Mosquito repellent that repels mosquitos

[ChuckF]

It's a little mosquito-y around here in the evenings so it's difficult to sit out on my deck in the evenings. So I started looking for an effective mosquito repellent. I hate hate hate bug sprays because they make me feel slimy and smelly. Citronella candles are ok but they seem to be effective only over a small radius, and the smell is not my favorite. So I looked around online and read some reviews, and I found this product called Off Powerpad. It's a little lamp that holds a candle, which heats up a little stick of some horrible chemical, which burns and keeps the skeeters away.

I found the lamp version - there is also a hanging lantern version - on sale for $8 so I tried it and it really worked well. I had some people over last night. (I am internetless, so I had to resort to actual humans to entertain me.) Nobody got bit, so it was effective over an area of at least 15'x15'. The only drawback is that the candles/repellent pads only last about 4 hours, and they are unnecessarily expensive. There is a little bit of smoke when you start a new one, but it smells vaguely of cinnamon and is not particularly unpleasant, though it's probably full of terrible chemicals.

I will now go claim my free pack of refills courtesy of the Off company's viral marketing division.

[Demimonde]

Nice, I am always glad when companies get stuff right. There are alot of skeeter pretenders out there. OFF! generally makes good products though.

I have a trick that works fantastically. Mosquitos hunt by detecting CO2 in the air. The more CO2, the better chance that there is a big tasty animal or in the event of a party, a lot of tasty animals, for them to suck on. Once I had pocketed that little factoid in my brain, I realized that dry ice is nothing more than solid CO2, and it releases its gas by a factor of 100 by volume.

So if you park a block of dry ice in an out of the way corner of the property, they will flock there and leave your guests alone. Also good for fucking with bad neighbors, just plop it in the alley way behind their fence and hey presto! they get devoured.

[LadyShea]

You can crush lemon grass to rub on your skin, it's supposedly as effective as deet and probably smells much nicer.

Maybe a good winter project for you would be to build some bat houses (http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/woodwork/ww15/) and Martin houses (http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/woodwork/ww6/)for your yard.

This year, the banana spiders have set up homes all around our front porch, the best mosquito control we've ever had (including the 300 dollar Mosquito Deleto that broke after one season).

[Ensign Steve]

Does that work?! It's genius! :stunned:

When are you going to start publishing your Hints from Demimonde blog?

[Demimonde]

:chin: I was thinking about mehbe putting the blog feature to use...

[ChuckF]

Nice, I am always glad when companies get stuff right. There are alot of skeeter pretenders out there. OFF! generally makes good products though.
No kidding re: the pretenders. I had been burned too many times so I was skeptical.
I have a trick that works fantastically. Mosquitos hunt by detecting CO2 in the air. The more CO2, the better chance that there is a big tasty animal or in the event of a party, a lot of tasty animals, for them to suck on. Once I had pocketed that little factoid in my brain, I realized that dry ice is nothing more than solid CO2, and it releases its gas by a factor of 100 by volume.

So if you park a block of dry ice in an out of the way corner of the property, they will flock there and leave your guests alone. Also good for fucking with bad neighbors, just plop it in the alley way behind their fence and hey presto! they get devoured.
:lol: Will have to try that. Does it also freeze the mosquitos to death? Mosquitos and yellowjackets are the two main insects that I actively seek to destroy. Bees and wasps don't bother me, but mosquitos and yellowjackets need to fucking die.
You can crush lemon grass to rub on your skin, it's supposedly as effective as deet and probably smells much nicer.
See, I have this weird thing about not putting things on my skin. I don't like creams, lotions, any of that. No matter how innocuous. It's like I know it's there and I feel greasy even if it's not.
Maybe a good winter project for you would be to build some bat houses and Martin houses for your yard.

This year, the banana spiders have set up homes all around our front porch, the best mosquito control we've ever had (including the 300 dollar Mosquito Deleto that broke after one season).
My back yard is kind of the woods, and I've seen what I'm pretty sure are some bats flying around. I think the major mosquito reservoir is a woodpile behind the neighbor's house.

It's funny you mention spiders because the most kickass spider is living on one of my doors. The other night I saw one of the bigass hornets in his nest struggling. By the next day that hornet had been totally owned.

[Ensign Steve]

See, I have this weird thing about not putting things on my skin. I don't like creams, lotions, any of that. No matter how innocuous. It's like I know it's there and I feel greasy even if it's not.


I understand this. Whenever I go camping, my hands get all sunburnt and bug-bitten, because as soon as I apply anything to my body, I immediately have to go and wash my hands with soap and water.

[Adam]

That dry ice thing is genius...I have no idea where to get dry ice, so it's more geniusy than I'm able to handle, but still.

I've tried that OFF thing and mine worked pretty well, too, although it's more expensive than just firing up all the citronella torches around the deck and didn't work much better as far as I can tell.

The problem with building bat houses is that then there will be bats all over the place and, if Chuck's parents are ever killed by a mugger, chances are pretty good that he'll see one and be all, I have an idea!, and he really can't afford a rocket car and an underground lair in this economy.

[Ensign Steve]

You can get dry ice from gas companies (like AirGas, not the natural gas utility) and they sell to the public. No problema!

[ChuckF]

That dry ice thing is genius...I have no idea where to get dry ice, so it's more geniusy than I'm able to handle, but still.

I've tried that OFF thing and mine worked pretty well, too, although it's more expensive than just firing up all the citronella torches around the deck and didn't work much better as far as I can tell.
I don't know why I'm anti-citronella now. I had some of the citronella oil-fired tiki torches and it seemed like they looked stupid, didn't work, and I always managed to make a mess when refilling them.
The problem with building bat houses is that then there will be bats all over the place and, if Chuck's parents are ever killed by a mugger, chances are pretty good that he'll see one and be all, I have an idea!, and he really can't afford a rocket car and an underground lair in this economy.
omg rank abuse itt

[Demimonde]

:lol: Will have to try that. Does it also freeze the mosquitos to death? Mosquitos and yellowjackets are the two main insects that I actively seek to destroy. Bees and wasps don't bother me, but mosquitos and yellowjackets need to fucking die.

Some will go to an icy death, but most will just form a big cloud of confusion. "I smell something BIG!" "I smell a mastadon, it's gotta be a mastadon." "What's a mastadon?" "My great-great-great great-great grandpappy told me they were good eatin' till we ate them all. Where's the freaking mastadon?"

I park mine under my katalpa tree where the little brown bats live. The bats LOVE it. Of course, if someone crashes the party, or a friend brings a terrible date, you can always be like:

"Hey Dave, so glad you could come. Could you do me a favor? Run around over there and see if you can find my < insert plausible item >. Thanks!"

"Ew! Fucking mosquitos, bastards, AHHHAAAHHH! FUCKING BATS! They're in my SOUL!"

ETA: I can get dry ice at my grocery store. Didn't realize it was hard to find elsewhere. Another reason I love Texas.

[livius drusus]

Just hand out pith helmets with mosquito netting draped from the brim to the floor. Sure, passing the dutchie may be a challenge, but think of the opportunities for endless Dr. Livingston witticisms.

[ChuckF]

Just hand out pith helmets with mosquito netting draped from the brim to the floor. Sure, passing the dutchie may be a challenge, but think of the opportunities for endless Dr. Livingston witticisms.
I think I'd have to be too high to notice the mosquito bites before the Dr. Livingston witticisms became consistently funny.

[Adam]

omg rank abuse itt

OMG learn to read for tone. No normal person would think I was seriously suggesting that you would get an idea to become a costumed vigilante, because you aren't that smart.

[LadyShea]

Just hand out pith helmets with mosquito netting draped from the brim to the floor. Sure, passing the dutchie may be a challenge, but think of the opportunities for endless Dr. Livingston witticisms.

You are such a nerd! LOL!

[ChuckF]

omg rank abuse itt

OMG learn to read for tone. No normal person would think I was seriously suggesting that you would get an idea to become a costumed vigilante, because you aren't that smart.
This is just another of your "ChuckF isn't smart enough to be Batman" derails, and it reveals something unpleasant about your hidden agenda, I think. :chin:

[livius drusus]

NO PITH HELMET FOR LADYSHEA

[LadyShea]

Oh, and they sell dry ice at like, WalMart and supermarkets. At least here they do.

[Adam]

This is just another of your "ChuckF isn't smart enough to be Batman" derails, and it reveals something unpleasant about your hidden agenda, I think. :chin:

:unnod:

It's how I avoid being held accountable for robbing the First National Gotham Bank.

[Qingdai]

Is there pithing going on here?
Because I can totally get behind that.

I heard some sort of catnip extract did well in trials against mosquitos.
Then you can be all crazy cat lady and still repell mosquitos.

:catlady:

[Kael]

Oh, and they sell dry ice at like, WalMart and supermarkets. At least here they do.
:yeahthat:

I'll definitely have to try that sometime.

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

They sell dry ice at grocery stores here, too.

[California Tanker]

I just sit next to my sister. They all seem to go for her. I'm almost never bitten when I'm in her presence.

NTM

[seebs]

Big warning: DEET (one of the most common ones, and the primary ingredient in traditional Off!, as I recall) is super bad for dogs and cats. Like, permanent nerve damage or death for dogs.

[Dingfod]

DEET works though, the stronger the better. I have a pump spray bottle of REPEL brand 100% DEET that has lasted me over 10 years. It doesn't take very much of it to repel mosquitoes*. Spray a little on your clothes and hat or cap, they'll pretty much leave you alone, especially if there is someone tastier nearby. Don't get it on your lips or tongue though, they'll go numb. On second thought, that's kind of fun at parties.

*Black gnats, on the other hand, will commit suicide trying to penetrate a complete glaze of DEET to get at your skin. For them, Avon Skin-So-Soft works better.

For the puppies and kitties, Frontline works pretty well.

[ChuckF]

Oh my god the smell of Skin-So-Soft makes me sick and it is because of my childhood. Let me tell you a story.

When I was 8 or 9, my parents and I went with another family to the Outer Banks of NC. One night they decided, for the children, to go to Manteo, NC to see The Lost Colony (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Colony_%28play%29), an elaborate outdoor musical extravaganza recounting the dramatic early settlement of coastal North Carolina. This was sometime in July or August.

I don't remember the stupid play, but I do remember it being hot. It was very humid with no breeze. And in the row in front of us in the uncomfortable little amphitheater there was a group of senior citizens, probably from a nearby retirement home, out to see the show. One unfortunate lady was overcome by the heat and vomited. As if that wasn't amusing enough to an 8 year-old Chuck, the management seemed completely unprepared for such an eventuality, and signaled their befuddlement by offering the poor woman a coffee can to throw up into.

Anyway, it was hot and the management scurried off to find some desiccant or whatever they use to soak up puke. Whatever it was it obviously wasn't very easily accessible. They may have had to go buy some from the hardware store on the mainland. That's how long they were gone. But the show went on, as shows must. The hot, stuffy air didn't circulate much, but when it did, it was hard to escape the odor of vomit. But there was something else in there, mixing with that vomit smell and making it worse. All of the senior citizens were wearing Avon Skin-So-Soft.