My folks are currently on their third year of touring the good ol’ USA in their RV. Last year they worked at a campground in Colorado, and are currently workamping at a campground in Skagway, Alaska. A family owns a complex of businesses that services the cruise trade, and that’s where my folks are working for the summer, spending my inheritance and having a blast :D.
Anyhoo, my father told me about Alaska’s state bird. Apparently the mosquitos are as big as the first knuckle of his thumb. I’ve heard about the Mosquito Magnet, a $300 device that attracts biting insects by emitting CO2 and trapping them.
I’m thinking about this gift as a combo birthday/Father’s Day gift, but as it is a bit pricey, I’m wondering if anyone has one and if you are happy with it. Any cons I should know about?
I saw these on a home show a couple weeks ago. They work by burning propane, creating copious amounts of of CO[sub]2[/sub] and water vapor, which attracts the mosquitos, where a further chemical attractant is used to draw them into the net trap. The biggest downfall I can see is that they tend to use a lot of propane. IIRC the rep on the show said operation costs were somewhere around $20 a week for a large unit.
Where did you get they cost $1000? The one I’m looking at works for 1/2 an acre and costs $295. I’m not sure how much the Octel cartridge replacements are and how often you have to replace them.
Primary attractant – CO2 produced by burning propane
Secondary attractant – heat from flame and octanol (usually sold separate)
Conclusion: Mosquito traps work, but not to your benefit.
Mosquito traps first priority is to attract then trap mosquitoes. The primary undertaking works excellent. Trapping mosquitoes is where the complications come in. Not all mosquitoes will fall for the trap and many that do aren’t even human biters. What typically happens is that the mosquitoes are attracted by the trap and then home in on the trap setter.
Bats and Purple Martins do not work well as mosquito deterrents. Though it is a fact they will eat mosquitoes, they will go after bigger and slower prey (moths) first.
The Mosquito Magnet is not a $300 device. It is ME. I am the Mosquito Magnet. Yes, I do emit CO2 and attract mosquitos, but I’m not for sale. I don’t know who is trying to market and sell me as a $300 device, but you obviously shouldn’t trust them at all.
Annnnnyway…I don’t know how well this thing works, but I do know that there are other, cheaper ways to detract mosquitos. My biology research project in high school was to see how attracted mosquitos were to lactic acid, and when I was finished, I just left a dish of it in a secluded corner of my yard. It ALWAYS had the little buggers swarming around it. Save your money and buy him a bottle of 2-hydroxypropanoic acid, and maybe a necktie.
Well, I could go with your folks (for a small fee). Whenever I am in the outdoors (and even inside), I always get the most mosquito bites. Frequently I get bitten and nobody else does. I am also pretty sure that my conversation skills would be better than one of those devices. (unless the topic is sports)
Ivyglass, my brother in Hollywood Florida owns one. He says it is the best 300 bucks he has ever spent. He bought it on Skymall, while he was flying to California. When he got back to Florida it had arrived. He set it up and in about a month, they could sit on their patio with not even a citronella candle burning.
So does it work, yes, but it takes time, because you have to cycle through a breeding cycle while you kill off all the breeding females. It’s not just mosquito’s either, it gnats, noseeums, black flies, and a few others. It works for one square acre.