As I have stated in earlier posts, I am not a big fan of insect repellents that I have to spray or rub on myself, since most of them leave me sticky, stinky, or both. Other people have suggested to me to use other options, though, like citronella candles and mosquito traps, so I have been trying to do some research on these items.
Citronella candles need a lot of smoke to repel mosquitoes
From what I have been able to read on other blogs and product specifications, citronella candles are not effective over large areas. The key to the candles is the amount of smoke produced, because this is what repels mosquitoes. Many of the newer candles, in an effort to smell better, actually produce less smoke and are less effective. Many people in blogs state that the effectiveness of these candles is less than 3 feet oftentimes.
Mosquito traps have a limited range of effectiveness
Mosquito traps are an even bigger question mark. I have read of a few people who have had great success with them, but there are many more who have tried to get their money back from the companies (especially since most models cost $300 and up)! Even the people that saw success, however, only saw an effectiveness of about 30 feet. This means that my yard would need 3 or 4 of these traps to cover it all. Yikes! And that doesn’t even cover the expense of filling the trap with propane and attractants every month.
Right now, our Mosquito Squad franchise is offering to spray your yard every 2 weeks for $50 a spray, since the mosquito season is halfway over. Unfortunately, if you are struggling with mosquitoes, there is still 3 more months to go before they hibernate for the winter.
Marc LeDuc
