Are you tired of waking up in the morning with Mosquito bites all over your arms and legs? Are you frustrated when they seek you out constantly throughout the day, making you feel like you are being eaten alive even before the sun goes down? With the increase in Mosquito population in the U.S. due to precipitation, followed by warm weather, we should all be mindful of their presence and what we can do to minimize our encounters
Best Mosquito Repellent Device
Trying to find the best mosquito zappers that work can be an arduous task. We tested zappers, traps, electronic devices, electric traps, repellent spray, gel and lotion. My wife and I just wanted to stop the biting and itching. Once we finally found something we were pleased with, we looked at everything we had already tried and put together a list, looking at durability, cord or charge, user-friendly, the best performance, battery life, noise level, cleaning, and price.
Our #1 Choice
Hands down goes to BUZZ B-GONE –the unit is durable, dropped it twice by accident which did not phase it at all, easy to use with simple twist top on/off, easy to clean(comes with a small brush), had the most mosquitoes from the same area of testing at the same time for 6 hours of run time, very quiet and cannot hear any mosquitoes or bugs getting zapped even sitting in proximity. Cons for the device is that the charging cord is about 8 inches long with connectors that are C-type/USB and the charge lasts about 6 hours or so. You can have the unit on while charging which takes a little longer however you are able to use it while charging which is nice if you have a cord or port close to where you need it. I am including the link below to where you can get one.
Thermacell Mosquito Repellent
I want to briefly touch on the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent device. This device claims to not use flames, chemicals or DEET. They researched plants toxic to mosquitoes and identified the component responsible for repelling them. They re-created this component in a lab to be scent free and non-toxic. This is called Allethrin, the device uses a fuel cartridge to heat a small mat saturated with Allethrin releasing it into the air therefore creating a potential 15-foot protection zone free of mosquitoes.
Does it work? As long as you have refillable cartridges and mats the Thermacell does reduce you exposure to mosquitoes in the area and the amount of bites sustained.
Safety? Allethrin, the active ingredient in Thermacell, is classified as a non-persistent insecticide, (meaning it breaks down relatively quickly in the environment. It doesn’t leave any residue in the environment where it’s operated, but Thermacell should always be used in a well-ventilated area).
How it works – Allethrin is a type of neurotoxin, acting both on the peripheral and central nervous systems by modifying the kinetics of voltage-sensitive sodium channel, resulting in an increase of sodium permeability across the channel and paralysis of insect’s organs.
Allethrin is highly toxic to cats!
Human exposure can cause asthma attacks with shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and/or chest tightness. Exposure may cause bronchitis to develop with coughing, phlegm, and/or shortness of breath. ► d-trans-Allethrin may damage the liver and kidneys.
The Thermacell product should be kept away from food and food preparation areas to prevent direct ingestion of Allethrin.
Based on information available regarding this product, the benefits do not outweigh the risks. We recommend utilizing other means to address any mosquito issues.
Mosquito Repellent Spray
The recommendation for using Mosquito repellent spray is based off of EPA safety and efficacy testing, usability, ease of use, spraying and containing Picaridin.
Repellent should be safe and effective. EPA Approval shows the repellent has undergone extensive testing and can be trusted. Usability, rather than relying on efficacy takes into consideration the variables of the environment, physiology and bug behavior. Our recommendations use a 20% concentration of picaridin, which offers long-lasting repellent for ticks and mosquitoes with none of DEET’s downsides. We also look for a nice even spray that goes on easy and does not pool.
Our top pick for Spray repellent is Sawyer Products 20% picaridin. Although most sprays with 20% picaridin should be effective, we agree with the reviews that the bottle is compact so easy to store and carry. It is a pump so sprays more evenly and does not over spray or pool. It has a 2 cap design to prevent from leaking and it is readily available in different sizes.
In conclusion
As frustrating as Mosquitoes can be, we have many tools available to use depending on the situation. Since the Mosquitoes are also pollinators we would do well to use bug zappers in the home since we cannot control anything as we are sleeping. Out in our yards and gardens the use of repelling plants will reduce the number of them that we have to personally deal with. If you add the repellent spray for moving around after the sun goes down or visiting where you known there may be a chance encounter. Then I believe we will have made a difference and protected ourselves at the same time.
