Having spent years testing various technologies and tactics to protect his property and skin from mosquitoes, Christopher Null has identified a select few methods that genuinely keep the bugs at bay, alongside many that offer little value. Mosquitoes have been a worldwide menace since the dawn of recorded history and are considered the world’s deadliest animal due to their ability to transmit diseases such as West Nile, Zika, chikungunya, malaria, and dengue.
These illnesses are no longer restricted to the global south; in recent years, all have been detected in bugs within the United States. Ridding a property of mosquitoes is described as a Quixotic effort, as abatement methods can only stem the tide temporarily. Once a treatment wears off, mosquitoes return with increased intensity, potentially turning a nuisance into an epidemic that renders outdoor spaces unusable.
Most personal and home-based abatement tools focus on repelling rather than killing, with insecticides like DEET applied to the skin or metofluthrin and allethrin used in vapor form to create a repellent cloud. Traps are another option, luring mosquitoes into inescapable chambers. Among the tested products, the Thermacell E-ZoneGuard E55 is highlighted as the best personal repellent.
I bought that Thermacell because of a recommendation, but is it really worth the price compared to plain old spray?
Wait, they’re actually in the US now? I thought malaria was just a tropical problem. Thanks for the wake-up call.
DEET is the only thing that keeps them off me. Glad to see science-backed advice finally getting the attention it deserves.