Re: Fight Mosquitos?

How often would it need to be emptied?

http://images.spinics.net/am/B000YJMHLC

Miniature replica of Table Lake:
http://www.amazon.com/Summit-BSBHR-NI-Bug-Habitat/dp/B000LH3M0C/ref=pd_bxgy_t_text_b/189-0788012-7861063

Or just use this.

Quote
szalkowski
Miniature replica of Table Lake:
http://www.amazon.com/Summit-BSBHR-NI-Bug-Habitat/dp/B000LH3M0C/ref=pd_bxgy_t_text_b/189-0788012-7861063

Len,

You have just made Mike a lifelong friend.

Jim

On this whole mosquito issue, I am going to suggest that Sierra mosquitos are an inferior and "drier" mosquito than either the hot and humid mid-western mosquito or the northern Canada/alaska hot,humid mosquito that forms gangs of rampaging micro-terrorists with biting flies and no-seeums in sufficient quatities to drive one insane (I stand as an example.)

---

The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2009 07:34AM by Frank Furter.

You got it right there.
Thank GOODNESS we don't have those friggin biting flies!!!!!

(and thank you for the 'correct' vote)

Quote
bill-e-g
Thank GOODNESS we don't have those friggin biting flies!!!!!

The Chick-on ate them?

Does that replica have an old dude with two or one thumbs up in it?

More weapons to add to your arsenal:


JUNE 10, 2009 DEET's Rivals: A Backyard Test
By ANA CAMPOY
As I did yard work in a rain-soaked, ivy-covered corner of my Dallas backyard, dusk was falling. It was prime time for mosquitoes -- and my only protection was a concoction of herb oils.

With summer approaching, my mission was urgent: to test the growing array of naturally derived alternatives to DEET, the most widely used mosquito repellent. While DEET has long been the gold standard when it comes to fending off bugs, a number of new products -- many of them plant-based -- have hit the U.S. market in the past few years.

Finding an effective repellent is not just a question of backyard comfort. Mosquitoes carry serious diseases found in the U.S., such as West Nile virus and some kinds of encephalitis.

DEET has been certified as safe by the Environmental Protection Agency and used by millions of people since 1957. But some consumers remain apprehensive, put off by the chemical's strong smell, oily texture and ability to degrade some plastics. Though reactions to DEET, such as rashes, are rare, the EPA cautions that the substance shouldn't be sprayed on open cuts and should be washed off when it's no longer needed.

What's more, certain mosquito species -- including some outside the U.S. that carry malaria -- aren't strongly repelled by DEET, says Ulrich Bernier, a research chemist at the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Agriculture Department, the unit that came up with DEET.

Because of these concerns, several teams of researchers are hunting for alternatives -- no easy feat. The ideal substance would drive away a broad range of bug species, avoid harming benign insects and the environment, and stay put on human skin -- preferably, for days, rather than a matter of hours -- without irritating it.

"That's a tall order," says Laurence Zwiebel, a professor of biological science at Vanderbilt University. Mr. Zwiebel is leading a team of researchers that has identified several promising substances by studying mosquitoes' smell receptors to figure out what irritates or confuses them.

Taking a different approach, Mr. Bernier at the Agriculture Department chose to start with a compound known to have repellent qualities; the one he chose is derived from black pepper. Both projects are years away from commercialization.

Chemical maker DuPont Co. is closer. It recently received EPA registration for a repellent made with catnip that it claims is as effective as DEET. The company, which is in the process of finding partners to market the repellent, says it could be available for sale in about a year.

But for now, several mosquito repellents derived from natural substances are already on the market. To see how they measured up, I tried three, along with two products containing DEET at different concentrations.

My admittedly unscientific tests were conducted in a backyard with a healthy mosquito population after heavy rains. Each day, I sprayed a single application of one of the products on my arms and legs at 6 p.m. and did yard work until 8 p.m. or until I got a bite on the treated areas, whichever happened first.

The results: DEET was hands-down the best at keeping mosquitoes at bay -- if a heavy-duty 23% concentration was applied. The repellents derived from compounds found in nature offered protection, too, but for shorter periods of time -- though some of them worked better than DEET at a 7% concentration.

To be sure, my tests focused on a single person at a single location. Companies that make mosquito repellents say their effectiveness varies depending on the place, the individual and the level of activity. They recommend different repellents for different occasions -- for instance, repellents with higher concentrations of DEET or other active ingredients for prolonged stays outside or for sports.

But my results generally jibed with what scientists have found. Joseph Conlon, technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association, says DEET at high concentrations remains the king of protection against intense mosquito onslaughts -- what you might encounter, for instance, during a long hike through the woods. If you're using naturally derived products -- which Mr. Conlon agrees offer plenty of protection for shorter periods of time -- he recommends sticking to those registered with the EPA, which means that they were found effective at preventing mosquito bites and that hazards to human health or the environment are low. (An EPA registration number can be found on a product's label.)

Among the many naturally derived repellents on the market, only two are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect against West Nile virus: oil of lemon eucalyptus -- in natural and synthetic versions -- and IR3535, a synthetic version of a naturally occurring amino acid. They are also registered with the EPA.

I tested Spectrum Brands' Repel Lemon Eucalyptus, which has a 40% concentration of oil of lemon eucalyptus. It has a very potent smell that, while not unpleasant, was overwhelming. (It would definitely interfere with my enjoyment of a grilled hot dog.) Spectrum's brand manager, Chris Evans, says the smell is what keeps the mosquitoes away. I found it works -- I didn't get a single bite on my arms or legs. But I did get bitten on my neck and face, where I didn't spray.

That was not as good as Backwoods Cutter. No mosquito came anywhere near me while I was wearing the product, which contains a 23% concentration of DEET and is also made by Spectrum.

But the lemon eucalyptus worked better than OFF! Family Care Repellent IV, which has a 7% concentration of DEET and should last for up to two hours, according to the label. I got a bite on my arm after an hour and 15 minutes.

S.C. Johnson & Son Inc., the maker of OFF!, said its claims are backed by extensive tests. "Without knowing specifics about how the product was applied, how long you remained in your backyard and/or the actual intensity level of your physical activity, it is hard for us to comment directly about your backyard experiment," said spokeswoman Jenny Taylor.

I also tried Bull Frog Mosquito Coast, which contains a 20% concentration of IR3535 and is made by Chattem Inc. That product is also a sunscreen, and it smelled and felt like one. I didn't get any bites anywhere during the two hours I tested it, even though mosquitoes started approaching me by the end.

The herb-themed product that I used, EcoSmart Organic Insect Repellent, was the only one without an EPA registration -- meaning it can't claim that it protects against disease-carrying bugs. Vern Kennedy, the CEO of EcoSmart Technologies, said the government doesn't require one for his product because it contains food-grade ingredients, including rosemary, cinnamon and lemongrass oils. Information from the EPA supports that.

The herbal smell of those components was pleasant and lighter than the lemon eucalyptus. And for more than an hour, I worked bite-free. But at one hour, 10 minutes, the attacks began. Two mosquitoes bit me, and I swatted a third that was about to take the plunge. At that point, it was time to go back inside.