Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
Radar to detect mosquitoes?
Mecanix:
Reminds me of an old Ted Talk closing with the "Laser'in Mozzies" topic. A system (hack?) made out of old consumer electronics parts, apparently! Your guess is as good as mine as whether that is all true, or for a good show, you to judge!
https://youtu.be/hqKafI7Amd8?t=883
phil from seattle:
It's my belief that most of these active approaches are doomed to fail. The higher tech they are, the more they are doomed. Frankly, DDT in small amounts is the most effective and cheapest way to go. While people will shudder over the suggestion, it's use would be orders of magnitude less than the widespread spraying that lead to it's banning. I recall seeing an analysis of such use and the claim is that it would not lead to the environmental damage that got it banned.
On active approaches - the vacuum scheme works pretty well when teamed up with an attractant. You can buy (used to be able to?) a device that uses CO2 from burning propane as the attractant and a vacuum to pull them into a fine mesh bag where they desiccate and die. I don't know if the level of CO2 needed is too high for residences though we are all producing it and that's how the mosquitoes find us. I'm certain no insurers would cover a company making such a product though.
[edit] hmmm, such devices are sold today - have no idea how effective they really are, though.
cdev:
I have some mosquito repellant spray thats made with a bunch of aromatic oils of plants. Its got a very strong lemon smell but it works really well. It repels ticks too. (it helps to also wear long pants and put rubber bands around the legs). Spray the repellant on that. It lasts all day long.
Marco:
--- Quote from: phil from seattle on August 03, 2020, 04:00:20 pm --- Frankly, DDT in small amounts is the most effective and cheapest way to go.
--- End quote ---
Just use the pyrethroids instead, works just as well outside of Africa and Asia and is actually legal.
In Africa and Asia there's resistance, but there's resistance to DDT there too so that doesn't matter much.
Developing resistance against lasers is a lot harder.
Berni:
--- Quote from: cdev on August 03, 2020, 04:59:27 pm ---I have some mosquito repellant spray thats made with a bunch of aromatic oils of plants. Its got a very strong lemon smell but it works really well. It repels ticks too. (it helps to also wear long pants and put rubber bands around the legs). Spray the repellant on that. It lasts all day long.
--- End quote ---
Yep that lemon smelling mosquito replant spray does work well. Just make sure to hold your breath when spraying yourself with it. It has a really strong smell and breathing in the spray cloud practically makes you choke. But once its on the skin it doesn't really smell that much anymore and does keep them away for the night.
Just because its a natural plant extract rather than a synthetic chemical doesn't suddenly make it harmless. There are plenty of natural substances found in animals or plants that will kill you even in tiny amounts. Tho don't think any of the popular bug replant sprays are any harm.
Best solution is still a bug screen over the window so that they can't get in at all.
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