly catch & release due to popularity with the Twin Cities area).

I'll tell you because the Iowans won't -- Northeast Iowa is wa-a-ay too overlooked. It has great terrain with forested valleys descending to the Mississippi.

I'm a Boundary Waters Canoe Area camper from way back. The other big clue is that you can rely on fewer bugs starting in August. Yes it's still warm enough for those guys to be "going at it" but reality is they're lying back in bed having a cigarette by then .....