As summer approaches, many people look forward to spending time outdoors with family and friends. Whether it’s a barbecue, a picnic or just a quiet evening under the stars, the last thing anyone wants is to be haunted by mosquitoes. These little pests can ruin an otherwise perfect evening, bringing with them discomfort and the constant need to chase them away.
We feel it first hand. Every year, we wage the same futile battle against mosquitoes. The fact that we live just 2 kilometers from a large lake doesn’t help – it’s a mosquito haven. But what makes it worse is the total neglect in our area. After every rain, puddles of water collect in forgotten places – old buckets, clogged drains, untended gardens. These small puddles become a mosquito paradise, from which swarms of mosquitoes rise every evening.
Local authorities boast of spraying insecticides against mosquitoes. They might as well throw in tap water, as we don’t see any large-scale results.
So we are left to make do as best we can. I’ve experimented with repellents – the so-called ‘organic’ ones, based on essential oils and similar ingredients, have mixed results. We avoid more aggressive chemical options, especially when it comes to our daughter. At one point, we hired a licensed company to spray the trees and lawn. It was OK for a week or two, then the mosquitoes in the neighbors’ yards started moving back. It was a wasted effort and a waste of money.
Yet there is a solution
Last summer, we tried something new. We bought two mosquito repellents called the ThermacellBackpaker, which are a sort of steroid version of the camera pill. It runs on gas, with a C500 gas cylinder, and gas consumption is very low. At four hours a night for a month I used about a quarter of a tank.
The mats are about twice the size of Raid’s, they’re on d-cis/trans allethrin guard, a pyrethroid insecticide that in very low doses only repels mosquitoes, not kills them. One mat lasts for about four hours, and Thermacell says it’ll get rid of mosquitoes within a five-meter radius. I’m inclined to believe them, since we got the two Thermacell devices we also sit on the patio in the evening without even a single bite.
Out of curiosity, I tried a trick I found online that suggested using two Raid mats instead of Thermacell. The results were disappointing. Raid’s mats only repelled mosquitoes for 1-2 hours and covered a much smaller area. Clearly, the original Thermacell ones are the best. It’s still a solution to keep in mind if you run out of original consumables; it’s better than nothing.
I bought the two Thermacell repellants from Marele Pescar, a local fishing shop. I paid 278 RON for each Thermacell BackPacker. The appliances come without a cylinder, which are purchased separately and cost 36 RON each. The pills come in 24-hour (6 pills, 66 RON) or 48-hour (12 pills, 110 RON) packets. Prices may have changed in the meantime.
In conclusion, if like me you have problems with mosquitoes, I highly recommend the Thermacell BackPacker. It’s an investment worth every penny, and will allow you to enjoy your time outdoors without being bothered by those pesky insects.
