Mosquitos

[jdrags]

Sometime in the future I will be retiring in Udon Thani. I would like advice on effective mosquito control from expats living in Thailand. My research on the web has just left me confused.

[dantilley]

The best thing for clearing a room of mosquitoes is a plug-in mosquito killer, available from Boots and other chemists. Plug it in to the wall socket when you leave the room for a few hours, come back and - providing all doors and windows were shut - you will have a completely mosquito-free room.

For sitting outside the mosquito coils which you burn with a lighter are OK, but not fullproof by any means. You set them on a small stand and light them, then they slow-burn a bit light how an incense stick does, giving off vapour which deters the mosquitoes. A few bigger ones seem oblivious to it though. I've yet to find a really good way of eliminating all mosquitoes from an outside environment.

Also, you should get yourself an electrical tennis racket-style mozzie killer as they're great for zapping the occasional stray ones that get past the above methods. Not to mention being good fun also! They cost 100 Baht from any supermarket in Thailand.

Hope this helps,

Dan.

[billzant]

Dear Forum,

I agree mostly with this - plug-in machines in the wall and also the machine that burns pads -arc mats, coils outside and tennis racquets. But this is not 100%. I live by a stream and offer sacrifices despite all of the above, and get used to it. Tiger balm and skin cream for where I am bitten.

I bought a gadget from Central with a blue light that is supposed to do them in. It works as a night light only!

Have been told there is a black gadget from Home Pro that gives off CO2 that is supposed to attract them and then an electric current does them in.

Am very interested to know if there are any plants that keep them away.

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

[joinme2leave]

not sure but i think i heard about TOMATOE plants are not mozzies best friends...

[Upcountry]

I bought a gadget from Central with a blue light that is supposed to do them in. It works as a night light only!

Have been told there is a black gadget from Home Pro that gives off CO2 that is supposed to attract them and then an electric current does them in.

The blue light thing may be what we use in our kitchen. It seems to work pretty well for us, and even confuses the ants a bit. The subtle mist that comes out of it apparently interferes with mosquitoes’ ability to sense a blood meal. The switch on top makes turning it off when you don’t need it very easy. If you don’t read Thai, the only recognizable symbol on the package is the number 90. I found it at Big C. My only objection to this thing is that you are supposed to use it in a well-ventilated area, so a closed room may not be the right place for it. We use it in the kitchen.

My wife likes to uses a spray called “Mosquito Repellent” from “Pure Green” that we also get at Big C. The smell isn’t bad, even though it is citronella oil, and it does chase them out. It’s useful when you walk into a room that’s been closed and you want to chase away any hungry mosquitoes are lying in wait.

Back home I was looking into outdoor devices that would do what billzant said the Home Pro unit does. They used to be pretty expensive, and you need to place them upwind from where you are sitting I think (the little buggers like to fly up to bite you and then float down wind when they are full). I’ve been wondering if I could buy something to use in the house that would basically attract and trap mosquitoes indoors.

[billzant]

Dear forum,

I just searched and found the following:-

Anyone outside hates being attacked by mosquitoes. Some plants repel mosquitoes. Such as: Horsemint, Marigolds, Ageratum, Mosquito Plants, Catnip (which is 10 times more effective than Deet).

Just planting these plants isn't enough, some of these leaves have to be crushed for the scent to be released. (Rosemary and Catnip-crush a few times & rub on your skin & clothing.) Don't rub the ageratum on your skin. Mosquito Plants are also called: Hummingbird Mint, Bubblegum Mint, Giant Hyssop or Giant Hummingbird Mint.

Do these work? Are any of these indigenous to Thailand or have a local version?

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

[mosquitoman]

I find the plug in type mosquito killer works very well, I use the night light type, the one that holds a bottle with a wick in it, It usaully lasts 60 days or so, I leave it on the whole time, I know the minute it has run out because I start to get eaten alive.

The amazing thing is that these plug in type killers work even with all the windows in the house wide open and a a gale blowing ( I imagined that the scent or repellent would get blown away).

Other remedies include but not limited to

• Install air conditioning (not for me I hate it makes me feel ill)
  
• Sleep or sit under a fan, the little blighters cant land in a strong wind (so I am told)
  
• Mosuito coils, good outside at night,
  
• Prepare areas, by spraying rooms with an anti mosquito aerosol and close the doors (fumigate them)
  
• 
  
• Apply Deet to ones wrists and ankles etc, I dont like it, but will use it when circumstances warrant it, I have seen warnings on the deet bottles saying not to spray it on manmade fibres, cant be too good for the skin
  
• 
  
• Live with some one the mosquitos are more attracted to
  

[Upcountry]

A friend of mine once said, "hey, mosquitoes have to eat too!"

[lannarebirth]

Sometime in the future I will be retiring in Udon Thani. I would like advice on effective mosquito control from expats living in Thailand. My research on the web has just left me confused.

You could try planting some Neem trees around your house:

http://www.neemfoundation.org/organic%20farming.htm

[Totster]

I use a cream by Soffel which I have found to be the most effective repellent for me.

You can get it in Tescos, 7-11 etc..

totster

[Tornado]

Mosquitoes do not feed on blood. The female mosquito requires blood for development of her eggs.

Citronella candles and citrus trees work quite well. If you have a pond also add many goldfish/fish to eat the eggs.

If bitten and your a smoker, put a lit cigaratte near the bite and the smoke draws out the itchiness - you have to get close though and it does burn a little. Failing that buy some Stingose.

I am never bothered by mosquitos, but all my pommy mates are eaten alive.

a little info from a web site:

What are the alternatives?

You can spray. It will give you relief from mosquitoes - for two hours. But it will kill every butterfly, ladybug, preying mantis, and earthworm too!

There are zappers, and even zappers with octenol lures. But without CO2 and a thermal lure, they remain ineffective. Octenol is expensive, so they use very little of it. The Dragonfly's octenol lure has 20 times more octenol than the lures supplied with zappers. Zappers kill 3,000 beneficial insects each night, but only a handful of mosquitoes.

There are thousand-dollar products mounted on a barbecue stand that use a fuel cell to convert propane to CO2. Another system, nearly as expensive, is powered with electricity. They vacuum the mosquitoes that follow their CO2 plume. Both disperse CO2 but no octenol. Neither has the settings offered by the Dragonfly System®.

Remember, features are not the biggest difference between the Dragonfly System® and these other products. Where they attempt to kill all the mosquitoes in an area - an impossible task, in the opinion of almost all entomologists, the Dragonfly System® (100's of Dollars cheaper) aims at truly protecting people with a double line of defense. First, the Dragonfly® lure, using heat, CO2 and octenol kills thousands of biting insects (but, most importantly, it draws them away from people). Meanwhile, people are protected by the Conceal™ inhibitor in the Mosquito 'Cognito® device, the second half of the Dragonfly System®.

[Tornado]

http://www.dragonfly21.com/

[chingching]

http://www.dragonfly21.com/

Dragonfly online price is $349.00 u.s.

[suiging]

http://www.dragonfly21.com/

Dragonfly online price is $349.00 u.s.

Anyone know if this is for sale in Thailand ( Pattaya ) ?

[billzant]

You could try planting some Neem trees around your house:

http://www.neemfoundation.org/organic%20farming.htm

Available in Thailand?

Indigenous Thai equivalent?

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

[billzant]

Dear Forum,

I bought a gadget from Central with a blue light that is supposed to do them in. It works as a night light only!

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

i am being unfair to the Central gadget as I emptied the tray and found some of our friends. So it helps but is not 100%.

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

[toptuan]

My 2 cents: I swear by the plug-in gadget as well. Tried everything else.

FROM ANOTHER THREAD AT

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=62655&st=0

EUREKA!

However, for the first time in years, I've now gone a 45 day streak with no bites at night. I give credit to a little gadget my friend bought me. It's called ARS NOMAT, and under the name on the box it says "Liquid Electric Mosquito Repellent". He picked it up at the local mini-mart for about 150 baht. You pour some kind of liquid into a holder, and plug it in during the night. No odor. (Now wonder what I'm inhaling.) Lasts 45 days before a refill needs to be purchased. (Yeah they got me on a string.)

But, it's working. I'm a believer. I don't think the no-bite-streak is due to the weather because I see plenty of mosquitos in my bedroom during the day, and in the evening when I'm reading or working at my desk (also in the bedroom). But, they do seem to disappear when I use this little gadget at night.

P.S. I don't own stock in the company, and I'm not a sales rep.

[Upcountry]

My 2 cents: I swear by the plug-in gadget as well. Tried everything else.

Anyone have thoughts about the plug-in regarding ventilation/use in enclosed spaces such as air conditioned rooms?

[swain]

My 2 cents: I swear by the plug-in gadget as well. Tried everything else.

FROM ANOTHER THREAD AT

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=62655&st=0

EUREKA!

However, for the first time in years, I've now gone a 45 day streak with no bites at night. I give credit to a little gadget my friend bought me. It's called ARS NOMAT, and under the name on the box it says "Liquid Electric Mosquito Repellent". He picked it up at the local mini-mart for about 150 baht. You pour some kind of liquid into a holder, and plug it in during the night. No odor. (Now wonder what I'm inhaling.) Lasts 45 days before a refill needs to be purchased. (Yeah they got me on a string.)

But, it's working. I'm a believer. I don't think the no-bite-streak is due to the weather because I see plenty of mosquitos in my bedroom during the day, and in the evening when I'm reading or working at my desk (also in the bedroom). But, they do seem to disappear when I use this little gadget at night.

P.S. I don't own stock in the company, and I'm not a sales rep.

The problem is .... that the rules in Thailand for additives and chemicals that are extremely toxic are MUCH more relaxed. (As were many of the rules before this whole visa issue) I think you worrying about what you’re inhaling is a very real concern.

For me, the electrified tennis racket and air con work well for me.

[Nawtilus]

I bought one of those homepro big expensive mozzi gagdets that work on gas and electricity, cost 21k I think from memory.

Did not work, at least where i could put it, so it has sat silent in the carport since buying it really.

Some say it does though, but over a month, I caught a total of maybe 80 mozzies. They still hung around the areas I did not want them around and the gas run out after 2weeks, so refill every 2 weeks and homepro told us it lasted at least a month.

[CymruAmByth]

An earlier poster mentioned the inability of mozzies to fly in anything more than about a 5kph breeze. I have to concur!

Scenario 1) Weekdays, sober, always remember to put the fan a the end of the bed full blast = no bites, EVER.

Scenario 2) Weekends, pi$$ed-as a fart, forget to turn the aforementioned fan on = bitten to buggery!

The fan works brilliantly and has done for nearly 4 years ever since I heard of the DC10-like flying prowess of a mozzie in the wind!

I hope this helps? If not, at least I had fun telling you about it. I'm off to turn the fan on...nite.

[AmeriThai]

Regarding fans, I've noticed the ceiling fans, even when turned on at hurricane levels, don't help much. The mossies seem to be able to do a nose dive in the breeze and eat you alive anyway. But using the table fans at bedside, for some reason, they don't.

For those who aren't too fussy, a friend of mine would burn coconut husks indoors, close up the house and wait for a while. It burns like incense creating smoke rather than flame. Then he'd open all the windows and doors to let the place to air out. It seemed to kill a few of the slow or weak stragglers, but for the most part, the rest just seemed to leave. I'm guessing they didn't like the smoke. Seemed to work on all kinds of creepy crawlers, including mossies, ants, mites, spiders, flies, etc. and kept them away for a day or so. After the place airs out, there doesn't seem to be much of an after scent of the smoke.

[Rajah]

Maybe I am old fashioned, but I always use the good old mosquito net and I wonder, why nobody mentioned it before. Quite romantic too, if you are not sleeping alone

[egeefay]

Found some interesting information about mosquitos at this website

http://www.mosquitobuzz.com/facts/mosquitopestcontrol.html

It's a site trying to hawk an expensive mosquito killer but the information on mosquitos might be useful

Edited October 7, 2006 by egeefay

[fxm88]

Is DDT still available in Thailand? See also http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/conten...o_products.html

This mesh bag + fan trap looks like something one might be able to whip up with items already around the house. Reportedly, it works well.

[jcgodber]

I too am concerned about mosquito control. I want to clear the little buggers off my 2 rai of land. I am now looking to buy what some of the government people are using-

a hand carried thermal foggers, pulse jet-

Anyone know where to find here in Thailand??? I know there here, I just have to find it.

[btate]

Regarding fans, I've noticed the ceiling fans, even when turned on at hurricane levels, don't help much. The mossies seem to be able to do a nose dive in the breeze and eat you alive anyway. But using the table fans at bedside, for some reason, they don't.

For those who aren't too fussy, a friend of mine would burn coconut husks indoors, close up the house and wait for a while. It burns like incense creating smoke rather than flame. Then he'd open all the windows and doors to let the place to air out. It seemed to kill a few of the slow or weak stragglers, but for the most part, the rest just seemed to leave. I'm guessing they didn't like the smoke. Seemed to work on all kinds of creepy crawlers, including mossies, ants, mites, spiders, flies, etc. and kept them away for a day or so. After the place airs out, there doesn't seem to be much of an after scent of the smoke.

While living in Phuket, where they the mozzies call ahead to get the landing lights turned on, I used a stand-up fan with a lit coil about 18 inches behind it. Worked well when we sat outside on our deck for dinner, drinks etc. Place the coil tray at about the same level as the center of the fan about 1 -2 feet away with the fan speed on low or medium. On high you need to place the coil slightly further away.

For outside on walk about there is a spray bottle sold at most convience stores, don't recall the name but it works well. A small white pump style bottle. Spray around ankles, socks or pant cuffs and around wrist and collar. Works!

[lingling]

The traditional method is to have a bunch of water filled bowls with lotus plants and mosquito eating fish in the garden. (and NO other standing water)

Unfortunately many [urban] thais are forgetting about the traditional mosquito control methods in favour of pesticides...

[phibunmike]

The traditional method is to have a bunch of water filled bowls with lotus plants and mosquito eating fish in the garden. (and NO other standing water)

Unfortunately many [urban] thais are forgetting about the traditional mosquito control methods in favour of pesticides...

I wonder how many rai of rice paddy I would have to clear around my house if I adopted this strategy

Those lights combined with a zapper do not work with mosquitos, as mosquitos are not attracted to light - they prefer dark shady places. The coils work quite well but I don't like the smell.

[lingling]

I wonder how many rai of rice paddy I would have to clear around my house if I adopted this strategy

None, if they are farmed without too much pesticides. Then you'll have fish in them whenever there is water.