Electronic Mosqitoes Repellent

[Jyera]

This is probably of interest to those who lives in areas with mosqitoes.

There is this electronic mosqitoes repellent.
Makers usually claim that it is based on some neat theory/logic.
1. Only female mosqitoes bites. (True)
2. Female mosqitoes shy away from male mosqitoes. (True or False ?)
3. Therefore if they build an electronic device to mimic the male mosqitoes sound, the female mosqitoes will go away and will not bite you.

I have bought some of these gadgets but it did seemed to work.
I dismissed this as a scam until I saw this.

http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/misc/ck1105.htm
Which claimed that pregnant female mosqitoes stays away from male mosqitoes. So it seems the key is pregnant mosqitoes. Is this true?

If it is true, it'll explain why I still get bitten when I had the device.
The non-pregnant mosqitoes perhaps loves the male mosqitoes.

 

[El Greco]

Now they just have to invent the mosquito impregnator.

 

[Dymanic]

My first thoughts on reading the thread title had me thinking along the lines of some kind of small EMP device.

 

[Lithrael]

These devices tend not to do anything. Mosquitos like many insects communicate with chemicals, not sound. If you want a good bug-zapping techno-toy, pick up one of those battery powered electrified tennis racket looking things. Holy crap. They're awesome. You can clear the air of mosquitoes easily, zap-pop-crack. Pretty soon you've killed all the ones in your immediate area and it's much nicer to be outside.

ETA: Looking online, I see several sites that say either the males or females are attracted to the other by the sound of wingbeats. I don't see the attribution or details of this anywhere though, and certainly no sign that they would avoid one another using the same system. Females have no reason to avoid males at any time since they do not compete. I'll check up on it later.

 

[pupdog]

I don't find electronic mosquitoes repellent, although I don't recall ever seeing one.

 

[Benguin]

When I lived in malaria zones, we found the air conditioning to be about the most effective thing at keeping the mossie levels down.

 

[DangerousBeliefs]

DEET is the only proven effective mosquito repellent.

I remember watching a show where they put one of the repeller watches on a guy... and he was eaten alive.

They also tried Skin So Soft... with less attacks but still quite a lot...

Then they put DEET on the guy.... and not a single bite.

Go with DEET. It stinks but it also works... 100% guaranteed.

 

[Dr. Imago]

This sucker rocks. My parent's neighbors (two townhouses down) bought one about two summers ago, and my parents haven't gotten a mosquito bite in their backyard since!

-TT

 

[Jyera]

When does a female mosqitoe turns blood thirsty?

When does a female mosqitoe turns blood thirsty?

(a) When it starts to fly.
(b) When it becomes hungry.
(c) When it's no longer a virgin. (But not impregnanted)
(d) After impregnanted.
(e) When it's about to die.

 

[Zombified]

(f) whenever it smells the fresh tasty succulent juicy flesh of the living.

 

[DangerousBeliefs]

Re: When does a female mosqitoe turns blood thirsty?

When does a female mosqitoe turns blood thirsty?

(a) When it starts to fly.
(b) When it becomes hungry.
(c) When it's no longer a virgin. (But not impregnanted)
(d) After impregnanted.
(e) When it's about to die.

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/128/11/931

Note to add: A bit dated but still very accurate. Does not include information on the effectiveness of devices like those pictured above (I've heard - but seen no studies - on their good effectiveness but the price is quite high.)

 

[Anathema]

This sucker rocks. My parent's neighbors (two townhouses down) bought one about two summers ago, and my parents haven't gotten a mosquito bite in their backyard since!

-TT

We have a friend with a lake house, and he swears it works, FWIW. Supposedly, it emits CO2, which is the marker the bugs home in on. When they land on the emitter, they are killed. Clearly, death is an effective way to deter mosquitoes

 

[richardm]

We have a similar device that also incorporates some attractant substance with the tradename "Octenol". The machine works tremendously well. We were able to sit out in our garden all summer. Since we live on the West coast of Scotland, this is something unheard of.

Yes, the machines are expensive. But they do work, so that makes them worth it to us.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Richard- I'm impressed, though I don't recall the Ardnamurchan peninsula as the most midge ridden part of the land. (Plenty of wind and not too many trees were the reasons I had supposed.)

 

[richardm]

Richard- I'm impressed, though I don't recall the Ardnamurchan peninsula as the most midge ridden part of the land. (Plenty of wind and not too many trees were the reasons I had supposed.)

Oh, you'd be surprised

Everything's relative, of course. We don't have the dense black clouds that you might get over Arivegaig way (where we once arrived, and turned the car straight around and went back ) But we certainly have more than enough midges to make sitting outside impossibly unpleasant in the peak of the season.

Put it this way: we were emptying the bags about once every two days, until the midge population collapsed (hurrah!). That's a lot of midges!

 

[Soapy Sam]

So now we need a portable version.

My mate's pipe full of Balkan Sobranie used to do a fair job on the hills, but then he quit smoking.

I've never forgiven him.

 

[Jyera]

So now we need a portable version.

My mate's pipe full of Balkan Sobranie used to do a fair job on the hills, but then he quit smoking.

I've never forgiven him.

What is Balkan Sobranie?
Does it do a fair job repelling mosqitoes or attracting them?

 

[Jyera]

Talking about using CO2 as an attractant.
I had friends who used to smoke cigarette.
He mentioned that smoking keeps mosqitoes away. Doesn't burning a cigarette produces more CO2 and thus attract more mosqitoes?

 

[Jyera]

Re: When does a female mosqitoe turns blood thirsty?

Seriously anyone knows the answer?

When does a female mosqitoe turns blood thirsty?

(a) When it starts to fly.
(b) When it becomes hungry.
(c) When it's no longer a virgin. (But not impregnanted)
(d) After impregnanted.
(e) When it's about to die.

And Zombified added this...
(f) whenever it smells the fresh tasty succulent juicy flesh of the living.
Dangerous belief added this link.
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/128/11/931

But I couldn't quite figure out the answer.

 

[DangerousBeliefs]

Re: Re: When does a female mosqitoe turns blood thirsty?

Seriously anyone knows the answer?

And Zombified added this...
(f) whenever it smells the fresh tasty succulent juicy flesh of the living.
Dangerous belief added this link.
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/128/11/931

But I couldn't quite figure out the answer.

Answer: D (Already given)

Only female mosquitoes bite. Male mosquitoes feed primarily on flower nectar, whereas female mosquitoes require a blood meal to produce eggs. They usually feed every 3 to 4 days; in a single feeding, a female mosquito typically consumes more than its own weight in blood [3].