Mosquito Deterrent

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ksutton

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Anyone had experience with ultrasonic type mosquito deterrents on board, either battery or mains, do they work?.

Alternatively those that heat up a capsule and emit a smell, are these safe?

Ken
 
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I have never found the ultrasonic devices effective against mosquitoes. The heated evaporating cards or bottles work both in chasing the beasts away and killing them if the concentration is high enough. I think the active ingredient is harmless to humans.
 
Mossie coils

Don't know about the plug in ones or the high freq emitters - we use mossie coils which are effective and you can get them everywhere. But they do stink.
 
The plug in jobs that heat up a chemical impregnated card work well when in the marina in Turkey. At places with no mains my method is to close all hatches then spray the cabins with flyspray before going ashore for dinner. If you return after dark the mozzies are no longer going to fly in, and the result is usually a bite free night, but not always! The stuff you spray on yourself works, but has only a short term effect in my experience.
 
Not sure how generally true this is, but a lady convinced me that not all of the personal anti-mozzie sprays necessarily work the same on individual people.

I tried one spray which I think in mozzie language obviously meant "Free meal" or perhaps "Come and get me". They arrived in squadrons, with knives and forks at the ready...

A cheap spray from the local chinese emporium killed Mozzies at 25 yards (It also faded the colour out of Admiralty charts I later found) so it might be a case of experimenting with various types of spray.. :D
 
Anything with DEET in it will work on your skin and 10% concentration is fine and much less unpleasant than 40 or 50% concentrations, which is horrible. I used to buy the 40 or 50% and water it down, just give it a shake before you spray it on. The mozzie coils I didn't find particularly offensive, bit like having joss sticks on the go...
 
Here in Turkey I have found the liquid filled plug-in jobbies the best bet. Also you might want to have a basil plant next to your companionway hatch, mozzies hate basil.
Cheers,
Chris
 
Raid RoboCan

As an alternate to the smokey aroma of mozzie coils, we tried Raid's RoboCan - basically a can of mozzie/fly spray with a battery operated widget in the lid which produces a puff of pleasant smelling bug killer every 7 minutes.

One can and two PP9 batteries lasted 12 months of tropical cruising. The blurb on the can says it lasts for 40 days of continual use, but we only turn it on in the evenings, and let it run all night.

We also have mozzie screens on all the hatches to try to keep the little devils out in the first place.

Ruth
 
Mrs Sea Mist II said:
Taking Vitamin B is supposed to work.
Click to expand...

Vitamin B won't get you any further than as putting 'fuel' in your outboard. The Vitamin in question (or not) is B1. There's anecdotal evidence to suggests it works, but then regular intake of single malts has so far prevented me from being hit by a single asteroid, ever. Some research discredits it entirely (the mozzie effect, not the asteroid bit). At least one proprietory supplier claims that B1-impregnated patches are effective, but then they would.
 
At every opportunity they try to snuggle up to me too. It's not just when they drill holes in me either,it's the Stuka like whine I can't stand. I've tried nearly everything, tried a 12 bore with number 9 shot once. Fixed 'em, but it played havoc with the varnish on the saloon bulkheads..:D :D :D
 
You should always buy any mosquito spray locally.

For instance in France we bought an expensive (15 Euros) bottle of spray specifically for use in Asia. In Vietnam it has no noticeable effect. The local stuff at 20 cents a bottle (75x difference in price!) works like magic.
 
Mossi covers are absolutely essential. We put plastimo ones on our transom hatches and made covers with strong elasticated rims for the deck ones which don't have ocean air blinds/nets on. The companionway has a clever contraption Pip has rigged up, which works but is also an evolving work of art. We have seen boats with velcro on mossie screens around their bimini to create a massive mossie net over their cockpit ...

Also we have found v good the little battery operated fan/ultrasonic, bought in Arles to combat the enormous and vicous mossies of Port St Louis. Put in the companionway and the stuka whine stops. Magic!

Certainly various repellants and agree you have to find what works for each individual. If you have sensitive skin be v careful with DEET based stuff and test it out first. (Sarah has this difficulty but Pip can slather it on no problems.)
 
.
We used military grade netting with thickish but very flexible rope stitched around the outer edge, sized to fit over each of the 8 hatches and drop down with rope and Velcro over the over the entrance to the saloon.

Always placed 'before' the blighter's come out to play, also place a coil in the cockpit.

.
 
oldsaltoz said:
.
We used military grade netting with thickish but very flexible rope stitched around the outer edge, sized to fit over each of the 8 hatches and drop down with rope and Velcro over the over the entrance to the saloon.

Always placed 'before' the blighter's come out to play, also place a coil in the cockpit.

.
Click to expand...
We have a similar approach, but SWMBO sewed in strings of small lead weights (used in curtain making I think) on the outer edges. Works a treat without accurate sizing or using velcro - and they don't blow off.
 
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