What: With summer nights drawing mosquitoes to the back porch, the ThermaCELL Patio Lantern helps shed a little light while repelling the pests. The lantern uses a heated pad to spread an insecticide, Allethrin, which is unpleasant to bugs but harmless to humans and pets, when used as directed.
Advantages: The lantern was developed through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Army and has been field-tested. During those tests, it repelled 81 percent to 98 percent of malaria mosquitoes. Its creates a 15-by-15-foot no-bug zone — roughly the size of many back porches. The portable device could also be brought to a campsite. It uses a butane cartridge, rather than an electric plug or batteries, to generate heat.
Limitations: While butane is used to generate heat, the device needs four AA-sized batteries for light. If the device is on the “high” setting, it works for about 150 hours. Like most insect repellent devices, the lantern also needs refills. Those refills, which include butane for the lantern and insecticide mats, cost $5.50 a pack on Amazon.com. Mats last about 4 hours and the butane lasts about 12 hours. And while repelling 98 percent of mosquitoes sounds good, 81 percent means you may be bitten by one out of five mosquitoes.
Where: Call 866-753-3837 (8-NO-SKEETER, that is)
Learn more: www.mosquitorepellent.com
Cost: $29.99 before shipping and handling
Text by Andy Rathbun
Product information and photo from ThermaCELL
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