Thermacell insect control

G

Gregw

New member
I did a search on the forums and did not find any posts that mention Thermacells. I recently learned about these from some camping / hunting friends and thought I would share. They are a small hand held size unit that keeps all types of small flying bugs away from the area your sitting, including noseeums. They would work perfect for a cockpit sized area! I use them for early season hunting last year and the odor does not spook the deer.

http://www.drugstore.com/templates/bran ... thermacell

This is the cheapest place that I have found to get them.
 
That sounds like and interesting product. Just last night I was reading and article in the local coastalanglermagazine.com about a product used to treat clothing called insectshield that suspose to repel bugs. The author spoke very highly of the product and mentioned that Tilley Hats were treated with it. I bought a Tilley Hat about two months ago not knowing this and after reading the article I'm thinking that I haven't been bothered by sand knats or mosquitos since wearing it. I may be just trying to justify the high price of the hat. Has anyone had any dealings with this stuff. You can read about it at insectshield.com. A few years ago a friend of mine in Tampa got West Nile Virus from a mosquito bite. This isn't anything to play with he nearly died and is pretty much totally disabled from it.
 
Informative post about Thermacell insect control. I am sure this information is going to be extremely useful. I also want to share information regarding very easy and simple heat treatment for bed bugs. It is just amazing way that I tried personally. Worked like any other professional technique.
 
The Thermacell was discussed at Hontoon. About a dozen were ordered, but Wal Mart only had one--so only one person got to find out about how well they worked.
 
I've had good luck with PIC mosquito coils and a hanging container made by Coughlin. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HACTSY/?t ... q0phrf25_b

I buy the coils in bulk because I also use them year around on my patio. One coil in the hanging container kept the mosquitoes away at Lake Ozette while at anchor. I actually lit it before getting close to shore to look for an anchorage. When ashore, I spray painted myself with bug juice. I can't imagine the Thermocell working while hiking through a swamp, but maybe. Also too bad that the butane canisters aren't refillable. It would really cut the operating cost (and Thermocell's profits).

Mark
 
Marco Flamingo":2zjl4ih0 said:
I can't imagine the Thermocell working while hiking through a swamp,

Mark
Click to expand...

They work great Hiking/Stumbling through a Swamp!
They also are great for WHITE SOX, those nasty little sob's
take a pin head sized patch of hide when the leave and your left with a quarter sized, week long, weeping welt!
I keep one lit evenings while at anchor in PWS on the flat above cabin door. YMMV Have a good one!
:wink:
 
Here's a photo post direct:

Marco Flamingo wrote:

"There are bugs and then there are bugs. It reminded me of a solution that worked when kayaking in the Yukon. Painter's Tyvek suits. Dish washing gloves. Bee keeper's hat. Worked great except when nature calls."

Mark

Yukon_1.sized.jpg

Mosquito gear. Painter's Tyvek jumpsuit with dish washing gloves and a bee keeper's screen under the hood. Kept bites down to under 25 per day.

Marco: How many of the 25 were you know where? :lol:

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
The Thermacell does work. I have used them for years. Not so good at no-see-ums but does well for mosquitoes. I also use the green mosquito coils that you burn. They are cheaper.

I treat my clothes and sleeping bagwith Permithrin. I had always avoided it bacause of the warning not to apply to your skin. After some research I found out the reason you don't apply it to your skin is it no longer is effective. The stuff will last several washes and I treat my outdoor clothes at the start of the summer. It also will repell ticks which is a big deal in the SE. If you can't find it at a camping store the drugstore sells it to treat head lice.

I am preparing to leave for 4 days to take my Scout Troop to the Okefenokee Swamp to canoe. I have an all out regime for bugs.

Tomorrow I will start to eat baked garlic and eat my mothers homemade pickles and pickle juice brine. It's a hot and sweet mix. Lots of garlic and spices. I'm no scientist but a few years ago 1/2 Troop ate pickles and the other 1/2 didn't. Those of us that had a higher spice garlic intake had less bites.

As for a topical solution I have found that I have to have several things. I buy a "natural" repellant to get all the lemon grass etc, I cut it 50/50 with alcohol and add an equal amount of avon skin so soft SSS. The SSS helps with gnats and no-see-ums. They die in the oil or either don't like it.

I then add some 100% DEET or Picaridin. I really try to just use the one with Picaridin due to health concerns with DEET. However, I applied so much 100% DEET from Army surplus bottles that my dad used in Vietnam the damage may already be done.

This year I am adding Cat Nip to the solution. A Sail Magazine article highly recommended it for Deer Flies. There is nothing worse than a deer fly bite that gets all nasty after a few days.

I know this may sound extreme but sitting around in 90 plus degree heat with a rain suit, boots, a face net, hat, and socks on you your hands because the bugs are eating you up is less fun. I have whatever chemistry your body has to be very attractive to bugs. I can usually get eaten up when others are hardly impacted.

I know this is a long reply but after 25 years of being a scoutmaster and loving to spend time on boats anchored out you learn some of the tricks. I always say "be prepared".

Hopefully this was helpful.
 
The Thermacell does work. I have used them for years. Not so good at no-see-ums but does well for mosquitoes. I also use the green mosquito coils that you burn. They are cheaper.

I treat my clothes and sleeping bagwith Permithrin. I had always avoided it bacause of the warning not to apply to your skin. After some research I found out the reason you don't apply it to your skin is it no longer is effective. The stuff will last several washes and I treat my outdoor clothes at the start of the summer. It also will repell ticks which is a big deal in the SE. If you can't find it at a camping store the drugstore sells it to treat head lice.

I am preparing to leave for 4 days to take my Scout Troop to the Okefenokee Swamp to canoe. I have an all out regime for bugs.

Tomorrow I will start to eat baked garlic and eat my mothers homemade pickles and pickle juice brine. It's a hot and sweet mix. Lots of garlic and spices. I'm no scientist but a few years ago 1/2 Troop ate pickles and the other 1/2 didn't. Those of us that had a higher spice garlic intake had less bites.

As for a topical solution I have found that I have to have several things. I buy a "natural" repellant to get all the lemon grass etc, I cut it 50/50 with alcohol and add an equal amount of avon skin so soft SSS. The SSS helps with gnats and no-see-ums. They die in the oil or either don't like it.

I then add some 100% DEET or Picaridin. I really try to just use the one with Picaridin due to health concerns with DEET. However, I applied so much 100% DEET from Army surplus bottles that my dad used in Vietnam the damage may already be done.

This year I am adding Cat Nip to the solution. A Sail Magazine article highly recommended it for Deer Flies. There is nothing worse than a deer fly bite that gets all nasty after a few days.

I know this may sound extreme but sitting around in 90 plus degree heat with a rain suit, boots, a face net, hat, and socks on you your hands because the bugs are eating you up is less fun. I have whatever chemistry your body has to be very attractive to bugs. I can usually get eaten up when others are hardly impacted.

I know this is a long reply but after 25 years of being a scoutmaster and loving to spend time on boats anchored out you learn some of the tricks. I always say "be prepared".

Hopefully this was helpful.
 
We learned about the thermocell this last fall after hurricane Matthew. We live right on the coast, and received 17 inches of rain overnight during that event. Areas were underwater that hadn't seen water in 30 years. Within a couple weeks, you couldn't take a breath in without inhaling mosquitos. The thermocell works great, but only when the air is calm. A breeze will blow the vapor away and render the thing useless.

While it works awesome for mosquitos most of the time, it does nothing for an even worse pest in my area... Sand gnats, sand flies, biting midges, whatever you prefer to call them. I don't even care about mosquitos anymore, biting midges are much worse. Microscopic flying teeth. I've only found a couple of things that slow them down. Rubbing Avon's skin so soft on your skin until your coated in an oily sheen. The theory is they drown in the oil when they try to bite you. My go to is another oily spray called "No Natz". you'll smell like some terrible cross between that hippy fragrance patchouli oil and curry, but it works really well.
 
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