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View Full Version : Pest control - Mosquito Magnet?



RocKKer
04-28-2006, 09:11 PM
I would love to spend time around the pool outside in the evening however we're next to some wetlands and there are tons of mosquitos and other pests flying around. I also have some other kind of bugs that are very small gnat size flying things that when the house windows are open, they somehow wriggle thru the window screens and end up in the house, buzzing around the lights.

I have heard of the Mosquito Magnets, are they any good? Do they work better then the fashioned bug zappers? Are there any other devices that work well?

IMherDad
04-29-2006, 01:04 AM
I've seen the Mosquito Magnet a few years ago. They were showing how many mosquito's it had captured in just a few hours and it was pretty amazing. I haven't not tried one out yet due to the cost but we may purchase one for my wife's dad who lives in eastern Arkansas. They have tons of flooded rice fields and mosquitos that when they bite it feels more like a bee sting.

Sam's Club has one called a Power Trap Plus ($333) and it covers about an acre and half. If it works in Arkansas then it will work anywhere.

Wayne LaBanca
04-29-2006, 07:44 AM
I have torches placed around the pool that I fill with citronella lamp oil and it works. I have four placed at intervals around the pool and it keeps the bugs away, also adds a nice atmosphere. :)

Wayne

KurtV
04-29-2006, 01:55 PM
You could also try putting up a few bat houses. Bats can consume an incredible number of mosquitos.

rmeden
04-29-2006, 03:57 PM
If it's really bad, you can build a screened room around the pool. That's what is done a lot in FL. Lots of bugs there!

Robert

CarlD
04-29-2006, 04:59 PM
Wasn't there something using Dawn detergent as bait?

waterbear
04-29-2006, 07:37 PM
Wasn't there something using Dawn detergent as bait?
It was Lemon Fresh Joy and it's false. Check out the Urban Legend Reference page.;)
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/dishsoap.asp

EricF
04-29-2006, 08:22 PM
I have a mosquito magnet. The first year it caught a LOT of mosquitoes. The second year, not so many. The third year, very few. Here is my theory, and it is ONLY a THEORY.

I believe it attracts a certain number of species of mosquitoes, and can pretty much eliminate them. However, if there are multiple species in your area, as there are in ours, it is not that effective. There are too many biting species that are not caught by the magnet.

Just my 2 cents.

EricF

CarlD
04-30-2006, 08:24 AM
It was Lemon Fresh Joy and it's false. Check out the Urban Legend Reference page.;)
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/dishsoap.asp

Rats! I was hoping it was real--and nice'n'cheap!

waterbear
04-30-2006, 12:22 PM
When I go camping I just spray on the DEET and have citronella candles or torches every few feet around the area. Works pretty good. The little coils that you light and then smoulder seem to be somewhat effective also. I've tried some of the less expensive solutions such at the ones that just use a heat source and octanol (mosquito attracter) or repellant and they didn't work for me (dont want to metion any brand names but they look like a litte lantern that doesn't work when it's OFF or a tiny COLMAN stove). The large propane based ones that generate CO2 and also use octanol are what several campgrounds in Florida that I have been to used and they seemed to keep the area pretty clear, however.

mwsmith2
04-30-2006, 01:40 PM
I have a basic problem with the "mosquito magnet". The problem is that it attracts mosquitos. I don't want something that brings in half of the neighborhood's mosquitos to my backyard! Sure, it's supposed to kill them, but I'm pretty sure that not all of them get sucked in.

I bought one of those "mosquito mister" systems. Yes, I've heard all the horror stories about them, but after two years of use, I've yet to see any one of them come true. My house is arranged in a U shape, with my pool in the middle of the U. This arrangement creates several permanently shaded areas that those little buggers just love. When I was previewing the house before we bought it, you couldn't stand back by the pool equipment for more than 10 seconds before you were completely covered in those little *******s. Even when you went swimming....if you kept yourself submerged to the nose, they'd bite you on your exposed cheeks. Completely not fun, especially if you wanted to swim at night.

After the mist system was installed, that completely stopped. We don't even need screens on our doors now.

Michael

Poconos
05-01-2006, 09:31 AM
I just kill everything in sight. If the fog doesn't get them the noise will. Not cheap but very effective.

CarlD
05-01-2006, 09:37 AM
Dang, Al! That thing looks like a flame-thrower!

In the past we've used a bug zapper. They work pretty well, but you cannot get one bigger than recommended unless you want to get ALL the bugs in the neighborhood!:(

ivyleager
05-01-2006, 10:17 AM
Mosquito's weren't a problem here in N.C. last year, the biting deer flies were. Anyway, I haven't had to use a mosquito repellent near pool for some reason. My husband and I do use ThermaCELL cartidges when we're hunting in the woods in a blind. Works wonderfully. We just picked up the larger lantern to try on the patio by pool this spring/summer if necessary.

CaryB

CrisL
05-01-2006, 01:08 PM
I also use a fogger when the buggers get too bad. It works pretty well if you use it a few times in a row. My younger daughter really attracts mosquitoes for some reason. I have threatened to have her stand in the far end of the yard to attract them all so we could be more comfortable by the pool. She was not amused.

aylad
05-01-2006, 03:50 PM
I have an 1100 gallon koi pond somewhat adjacent to my pool, and between the two water sources, we are usually overrun with frogs from the pond, and from swallows raising hundreds of babies under the eaves of my porch. The only real upside to having lost the battles with both the frogs and the swallows are that I don't have a problem with bugs of any kind in my yard. How many of each would you like me to send? ;)

Janet

dhale1
05-02-2006, 11:06 AM
Does anyone use a fogger such as Black Flag??

http://www.blackflag.com/products/insect_fogger.php

I was thinking of try one instead of buying the individual cans to spray around.

MarkC
05-03-2006, 08:08 AM
I have a Mosquito Magnet and no longer use it. Propane in my area costs $16.00 for a 20 pound tank and that lasts only 3 weeks in the magnet. From what I have seen when I used the magnet for one season it caught mostly some small no see-um type of bugs and very few mosquitos. We now have a bottle of DEET based spray on our bar near the pool and people help themselves to this when the mosquitos are out. That only cost me $5.00 a season and works very well.

MaryLee
05-03-2006, 08:33 AM
We've had a mosquito magnet for a few years and it's amazing how many mosquitoes it catches....a ton. However, it can't keep up with the amount of mosquitoes in my backyard at dusk and it only takes getting bitten by 2 or 3 to ruin the "after-dinner swim".

I wish there was a "non-chemical" way to get rid these pests :mad:

ivyleager
05-03-2006, 11:58 AM
There is a Non Chemical way to get rid, or at least reduce these pests. They are called BATS.

Tredge
05-04-2006, 09:36 AM
We have the worlds most dense population of dragonflies, frogs, and bats....I'll post pictures of the buckets of frogs later :)

Mosquitos dont live very long in that environment :) I'll guess I'll deal with the toads and frogs.

Our cabin up north is a different story...
My uncle bought a large mosquito trap and it seemed to make a difference but it was expensive. Winds would bring in new batches of bugs so unless you run it all the time you wont make much of an impact.

The foggers Work better in my experience. You have to fog in advance of your outdoor plans or at least hit them when they get bad....In my experience its cheaper even if you end up fogging every night.

NWMNMom
05-04-2006, 03:58 PM
What on earth does a person do when you have to worry about contamination from pesticides in ground water and drift to surface water containing Koi? Our County Extension told us no pesticides are safe for our shallow well (flowing stream at 7' down)

We do have frogs and bats here, but I don't think there could ever be enough to keep up with the buzzing population of blood suckers here, unless we have an extremely dry year(which is not this year as the Red River of the North spread out again this year, so the Red River Valley became just the Red River again.)

Mosquitos are the State Bird here in Minnesota - when the sun goes around the side of the house or behind clouds - yikes! They can carry you away or you actually BREATH mosquitos. We had a mosquito magnet (still have but not effective enough so its been retired) The thing does attract and kill, but there are just too many when you live in a low lying former swamp and propane is too spendy to keep supplying a couple of those things constantly. We really seriously considered one of those pool domes -

prh129
05-04-2006, 05:04 PM
I was researching yesterday and came across a product called "Mosquito Barrier". It's basically very strong garlic juice that you spray around the yard (on plants I think) and the smell is said to go away within an hour or so but the mosquitos are supposed to smell it for weeks and it is supposed to keep them away. I think it sold for $22 or so dollars for a quart. If you google this you should find it. I was thinking of trying a quart. I'd prefer a non-pesticide option if it works.

I'm also going to use the tiki torches around the pool idea for lighting.

Peter

NWMNMom
05-04-2006, 11:31 PM
I wonder if putting up some bat houses would help too. We HAVE bats but maybe need more? Not much to do about attracting dragon flies and frogs are in no short supply either.

I may just try that MB stuff. Last year someone told us to try this mixture with Lysterene, Epsom Salt and beer, in fact they swore by it saying the Master Gardner guy on the radio uses it all the time. Hogwash - tried it twice and NADA. Back to the drawing board.

prh129
05-05-2006, 05:45 PM
If EricF's theory is correct that there are different species of mosquitos out there then certain treatments may only be effective for certain species. In that case what works for someone else may not work for you. I don't recall from what geographical area the positive comments on the MB came from. I came across a University of Rhode Island study that used MB and they did not find a difference with or without it.

I bought a bat house a few years ago. Here are a couple of tips I was given:

Bat House Preparation recommendations: Paint your bat house(s) with at least two coats of a dark colored latex paint. Why? To protect the bat house from exterior weathering and encourage necessary solar heating in Northern latitudes such as New England. In the Southern States, a lighter shade is preferable to bats.


Mounting Options:You may choose a building, pole(s), or trees depending on the design of your bat house. Trees should be the last resort unless the tree is free of limbs and branches at a sufficient height for they will shade the bat houses and create undesirable obstacles for bats.

littleHeidi
05-05-2006, 10:07 PM
We have a small fogger that we use every year. First thing in the morning and then first thing in the evening. Works pretty darn well and isn't expensive! Our landlords/neighbors bought it for us last year and we love it!

Poconos
05-06-2006, 08:24 AM
Bat house preparation -- Another tip from my friendly bug guy for new bat houses is to find some bat dung someplace, maybe on the ground under shutters or other places they hang out, make a paste with water and smear some in the new house. Gives it that 'lived in' sppearance. I know, I know.....YUCK !!
Al

MarkC
05-10-2006, 08:10 AM
Little Heidi could you give us more info. on the fogger you like.

littleHeidi
05-10-2006, 10:27 PM
Sure thing! I'll go take a look at it first thing in the morning and I'll post back with the name of it!!

littleHeidi
05-11-2006, 10:11 PM
It's the Burgess Bugkiller 1443.

ohpoolboy
05-12-2006, 01:45 PM
I have a Mosquito trap by Flowtron. I've had it for three years now and it has done a great job. Like EricF the first year it trapped the most and then less each year. However, we have noticed less and less mosquito's in the yard.

According to the literature that came with the Flowtron, mosquito's are fairly territorial, meaning they do not travel more than several hundred yards from their home. Also the female mosquito's are the ones that bite. Therefore, over a period of time, you reduce the female population in a given area and subsequently reduce the overall mosquito population.

The placement of the trap is also critical to it's effectiveness. It needs to be placed between the mosquito's home (woods, pond, etc.) and the food supply (you). It should also be placed such that it is up wind from the home. The theory is the mosquitos can fly against the wind before feeding and use the wind to glide home once they are full.

I'm not sure how valid any of these theories are. I only know we can sit outside at night without getting eaten alive.

littleHeidi
05-12-2006, 05:04 PM
ROFLMAO!! I'm just picturing some poor fat, happy mosquito with a drunk look on his face "floating" home after snacking on me!!!!

MarkC
05-15-2006, 12:42 PM
Don't forget about me Heidi.

littleHeidi
05-16-2006, 10:22 AM
I didn't!! I posted it in the forum. It was the Burgess Bugkiller 1443.

littleHeidi
05-16-2006, 10:26 AM
MarkC, I hope this is what you were referring to? If not, let me know what I AM forgetting!!;)

MarkC
05-16-2006, 11:55 AM
Thanks a bunch.

MarkC
05-16-2006, 12:32 PM
I just ordered one of the Burgess electric versions of the fogger from Home Depot online $59.97 with free shipping and that includes a qt. of the insecticide. Much better deal than the $300 my parents paid for the Mosquito Magnet that did squat. Thanks again Little Heidi.

kevinfl1980
06-15-2006, 11:49 PM
I have a neighbor that loves the mosquito magnet, you could always buy it and try it from home depot or lowes and return it if you do not like it.

kevinfl1980
06-15-2006, 11:51 PM
i hate mosquitos! it will not catch other bugs though!

littleHeidi
06-22-2006, 08:46 PM
Thanks again Little Heidi.

You're very welcome!! (Sorry, didn't see your reply til today.):o

Ready2swim
07-07-2006, 11:14 AM
I bought one last week "liberty" I set it up in the backyard according to the instructions and after two days I can walk in the backyard without ANY bites. My wife is always getting swarmed by them and she went out last night after I told her it works and after about 30 minutes of testing...she was bite free. I would recommend them to anyone with a mossie problem. One quick tip...if you live in south Texas like me DO NOT add the attractant to the machine. The most prominant mosquitos in this area are the Asian Tiger Mosquitos and they are actuall repelled by the atractant that comes with the mosquito magnet, which is actually a good thing, just one less thing to buy.