Anyone heard of "Mosquito Magnet'' ???

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Just wondering if anyone out there's ever tried something my husband stumbled upon in our local paper called " The Mosquito Magnet". Supposed to elimate mosquitos [ hence the name, I guess] , black flies, and no-see-ums w/o pesticides. The price seems unreasonable!! They are advertising for 1/2 acre: one that costs $695 and a whole acre is $1295!!!! It's ad is posted by a local propane dealer, so my guess would be that it works on propane. Somehow. If anyone has ever tried or heard any reports regarding one of these things, I would really appreciate any advice you could give us. We have a pretty wooded spot [rural-10 acres], so I'm pretty skeptical as to whether something like this would work for us. On the other hand.........I am getting sick of dousing my young children with wonderfully healthfull stuff like 'Deep woods Off'! Like I said, any testimonials/advice would be great- black fly season is right around the corner :o)

-- Nancy (weebeesix@netzero.net), April 06, 2001

Answers

ok, this might sound odd, but I have had it work for me. I go canoeing in Minnesota and Canada often (where the mosquito is the state bird). All the folks I have travled with dope up on repellant, I don't. You know what, I have fewer mosquito bites than they do. Either Im too salty for them, or the supposed repellants are really just "peace of mind". I wont say I never get bit, though. One thing that helps us is just emptying anything that collects rain water. if you live near a lake though...

-- Kevin in NC (vantravlrs@aol.com), April 06, 2001.

Leave the chemicals in their bottles; your best bet for mosquito control is to establish colonies of bats; whom eat major amounts of mosquitos each night. Their organic, natural, and natures way. Assist the bats by placing small containers of dyed water out in the open so that the mosquitos have a place to lay their eggs. Dyed water is where the mosquitos want to lay their eggs because their larva will eat each other if they can see each other. Each morning place a couple of drops of kerosene, which creats a film on the water killing the larva, and will evaporate off during the day, making the water traps ready for the next night.

Bats can be attracted by free housing, if they are in your area; or they can be bought and installed in preexisting housing; use your search engine to find sources and info; I'm to lazy to do it for you.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), April 06, 2001.


p.s. Note that Avion "Skin so soft" has been stated to be a good mosquito repellent for many years, though Avion disclames this.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), April 06, 2001.

Thanks guys, we would LOVE to have some bat houses, as there is ample food for them. I didn't know the dyed water trick w/ the kerosene either. But what I really wanted to know about is............The Mosquito Magnet !!! :o) Have you heard of anyone using this thing? P.s. I've never had much success with Avon's Skin-so-Soft [ other than really soft skin LOL!!!]

-- Nancy (weebeesix@netzero.net), April 07, 2001.

I know this doesnt answer your question, but about repelling mosquitoes: eating lots of garlic (use garlic oil caps, or you'll repel everyone else too) and foods with high amounts of vitamin B-1 (you need extra B-1 if you're taking birth control pills, sulpha drugs, or antibiotics). And if you eat lots of carbs, especially good ol sugar,you are a treat to behold to the little nasty critters.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), April 07, 2001.


I don't know of this product, Nancy, but if its a bug zapper that works by attracting bugs to light, it won't work. Skeeters aren't attracted to light, they're attracted to your body heat and the CO2 you breathe out.

Taking vinegar is supposed to make us less tasty to them as well. Don't think anything discourages black flies though. . . . .

-- Joy F (So.Central Wisconsin) (CatFlunky@excite.com), April 07, 2001.


I haven't heard of the Mosquito Magnet, but I have heard of bracelets which are supposed to work fairly well (citronella?). I just found a site (aboutbiology.com) which stated in 1999 that peppermint oil repels mozzies with about 85% success, and the oil will kill larvae in water. I'd rather rub myself with peppermint than pesticides! Not to mention you can grow your own peppermint. They also mention in this article that another member of the mint family, catnip, repels cockroaches. Does anyone know if peppermint would be absorbed through the skin and hurt my kids?

-- Rheba (rbeall@etown.net), April 07, 2001.

Earthmama, your comment about sugar raises and interesting point in my mind. I wonder if diabetics (high blood sugar levels) get bitten more often? (No one say anything to the gov't about this, or they will fund another useless study with our tax dollars. LOL)

-- Lynn Goltz (lynngoltz@aol.com), April 07, 2001.

Never heard of a "Mosquito Magnet" unless you're talking about a person :)

I thought mosquitoes were attracted to lactic acid.

http://cnn.com/NATURE/9908/mosquitoes.enn

Lactic acid is produced in the body when cells convert glucose to energy without using oxygen. Muscles cells can do this to produce energy in a hurry. Afterwards, the muscles ache from lactic acid buildup.

During a diabetic response, the body may convert extra blood sugar into energy without waiting for the oxygen to be available. That may be how the "sweet blood" myth was born.

-- dmtaylor (dmtaylor@fanninelectric.com), April 08, 2001.


Mosquitos are attacted to heat. My guess is that Mosquito Net produces a small amount of heat, traps and then kills the mosquitos.

I read a few years ago about a device like this, maybe the same one. What I recall is that a city park installed it and it was very effective.

-- walt (longyear@shentel.net), April 08, 2001.



Hi. You've probably found this out by now, but if you just type in mosquito magnet in your search engine, you'll find the company's web site, complete with testimonials. I forget what it was, probably something like mosquitomagnet.com Anyway, a neighbor just heard a radio commercial about it, and I looked it up on the internet. It's awfully expensive, but appears to work. You can order it online or find a distributor near you. Hope this helps.

-- cb (cbprickett@worldnet.att.net), May 10, 2001.

This may seem pretty weird (I know, what else is new?) but I did a "scientific" evaluation of skin so soft, because I would certainly rather not use deadly poisons on my skin.

I put skin so soft all over one thigh, and nothing on the other one. Then I sat and let the little varmits have at it. The count per leg was almost identical, with the skin so soft thigh actually getting a few more bites than the other one.

You could try this with any product, or try two different products-one on each leg.

Glad I don't LIVE in mosquito country, and just have to deal with the little shits when I go hiking in the Cascades.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), May 10, 2001.


Sounds like a CO2 trap. I've never seen one first hand... but they had ads on the tube a few years ago. It was amazingly effective in the TV ad... but isn't everything? :)

cheers,

-- Max (Maxel@inwindsor.com), May 11, 2001.


I've been looking at the Mosquito Magnet too - we've got a swampy wet section in our back yard which the town calls "wetland" so we can't fill it in. (I've already gotten yelled at for encroaching on it - all I want to do is get rid of the mosquitos!!) I've called a county mosquito-control agency (I'm in Massachusetts, by the way) to check it out; they'll put Bacillis down if they find mosquitos breeding. The way my kids and I get bit, I don't see how they can fail to find breeding... :(

I asked them if they'd heard of the Mosquito Magnet, and they had seen it on tv recently, but have no direct knowledge of it.

I agree - it *is* rather expensive, but if I *knew* it worked, I'd spring for it. If I buy it, I'll probably do so through Frontgate (www.frontgate.com) because they have a 395 day return-if-not- satisfied policy. There's some other places that will do free shipping, but I'd rather pay the shipping and know that I can return it at the end of the summer if it doesn't work.

I figure it'll probably really take a few months to be sure it's working - reduce the mosquito population, then there's fewer breeding, then there's fewer to breed more...

If I do get it, I'll post results here.

- Al -

-- Alan Weiner (alan@ajw.com), May 30, 2001.


A propane flame's product of combustion [fumes] is carbon dioxide and water. The result of that flame is also heat. Why couldn't a small burner be lit, burnin l.p., that would attract those pesky skeeters and burn'm? Just a thought. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), May 30, 2001.


Bought one last month, and because of the backlog (demand much higher than supply), just received it yesterday (6.12.01). Set it up and put it in the back yard last night. First thing this morning, I went to check the trap. Sure enough, many mosquitoes trapped inside (~100). It's poetic justice to dehydrate them instead of vice versa. Anyway, I'd recommend one, but you may end up waiting until next season if they're sold out. Nice system. The competitor requires an AC connection and CO2 refills. This one is self-contained, requiring only propane tank exchange/refills every three weeks. Good luck

-- JC (vaccineman@hotmail.com), June 12, 2001.

I've finally ordered one from Frontgate (www.frontgate.com) Got a flier from them with a special offer; six additional replacement bags and six mosquito attractants lures with purchase of either MM Pro or residential. I ended up springing for the Pro; my property is L-shaped, so I figured it'd cover the area better. Down side is they're back-ordered until mid-July. Will post something after I've tried it out. - Al -

-- Alan Weiner (alan@ajw.com), June 16, 2001.

The Magnet really attracted me but the price kept me from purchasing. I was looking around for feedback on the product and ran across http://www.mosquito-zapper.com/index.html, which sells a similar device for only $360. I bought one today and I will share the results with you guys after testing.

-- Simon (sitary@yahoo.com), June 21, 2001.

The Mosquito Magnet is worth every penny and then some. I've had mine working for 2 days now and must have caught 1000 mosquitos and some deer flys and other misc. bugs. It used to be that I couldn't go outside my house even in the middle of a sunny afternoon without getting mosquito bites. I'll bet that by this weekend I'll be able to sit on the deck in the evening without being harrassed by mosquitos and other bugs. I love this thing!!! If you've got a mosquito problem don't jerk around trying to save a few bucks... just buy one! If you can that is. Fortunately I ordered mine just before the explosion of orders creating the supply problem.

-- Kevin James (hdthunder@aol.com), June 26, 2001.

I ordered my Mosquito Magnet from Bigjohngrills.com No backorder. Free shipping and I go it in 3 days. BEST DAMN INVESTMENT I EVER MADE!!!!! It has been running for 1 week now and it has caught thousands. My wife and friends thought I was crazy but now they are singing a different tune.

-- Jay (wehlerj@marsusa.com), June 29, 2001.

I have some in stock! But not for long,They are unbeliveable!Ilive on the marsh and caught 50K in 1 weekend.Worth every penny!

-- Kevin R. Hester (Sales@Xsquito.com), July 17, 2001.

My husband works at Big John Grills (one of the few distributors of the Mosquito Magnet). They usually are always able to keep some in stock and these things DEFINITELY work! Runs on propane. Creates a nasty CO2 smell like cows breath that draws the mosquitos in. Hope this helps!

-- Michelle (michelleshuey@aol.com), July 26, 2001.

My mosquito magnet does not seem to work so well, unfortunately.

-- JJ (curtaintx@yahoo.com), August 16, 2001.

I bought mine in June and have had the power unit replaced once because it wasn't working. Well, the new unit isn't working either. I guess my mosquitos know me too well. I'm afraid I'm going to have to return mine. In fact, I'm on hold with their Customer Service department right now, (35 min and counting).

-- Rey Central Texas

-- Rey Garza (reygarza@texas.net), August 23, 2001.


Okay, Mosquito Magnet Owners!! I have a specific question and some info for the forum.

"Does the Mosquito Magnet work against Asian Tiger Mosquitos?"

You can tell these $$#$@#%$ because they have white stripes / rings on their abdomen and legs. They're a new import (came over in old tires from Asia). They bite all day long, not just mornings and evenings. I never had a mosquito problem until this year; and it's all Asian Tigers. (I'm in the Maryland / Wash DC area.)

I tried the Flowtron Mosquito Power Trap (ordered on the web from Contractors Depot). It is "only" $360 compared with the $795 Mosquito Magnet. It is similar to the Mosquito Magnet, using propane to generate CO2, octenol attractant and a fan to suck them up. After a couple weeks of running (and a lot of little propane cylinders)it failed to catch a single Asian Tiger. (It did catch half a dozen 'regular' mosquitos and assorted insects that flew too close.) Needless to say, we were still itching a lot. Flowtron has a 30 day return policy (no restocking fee, like American Biophysics, the Mosquito Magnet manufacturer). If you are not getting bitten during the day (i.e. not Asian Tigers) you might try the 'Power Trap'. If you ARE getting bitten during the daylight hours (i.e. Asian Tigers), don't bother with it. It'll waste your time (if not your money).

So, back to my question, for you owners of Mosquito Magnets... Are you getting Asian Tigers in your Magnet catch nets? And were you / are you still getting bitten during the day?

I'll gladly pay $395 if it works!!

Copious thanks in advance.

-- Roger (jodomoto@mindspring.com), September 04, 2001.


Roger, I am astounded! You mean my country (NZ) is not the only one buying used tires from Asia?

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), September 05, 2001.

Hi Roger--I live in Mobile, Alabama, and know all about the miserable Asian tigers. After debating all spring and summer, we ordered a M Magnet at the end of July and it finally came on the 1st of September. It does seem to be catching Asian Tigers along with everything else. Unfortunately I cannot say that it is catching incredible numbers of them, at least not so far. After 5 days there are maybe a hundred mosquitoes in the bag as well as a lot of little black gnats, but I'm not going to have that inch of dessicated exoskeletons to feed to the peacocks, as one of the testimonials at the website claims. HOWEVER--all Labor Day weekend we set it up somewhat near the front porch, and were able to sit out there for hours without getting bitten. I think that (using it as a kind of straw man) will be the best we can do, since our yard isn't ideally laid out for the Magnet's abilities. We have lots of "vegetation," azalea bushes and so forth, and an eight-foot privacy fence dividing front yard from back, not to mention the house itself square in the middle of the lot. And, at least this time of year, there is no prevailing wind to speak of.

I'm disappointed to hear that the Flowtron version doesn't work on the day-biting mosquitoes, because I had considered getting an extra just for the front porch, although the patent infringement thing makes buying one uncomfortable. If you like, you can email me again after another week goes by and I'll really take a good look at that bag--it's hard to see much through the "viewing window." After all, I guess we do have to give the thing time to work--it's not going to just magically suck every mosquito on the property into its jaws in 24 hours. Although that was certainly my fantasy. Sorry this post is so long.

For Rey in Texas--did you have to send yours back? If so, did you get it from Frontgate, and how did that work out? I can't imagine getting all the parts back into these three boxes, although I carefully saved the styrofoam etc.

-- Del Juzan (djuzan@zebra.net), September 06, 2001.


Del - Thanks for your post. I'm eagerly awaiting news of your Tiger catch. Incidentally, regarding your time out on the porch... Are YOU a mosquito magnet? Is not getting bitten phenomenal? I am a magnet and so are my kids. You say you've caught a few hundred so far... If there were just a dozen mosquitoes in my yard, I and my kids would be absolutely miserable because they'd find us. That and the West Nile Encephalitis making it's way south are my motivators. As for your getting a second unit... one of the selling points of the Magnet is its lack of a tether (power cord, etc.). All you need to do is break the mosquito reproduction cycle in each area, so move it around from week to week until you've sucked em all up. (Right?)

I recently received an email from Karen Salvatore at American Biophysics regarding the Magnet's effectiveness against the Asian Tiger (albopictus). She says that they recommend using the Magnet without the octenol in Texas and Hawaii and where ever albopictus is the concern. She even says that unscented wipes should be used to remove any traces of octenol from the housing. She also said that their testing has shown its effectiveness to be 30 to 1 versus testing with CDC traps; however, she did not reply to my follow up question (yet) as to how effective that really is as a percentage of all the mosquitoes present. Incidently, the MD state bug guys don't use traps, saying they're not a good indicator of albopictus populations, which is why I wondered.

If you go for a second unit, you might give the Flowtron a try, without using the octenol. I don't think patent infringement is an issue. CO2, heat and octenol have been known to be mosquito attractants for years. When you see the Flowtron design it's obviously NOT a mere copy of the Magnet. Anyway, around here, autumn is quickly approaching and the mosquitoes are quickly dissipating. Ahhhhh... until next summer (bzzzzzzzzzz)

JJ - You might try removing the octenol to see if it improves your catch.

-- Roger (jodomoto@mindspring.com), September 06, 2001.


Roger--after I posted this morning I went outside to watch my machine for a while and see if it was REALLY attracting Asian tigers or if I had lied to you. I did see some fly near it eagerly and then either just light on it or drift away, and this made me think about the octenol--I had read that while it attracted some mosquitoes, it repelled others, and wondered if Asian tigers were one of the repelled groups. I thought of posting again and asking if you knew where we could find this out...I thought of calling customer service at Frontgate or Am Biophysics (and staying on hold forever) to see if they knew...and here you are with the answer. I actually took the cartridge out this afternoon, to see if that made any difference, but I certainly didn't use any wipes (just what is an unscented wipe?) and then at dusk I put it back in so I wouldn't miss any black gnats or the smaller Culex or whatever they are, the evening biters.

There ARE a few large spotty-looking mosquitoes actually in the bag, but I can't be positive they're albopictuses. (Albopicti?)

That's interesting about not using traps in MD. I know they trap down here, with dry ice and octenol, I believe. Not to mention the sentinel chicken flocks, to see if we're all about to die from encephalitis or worse. AND the malathion spraying, which kills so many beneficials in my yard. Yes I'm a mosquito magnet, they bite the hell out of me, which is why the Labor day porch sit was such a treat. Autumn is nowhere in sight down this way and I can hardly fill the birdfeeder or empty the compost bin without getting a couple of bites, let alone do any real gardening.

You don't feel the Flowtron is a case of patent infringment? I only read about the lawsuit.

I hope that moving it from place to place works--that is what we've been doing so far. But, if the octenol is an issue, maybe we should have one Culex/gnat trap WITH octenol, and another Asian tiger trap without. The cheaper Flowtron is sounding better and better. Did you take the octenol out of your Flowtron unit & wipe it down, and did that help any? Please tell me what an unscented wipe is so I can cleanse the Magnet. I am anxious to begin a scientific study of its effectiveness against Asian tigers--meaning, take a dozen breaks during the day to go crouch down next to the Magnet and see if I can actually witness the beautiful sight of a mosquito being sucked in--

-- Del Juzan (Djuzan@zebra.net), September 06, 2001.


Please find a more environmentally friendly oil than kerosene to put on water dies.you only need to suffocate them, not poison them!------

Curse the dreaded Asian Mosquito! Daytime, nightime, wind and sun. One day it was only 80 degrees so I put on clothing from head to toe so I could lay unbitten in my hammock We are tying out solar charged repelling devices from Real Goods that are said to emit a sound like that of a dragon fly. (BTW dragon flies are timid of humans as I found out trying to get one out of my tent recently). Limited results so far: 2 bites as I turned it on and then none while I used a string trimmer. I am not sure that the sound, wind and flying debris did not repel them though. Ann swept up for me, and she got 1 or none. Next morning cool, 65 degrees, and she got none walking the dog in the woods. Feel free to e-mail in a week or so for more results if you don't see results here.

-- rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), September 07, 2001.


My info on octenol and Asian Tigers came from American Biophysics directly.

Unscented wipes (to me) refers to baby bottom wipes, which come as scented or unscented.

The white rings / stripes on Asian Tigers are quite distinctive. There are also pictures on the web.

As for patent infringement... I'm not a patent lawyer, but patents are commonly granted for a "method and apparatus". The method being used here is generic, propane combustion for CO2 and heat, octenol and a fan. The apparatus is quite different, Flowtron uses an AC power source and small propane tanks, no down draft design, no net, can be set for only morning / evening operation. I believe Am Bio will have to prove that they 'copied' the magnet design to have a successful suit; and the product execution is different enough to make that difficult (IMHO). I see the lawsuit as mostly a marketing tactic.

BTW, I do suspect that the downdraft design may be a significant differentiator in terms of effectiveness.

-- Roger (jodomoto@mindspring.com), September 12, 2001.


Roger--since the last octenol posting, I've removed the cartridge & I hope all traces of octenol from our MM, but it still doesn't seem to be catching the Asians. (thanks but I don't need the pix on the net, I get a great close-up view of them every time they settle on my arms. Yep, those white rings are quite distinctive) They're still circling the machine warily, sometimes settling on the tank or pipes which naturally drives me nuts. It's almost as if the moving air itself repels them. I sent an email to ambiophysics telling them I'd removed the octenol & asking if they had any other ideas. No word yet but the terrorist tragedy did happen in the interval so perhaps it's slowed things down.

As of today, I'm tempted to bundle the thing back to Frontgate & buy one of the smaller, cheaper machines, since it does seem to serve as an effective lure to keep them away from a discrete area. I'm willing to pay $350 for a lure, not $800. The AC plug is no problem, but the small propane cartridge thing sounds like a hassle--is there an option to attach it to a larger tank? I think I remember seeing some kind of accessory kit for sale on the web.

-- Del (djuzan@zebra.net), September 13, 2001.


Del,

Sorry I haven't been back here. I've been busy trying to find job (telecom startup failed).

Thanks for your experiment and answer. I have to tell you that I'm disappointed in the Mosquito Magnet because I was hoping that it would work against the Asian Tigers.

I'm confused about the apparent disconnect with your prior posting that indicated that you'd been out for hours on Labor Day without a bite, and your reporting that you are a good mosquito attractant. Just chance, I guess.

At any rate, the Asian Tigers flying and lighting about your MM are enough to convince me not to commit $800 to trying one for myself.

Many Thanks

-- Roger (jodomoto@mindspring.com), October 13, 2001.


I got the Pro-model at the end of this August, and it wouldn't work. Needed a replacement part which they sent out, the unit runs but hasn't caught many mosquitos. However my yard has millions of the nasty little blood suckers. Maybe the unit works for other people but the mosquitos here don't seem interested in it and I'm on my second tank of propane. When this is finished I'm shipping the unit back to Frontgate. I've never even had to empty the net, probably don't have over a couple of dozen bugs in it since I set it out.

-- Helen Noriega (Helen_OKC@Hotmail.com), October 13, 2001.

recently bought and set up the flowtron powertrap with octenol. in two weeks, caught 3 small moths, some kind of gnat or fruit fly and zero mosquitoes, in different placements around the house/yard, being bit by mosquitoes all the while. added an open bowl of household ammonia and one evening caught 2 tiger mosquitoes, next morning none, but return date approaching. never tried without octenol. also, my unit seems to seep propane when not turned on. mixed bag--leslie in hawaii

-- Leslie (LMDPx2@cs.com), October 29, 2001.

Hi,

I bought the Mosquito Magnet Pro in April 2001. It was DOA. Needed a new power pack. Got a refurbished one from Magnet folks. Not to thrilled with a refurb power pack on a new magnet but it works. I live in Central Alabama and we have tiger mosquitos. I find they like to hover around the magnet. I found I got bit quite a bit when I went out to change the net. More tigers outside the magnet than in. However, they were definitely attracted to the unit but not enough to get sucked up. I like the science behind the magnet but the science isnt all there yet with attractants. The mosquitos are much more attracted to me than the magnet. So the phsical setup of the magnet is fine. The attractants just dont seem to get the mosquitos really fired up like a good human leg will. I have been playing with attractants like lactic acid and acetone (nail polish remover). It sounds crazy but I am going to win back my backyard during the summer from the mosquitos. Anyway, I have been playing around with the trap. I am currently mixing up small amounts of lactic acid and acetone in water and dunking one of my toddlers socks in the mixture. I then place the damp sock over the black pipe that the CO2 comes out of. It gets a much greater response out of the tigers doing this. I cought alot of mosquitos when I took my sweaty tshirt off (after working outside) and placed it under the magnet. The tshirt method just isnt functional though.....

So, I like the magnet. Attractant technology is just not there yet to fully maximize the magnet. I still get bit. So it may not be worth the money to most but it is to me.

PS.Still having to use a pesticide mosquito fogger to stay on top of the mosquitos. I dont like fogging and killing all living bugs though.

-- Steve Olson (sowens63@yahoo.com), December 19, 2001.


I finally received a Mosquito Magnet in August after placing the order in June. Unfortunately the reports of 1000's of mosquitos being captured did not pan out for me. In the 30 day trial period the MM captured 14 mosquitos. I got bit by that many just setting the darn thing up. So I returned it for a full refund.

-- Simon (sitary@yahoo.com), January 16, 2002.

I bought a Mosquito Magnet Pro last summer. I ordered the Pro model from Frontgate. It was backordered and I didn't get it until August 8, 2001. Some parts came earlier. I put it into service as soon as I got it all.

I got the Pro model because I wanted to be sure that if it *didn't* work, it wasn't because I got too small a unit. (my guess now is that either model would've worked for us, but I'm ok with my decision.)

The short answer is yes, it worked well enough. I'm glad I got it, I've kept it, and it'll go outside again in a couple of months.

Initially I was disappointed with how few mosquitos we seemed to be catching - it was only 50-100 per night as a guess.

I'm still not sure if I've placed it in the best place or not, but it was out of the way and I *think* pretty reasonable. Perhaps better placement would improve the catch...

On the other hand, after a few days I noticed that we could be outside without being eaten alive. I promptly forgot about it until a few weeks later when I realized I'd been out with my kids until it got dark and I hadn't noticed *any* mosquitos!! This was a *huge* change from previous years - in the past I've been spraying the kids with "Off" very liberally, and I would refuse to be outside during dusk.

At the end of the summer, we still didn't have that many mosquitos in the capture bag, but it clearly had made a difference. I'm sure they dehydrate and get pretty small once they die, so the "bag of bugs" is probably deceptive.

I do recommend getting it from "Frontgate" - the price is the same as everywhere else (although I did find it slightly cheaper at some web place) but even if it were a bit higher that return policy is hard to beat. (besides, I like their catalog! :)

I had to change the propane tank about every 20 days; I got a spare so it was just a swap one in and the other out. Pretty convenient overall.

I've got a few photos at http://www.ajw.com/mosquitomagnet/ if you'd like to see the bag of bugs and my back yard with the MM.

To the folks who've had troubles, I sympathize... I suspect that the company had such a volume of sales that quality control suffered.

I'd suggest ordering early in the spring just in case they get backordered again.

Good luck!

- Al -

-- Alan Jay Weiner (alan@ajw.com), March 05, 2002.


Does anyone know if the Magnet catches "eye gnats"? They don't bite, but seem attracted in the same way: CO2 and moisture. The M-Magent people claimed that it doesn't catch them, but I don't understand how that could be the case given how it operates. The gnats are very annoying.. anyone know if this device will suck them up?

-- Justin L. (study@enormic.com), April 18, 2002.

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