RE: Mosquito Machines???

[savoytj]

 
Does anyone have a Coleman Mosquito Deleto or similar machine?
 Does it work well?
 How long does the propane last?
 Worth the Money?
 
 TIA

[forestwalker]

 savoytj
Good question-We are interested too.

[whitestar505]

 savoytj
Same here, Anyone know?[]

[Gamecock Camper]

 savoytj
Ditto.  If someone knows how well they work and how much propane they use I might be interested in one for the lakehouse

[mike4947]

 savoytj
Latest Comsumer reports did a review on them and bug repellants.
 The machines weren t perfect. The good ones cleared 75% of mosquitos from an enclosed space.
 As for propane from th sound of it you have to replace the tank about once a month and the ones with the additional lure about the same.
 
 As for bug repellants they found you ve gotta have DEET to do an effective job for more than an hour.

[Steve-o-bud]

 savoytj
Some of the Coleman Mosquito Delito have been recalled:
 [link=][/link]http://www.coleman.com/coleman/mosquito/safetynotice.asp

[Gamecock Camper]

 savoytj
A few of our Sunday school men were telling me that they had read the Consumer Reports article and said the same thing.... that the mosquito machines can control up to 75% of the problem, they also mentioned DEET and one other thing..... Several of the hunters in the group told us that they have trouble with mosquitos except when they take (odorless) galic pills or sudafed...... I m sure that the beers we were drinking made this a credible source (LOL).

[Danusmom]

 savoytj
Catnip has been proven to be more effective than DEET.   AND, it s non-toxic as opposed to DEET which can have devastating effects on young kids.  This is of particular interest for those of us with little ones.
 
 Peace be with you all.

[B]

 savoytj
Catnip? Really? I have young kids what would i do put it in their pockets? rub it on them? Or does it come in some other form than the stuff that looks like oregano? I would love for this to work! B

[Dale&Betty]

 savoytj
Saw a report recently of a comparative test of several brands.  The Mosquito Magnet won it by a large margin.
 Dale

[Jim in Michigan]

 savoytj
I own a Flowtron Mosquito Power Trap.  It runs on Propane and Electricity.  I used to have to spray myself in order to work in my back yard or I would definitely get eaten alive by mosquitos.  We tried using the Mosquito dunks to control them but have been literally chased out of our back yard by mosquitos in the past (even with bug spray applied!). We have a standing water area in the back of our yard off of our property which is the ideal breeding ground for the little buggers.  Last Spring we bought the Flowtron and after several attempts to get it going (the company was having problems dealing with the OPD cut-off) it finally roared to life.  Within about 2 or 3 weeks we were able to work in our back yard without any bug repellent.  Some have said they are about 75% effective but I can testify that I have not been bitten by a mosquito or biting fly (we had plenty of those too) in my back yard since it has been running.
 
 It does use up a tank a propane a month and you have to pay attention to it because they have a tendency to stop working because of the OPD cutoff but I would definitely purchase one again.  (When it stops, you simply have to turn off the gas, turn it off, disconnect the hose, wait a few minutes, reconnect the hose, turn it back on and SLOWLY turn the gas back on).  You can tell it is working because it makes a " clicking"  sound every few seconds, that is annoying at first but you get used to it.  You also need to replace an Octenol cartridge every month.  You can get more life out of your propane tank by setting it up to run only in the morning or morning and evening but to me it is worth the $11/mo. in Propane to have reclaimed the use of my back yard!
 
 Since it wipes out the female population of the mosquito for about an acre (and I mean wipe out - did I mention I haven t been bitten by a mosquito in over a year?) it is not a big deal if it shuts off for a little while because it takes about 6 weeks for them to come back once you ve cleaned them out.
 
 Having said all that, they would not make a very useful camping companion because they need a few weeks to get the job done.  For the first week or so you need to just turn it on and stay away from it because it does such a good job of attracting the little buggers it actually makes the surrounding area worse until it kills them off.
 
 Now if they would only come up with a similar device for wasps, yellow jackets, japanese beetles and those fake lady bugs, I d be all set!
 
 I hope that helps!

[angelsmom10]

 savoytj
We just had a local consumer reporter do a report on this...
 
 Here s the link for MOSQUITO TRAPS
 
 http://www.wcpo.com/wcpo/localshows/dontwasteyourmoney/201552be.html
 
 and here s the link for MOSQUITO REPELLENTS
 
 http://www.wcpo.com/wcpo/localshows/dontwasteyourmoney/201476d3.html
 
 
 
 Hope this helps

[startx]

 savoytj
Catnip?  Then how do I keep the three cats from attacking my kids instead of the skeeters?  Not that the cats would do harm mind you, but we have big cats, and one of them rubbing up against the one year old would definitely send her toppling, and the three together could probably take down the six year old.

[2manytoyz]

Ooh, ooh, I know the answer!

Okay, the full story...

I live in FL, mosquito capital.  I've tried sonic devices said to mimic the dragonfly, the natural enemy of the mosquito.  If I ever find who designed it, I will personally tie them to a tree next time I go camping and hang one around his neck!  He'll be a pasty shell by morning, devoid of blood.  Don't waster yer money.

A cowoker buys nothing but the top rated goodies.  After much research, he bought a Mosquito Magnet for his yard.  After a few weeks, he brought in a gallon sized zip lock bag full of mosquitoes.  Got your attention yet?  The next month, he did it again.  After those two times, the numbers dropped significantly as the breeding cycle had been broken.  Only the females are blood suckers (don't go there).  Kill them, and breeding stops.  That's how this unit excels.  It works just as well on no-see-ums, and similar.

Having seen it first hand, and having a 1/2 acre yard myself, I bought the lesser expensive Mosquito Magnet Defender.  Runs $300 at The Home Depot.  Mosquitoes were not near as bad at my house as I don't live as close to woods as my coworker does.  Still, in a matter of weeks, the mosquitoes were about gone.  I could cut my entire yard, and not get a single bite.  Rarely one or two sneak into my yard, but it's not very common now.  Absolutely worth the money.  I bought another unit for my in-laws for Christmas.  They live about 15 minutes from us.

As for camping, I'm certain it would help if camping several nights.  The key is put it on a far corner as they will all be drawn that way.  I will take it when we spend a week at Long Key, but won't bother taking it for a short weekend trip somewhere.

It uses a 20lb bottle of propane in 3 weeks.  Costs $8.99 to refill locally.  The scent cartridge, Octonal, is about $4-$5 every 3 weeks too.  This is optional, but mimics the smell of oxen breath, which is a major attactant to many mosquitoes.   I noticed a big improvement using it.

We use DEET here frequently.  Very safe to use IF you follow the instructions, especially when using it on children.  More info here:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG340
http://vector.ifas.ufl.edu/chapter_03.htm

The Defender model comes apart into rather small pieces.  Ideal for packing when camping.  I've read too many bad reviews on every other brand of mosquito machine.  We also use the industrial version of the Mosquito Magnet at work (Federal Installation).  Impressive, especially when used long term.