Mosquito Magnet - a waste of money in many areas
I live in the Florida Keys. Everyone knows summers in Florida are hot and buggy. At night, it is impossible to be outside because of the mosquitos and the no-see-ums. When Mosquito Magnet opened a factory store here, most of my neighbors and friends stood in line to get the Liberty model.
Now about 3 years later, all my friends and neighbors have abandoned their Mosquito Magnets. They stand as green metallic monsters in their yards. Why did they abandon them? Well, if you are reasearching buying a Mosquito Magnet, you know you have to hook a propane canister to it for it to mimic CO2 (human breath) and attract mosquitos. The instructions say you have to replace the propane every 21 days, at a cost of $17.69.
The instructions also say placement is very important. Best placement is upwind between their breeding areas and human areas. This means it should be 30-40 feet from humans, in an open area that is shaded. My friends and neighbors followed these instructions to the letter. Most were instantly disappointed with the results. The company representative told that it would take “several days” for an effect to be noticed. Then after more than 10 days, they were told to try different placement because the mosquitos probably figured out these were traps. “Give it a chance” they were told. Finally after several months of use, they were told the Mosquito Magnet is not effective on this type of migratory mosquito!!!! The store said the mosquitos here breed in the Everglades and ride the wind to feed here. So, why sell it here?!? I have heard the same story from friends on the New Jersey Shore - that it doesn’t work on the migratory type of mosquitos found there, so this is not only limited to the Florida Keys. They even swear it draws mosquitos to their property!
Multiple friends wasted between $500 and $1500 on the various models only to find that Mosquito Magnet doesn’t work on our migratory mosquitos. My suggestion, before you purchase a Mosquito Magnet in your area, is to ask your county extension agent if it would be effective on the mosquitos found in your area. Do NOT rely on the advice of the seller or the manufacturer, since they are in the business to SELL these contraptions.
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