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Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

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Re: Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

#21

For rooms with closed windows this stuff has in my experience a 100% success rate. (they always manage to get in somehow). Spray the room an hour before bedtime and it eradicates them. Guess it's similar to that stuff they spray on airlines. It is not a repellent but seems to actively kill them/render them unable to fly [Metofluthrin (Pyrethroid)] https://www.peacefulsleepsa.co.za/products/in-room-solutions...

Is there any known adverse effect for human health?

I researched that before and I think it's considered generally safe. Toxicity required huge doses.

Though the instructions recommend ventilating the room a little after letting it settle, and I don't use it every night. Also I like to cover pillows before spraying.

It's very similar to the WHO recommended stuff used before and during flights - https://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc243.pdf

Re: Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

#22
post #11

Use fans. They don't like flying around in wind and they don't know where to fly to anymore because the fan disperses the CO2 you produce so quickly that there's no gradient for them to follow to the source (you).

The fan has to be very fast for this to work, otherwise the little buggers find pockets and crevasses around you to shelter from the air and then eventually bite.

Re: Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

#23
I bought my second thermacell this year; electric one this time. Very effective and seemed to have a lingering effect that worked well.

My backup if that hadnt worked. You get a mosquitto outdoor zapper light. You put it on a timer so that it runs ~3-4 hours every night, mainly this is during twilight time. So 2 hours just after sun down, 2 hours before sun up. Every night that it runs, at the end of the season you'll be like 90% less mosquitos.

Re: Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

#24
Raid or whatever your local product name is that you plug into the electric socket and it evaporates poison which is harmless to you as there is very little of it but it kills them. Some have formulas against flies as well.

Also, if you are in ketosis, your blood is acidic and they hate it as they are attracted mostly to sweet blood. So they won't bite.

But I would definitely pay good money for some laser Tourette system to have in my room that would track movement in infrared with high definition camera and fry those ***. I saw some home made attempts but nothing commercially available - yet.

Re: Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

#25
post #24

Raid or whatever your local product name is that you plug into the electric socket and it evaporates poison which is harmless to you as there is very little of it but it kills them. Some have formulas against flies as well. Also, if you are in ketosis, your blood is acidic and they hate it as they are attracted mostly to sweet blood. So they won't bite. But I would definitely pay good money for some laser Tourette sy…

Yeah I was going to say as someone who has spent a while in mosquito prone tropics, a plug in killer indoors - you can turn it off if there are none and windows are closed, and long loose clothes for outside.

Re: Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

#27
Our mosquito problem wasn't severe, but we had a lot of luck with a simple outdoor plug-in unit. It runs an IR light source to attract them and uses a fan to capture them in a basket. Some more expensive models also use CO2 to attract mosquitos, but I didn't want to deal with bottle replacement. I just plug it in during the spring and put it away once the temp drops below freezing on a regular basis.

We set it up on the opposite side of our yard from where we gather. Even if it's not catching all the mosquitos, it gives them another area to congregate. It seems to work well for our yard and scenario.

Re: Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

#28
Get a mosquito net for your bed. Costs nothing and gives you 100% protection when you sleep. No noise or chemical smells. Mosquitos are worst at night, and just one can destroy a full night's sleep. With a net, you won't even mind hearing them buzzing around outside of it.

Re: Ask HN: Effective way to deal with mosquitoes?

#29
post #25
post #24

Raid or whatever your local product name is that you plug into the electric socket and it evaporates poison which is harmless to you as there is very little of it but it kills them. Some have formulas against flies as well. Also, if you are in ketosis, your blood is acidic and they hate it as they are attracted mostly to sweet blood. So they won't bite. But I would definitely pay good money for some laser Tourette sy…

Yeah I was going to say as someone who has spent a while in mosquito prone tropics, a plug in killer indoors - you can turn it off if there are none and windows are closed, and long loose clothes for outside.

Are those pluggeable things safe with cats around?
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