• walden@wetshav.ing
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    5 hours ago

    Citronella candles and torches don’t repel mosquitos, but they mask the scent of humans. This helps, but not 100%.

    DEET doesn’t mask your scent, so mosquitos are still attracted to you. Once they land on your skin, though, they fly away immediately. Very effective.

    Propane based traps work very well for collecting large numbers of mosquitos. There isn’t a definitive answer on whether they reduce the local mosquito population over time. The idea is that if large numbers are killed, it will reduce the local breeding.

    Thermacell brand mosquito repellers are, IMO, magic. At first I thought they were a gimmick, but my impression of them is very positive. They output a light chemical mist which keeps mosquitoes away. They only work with little to no wind, and they take 15 minutes to warm up and start working.

  • Rooster326
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    6 hours ago

    An Industrial/Workshop fan and a bug net can kill thousands every night.

    https://youtu.be/6BhV-o77RqQ

    If you really want to go Ham then put a bucket of dry ice near the fan but you won’t need it.

  • The Bard in Green@lemmy.starlightkel.xyz
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    21 hours ago

    I know an engineer who had several ponds near his property who built an elaborate contraption to attract and electrocute them. He killed tens of thousands. Hundreds more ignored it and bit him anyway.

    • pieland@piefed.social
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      11 hours ago

      and those mosquitoes went on to reproduce

      people say that engineer is still being bitten to this day…

    • Pirat@lemmy.org
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      18 hours ago

      Bug zappers don’t focus on mosquitos. They focus on bugs attracted to light. Mosquitos aren’t particularly attracted to light. They are attracted to body heat and, most particularly, carbon dioxide. Our exhalations draw them near. Then the heat from the veins close to the skin’s surface provide the fine tuned target. So, to attract mosquitos, emit carbon dioxide which then draws near to a body temperature heat source, which then zaps or drowns them. This drowning is accomplished by having the mosquitos attracted to a suction which then blows them into water with a bit of soap in it.

      • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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        6 hours ago

        i saw a video of a system like that in action, guy left it running for a good long while and then dumped out a PILE of dead mosquitoes (and only mosquitoes)

      • I Cast Fist
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        17 hours ago

        mosquitos attracted to a suction

        I’ll call that piece “fucking karma, bitch”

  • InvalidName2@lemmy.zip
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    21 hours ago

    Gotta geek out a tiny bit.

    Assuming my uncited research from a decade+ ago is correct …

    Citronella was actually extracted from the “Lemon Eucalyptus / Lemon-scented Gum” tree, formerly known as Eucalyptus citriodora but more accurately known as Corymbia citriodora.

    The “Citronella Scented Geraniums” never worked much at all to repel mosquitoes. It was essentially the placebo effect. I’ve done really lame and totally non-scientific experiments myself. The geraniums simply do not work to any significant benefit. People will literally argue with you day and night about this, but it’s just not true.

    That being said, grow scented geraniums to your heart’s content. Burn citronella candles as if your life depended on it. They smell really good and olfactory cues like this will burn memories into your brain that you’ll treasure when you’re older and fading.

  • nexguy@lemmy.world
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    22 hours ago

    Put out a dedicated standing water source but lace it with eco-friendly Bti that kills the larve. (It doesn’t harm people/pets/birds/other insects)