Searching for the perfect mosquito zapper
A short hike up Mt. Tom in Fryeburg, Me., convinced me that more research should be done on the topic of mosquito control. I had rubbed on plenty of Deet and the hungry bloodsuckers still managed to do their worst.
A Web search done out of frustration brought up ThermaCell's cordless Mosquito Repeller. It uses a butane cartridge to heat up a mat that releases allethrin, a synthetic version of a natural repellent found in chrysanthemums.
Russ Chastain, a hunter who writes for About.com, says the Mosquito Repeller cleared up "a black cloud of buzzing, biting torment" within 20 minutes.
The device sells for $23.99 on the company's Web site and claims to provide 225 square feet of protection around the user for up to four hours per mat, or 12 hours per refill kit. Refills go for $5.99. A holster for the gadget costs $10.95 online at Dream Catcher Cameras.
Less hard-core--but perhaps more satisfying to the hapless hiker who wants to swat--a personal bug zapper shaped like a paddle called the Racquet Zapper. It's about the size of a small tennis racquet and powered by two AA batteries. Pest Detour has it online, batteries included, for $6.94.
As for repellents the CDC recommends, we're back to the compound developed for use by the U.S. Army in 1946--Deet, "highly safe and effective," says the agency, though opinions online differ. The CDC also endorses repellents containing Deet alternative picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus.
But people will always have their own ideas about what works or doesn't. A Yahoo science feature this week listed all kinds of sent-in remedies. One person suggested taking up smoking or snuff to keep mosquitoes away, suggesting that nicotine is a natural pesticide. Being well-tanned prevents bites, said another. Stay away from orange juice and bananas because mosquitoes are drawn to high levels of potassium in the blood, a third said. Lastly, suggested another, one should avoid certain floral perfumes that attract biters.