Anyone Using Mosquito Misters or Similar

[offline]

We moved our big boat down to Key Largo and we're in a location that has a few mosquitos.

We've tried candles and deet spray but it is often too late or someone forgets to put it on.

I was thinking about installing a small mister or similar on the boat with some nozzles positioned on the decks. We've got tons of room for the install and can run it either 12V or 120V.

Does anyone have any experience with any systems?

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by offline

We moved our big boat down to Key Largo and we're in a location that has a few mosquitos.

We've tried candles and deet spray but it is often too late or someone forgets to put it on.

I was thinking about installing a small mister or similar on the boat with some nozzles positioned on the decks. We've got tons of room for the install and can run it either 12V or 120V.

Does anyone have any experience with any systems?

No experience with misting systems but we have used a ThermaCell unit to some advantage. Take a look at Mosquito Repellent Outdoor Lanterns / Camping Lanterns | ThermaCELL

[zeehag]

screens and autan ....but i am in mexico--screens work great if one uses them. so does mosquito netting, when one uses em......fly swatters and citronela oil in the anchor light, if it is oil lamp.....(mine is)..i use plug in mosqiito repellants--those do work, and i have a tennis racket looking bug zapper.
good luck

[Tim R.]

I have found that screens and Deet are the only things that work.

A note on Deet, it is harmful to some plastics so you are much better off rubbing it on than spraying. Less wasteful too. We have a rule on our boat that Deet does not get sprayed. I have seen it melt Goretex and cloud Eisenglass.

[sycankiz]

Originally Posted by Tim R.

I have found that screens and Deet are the only things that work.

A note on Deet, it is harmful to some plastics so you are much better off rubbing it on than spraying. Less wasteful too. We have a rule on our boat that Deet does not get sprayed. I have seen it melt Goretex and cloud Eisenglass.

But it is OK to use it on our skin...
Simply because our skin replenishes itself and we have a decent immune system ?
If so; ironically, it is the same immune system that makes us annoyed of mosquitoes. We don't even feel the bite, and in fact, there is no harm of being bitten by a regular mosquito, but we feel the effects caused by our immune system like itching, swelling etc.

Try to use "wind" where applicable. You won't find mosquitoes where there is certain amount of wind present. A small fan blowing air in your cockpit towards your feet will keep your feet free from them.

We grow a pot (or two) of basil and keep it in our cockpit and below deck. (Like these: Fesle ) The smell drives them away. Touch it with your hands and the scent is on your hands now. Rub your hands on to your arms etc and it really helps.

For indoors, the electric heated tablets or vaporized liquid form of it, Raid etc. work well for us. Although I'm almost sure they are harmful to us as well. (Remember those very old US commercials where people were DDT swimming in pools, to show that DDT wasn't harmful)

We have lots of them here in Turkey and somehow they all know where I'm at all times... Of our family of four, they seem to like only me. I really am annoyed with them and made an extensive research on the net to find why they bite me but not the wife or the kids. There is no conclusive result as to why they prefer to bite someone but not the others. No definitive relation between gender, blood type and blood contents, body heat, body smell, color of clothes, age etc.

The only fact is that; only the female mosquitoes bite and they do it to be able to reproduce.

Research is still going on.

[Tim R.]

Never meant to imply it was not potentially harmful to humans. I would assume that anyone exposing themselves to such a chemical would research the risks.

I will give the basil a try.

[Cowboy Sailer]

I had one of those tennis racket electric grid zappers. Couldn't resist putting my finger and thumb on it!! Oh, oh!! stun gun. OSHA probably prohibits them in the USA! They are fun. Zee, have you felt of it yet?

[tamicatana]

Screens, Off! personal fans, and katori-senko coils.

[delmarrey]

I've heard, but not tried, dryer sheets. The anti-static sheets one puts in dryers, like Bounce. I've heard if you put a couple in your pockets the critters stay off.

[sycankiz]

Originally Posted by Tim R.

Never meant to imply it was not potentially harmful to humans. I would assume that anyone exposing themselves to such a chemical would research the risks.

I will give the basil a try.

Yes. Yes. I meant the makers not you. We also use it from time to time. I wasn't clear in my message though ..

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

I've heard, but not tried, dryer sheets. The anti-static sheets one puts in dryers, like Bounce. I've heard if you put a couple in your pockets the critters stay off.

I've heard of that too.......but then you walk around smelling of laundry!!

[Nicholson58]

We use the green smoke coils in the Canadian fly-in fishing camps. I always thought they were a gimik to sell to tourists but they rid an enclosed space of all flying critters in a short time.

[Tomi]

A friend told me yesterday that when it comes to who the buggers prefer, it's a question of either Ph or alkalinity can't remember (senility) - anyway, 2 oranges a day seems to make a big difference, and rubbing the skins on exposed areas helps too.

[zboss]

I believe in a multi-tiered approach... chemical and physical.

Have you tried using permethrin on your clothes? I use this in the tropics on land and it works very very well. When the bugs (including no-see-ums) land on permethrin treated items they die - not right away but they do. Although not applicable to boating, the mosquito's that land on permethrin treated clothing take some of the chemical on their feet back to the breeding area and infect that with the permethrin, so it kills the mosquitos before they hatch.

Soak your clothes not underwear!) in permethrin and let them air dry. Permethrin reduces the chemicals you have to put directly on your body.

Also, I treat our mosquito nets with them twice a year. Used in combination with a light spray of deet we are able to get through even rainy seasons without too much trouble. I do believe that heavy deet applications are counterproductive - I've found the lighter the coating of deet, they better I do but everyone's mileage varies.

We wipe the walls with permethrin so any bugs that land on that die as well. Seems to work but can't tell because we also mop the floors with a light bleach mixture, which does keep all the biting insects away for 3-4 days after treatment. I'm pretty sure that it's because of the bleach rather than the floors just being clean because before we were using bleach the mosquito's were troublesome. Although, I am sure clean floors help as well.

After a few weeks of getting bit, my body seems to adjust and I don't even get itchy from their bites anymore. I find that is common.