Fumigator - mosquito killer: types and features of the best insect repellers

The use of fumigators against midges. How midges get into apartments. Why does it appear in residential areas? What factors influence the appearance of pests and reproduction. How to properly use fumigators in apartments. Tips and tricks. In what cases is it prohibited to use fumigators?

In the fight against midges, people turn to different methods and means for help. Some use chemicals that, although dangerous due to toxicity, provide high effectiveness.

Others who are wary of using chemicals prefer to use safe folk remedies. But many people use a midge fumigator, which is easy and simple to use and provides high efficiency.

Next, we will take a closer look at these devices, learn about the advantages, application features and possible disadvantages.

What it is?

The name fumigator comes from the term “fumigation”. This is the name for the process of repelling and exterminating with the help of vapors or gases. The device looks like a small box. There is a heating element inside. Its work provokes the evaporation of the active substance into the air.

Using a fumigator is useful for everyone. It is very important not to ignore protection for children and sensitive people. Insect bites don't just cause itching, they can cause severe allergic reactions including swelling, swelling, breathing difficulties and death. In addition, mosquitoes and midges are often carriers of dangerous viral diseases and parasite eggs.

Expert opinion

Borodina Galina Valerievna

In recent years, fumigators for bedbugs have begun to appear on the shelves. According to users, they are not highly effective: they do not at all affect the spread of the species in the room or furniture, and they slightly protect against bites.

In order for the fumigator to be beneficial, it is necessary to correctly select the desired form of the substance and its distributor.

Prevention

It is easier to avoid the appearance of midges in an apartment than to waste time and energy fighting them. Useful rules of prevention:

• keep the trash bin clean;
• check the freshness and expiration dates of products;
• after purchasing, wash fruits, vegetables and herbs with running water;
• Clean the sink regularly to avoid blockages;
• observe the regime of watering and replanting house plants;
• maintain cleanliness in the aquarium and animal cages;
• install mosquito nets on windows in warm weather.

If you can’t get rid of midges in your apartment on your own, you should turn to professional disinfection services.

When wet cleaning, it is recommended to add some essential oils to the cleaning solution - this will not only give the surfaces a pleasant smell, but will also help prevent the appearance of midges.

Midges usually appear in an apartment due to failure to follow simple rules for keeping the house clean. To avoid the spread of pests indoors, you should monitor the quality of the products you purchase and regularly clean your apartment.

What are there

According to the principle of heating activation, the fumigator comes in two types:

1. Electric . Connects to the network via an outlet, uses batteries or a rechargeable battery. The main element is a microresistor. It heats up to about 150°C. Bottles with toxic liquid or plates impregnated with a repellent composition are attached to the device;
2. Pyrotechnic . It is a spiral or plate made of wood flour. The solution has already been applied to the canvas. Ignites with fire. Combustion of the material is accompanied by the release of odorous smoke.

Ultrasonic and light. Fumigators occupy a separate category. The name is given for the result. In fact, this is a slightly different device, since the work is not based on vapors or gases. The device turns on from the mains, begins to make a sound or emit light, which has a negative effect on mosquitoes.

Application of aerosols

To quickly poison fruit flies, you will need any insecticide aerosol. A can with a spray nozzle evenly distributes the chemical throughout the room and destroys all insects in a short time.

On a note!

When using chemicals against midges, you must take precautions: use a respirator, gloves, protective clothing, do not spray near fire or heating devices. There should be no strangers in the treated area.

Pest Sprays
The most popular brands of pest sprays include:

1. Dichlorvos is an old reliable assistant in the fight against flies. Among the large range of insecticides of this brand there are odorless aerosols, which allows it to be used even by allergy sufferers. The price of one cylinder is 80 – 120 rubles.
2. A clean home is a spray repellent for fruit flies and other flying insects. The product is available in standard 150 ml cans and in economical 400 ml containers. The price of a smaller spray is 90 rubles, a larger one is 200 rubles.
3. Raid is an aerosol produced in the Netherlands. A large volume 300 ml cylinder allows you to destroy midges and other pests repeatedly. The average cost of goods is 200 rubles.

Pyrotechnics and their features

The plate or spiral must be disconnected from the set if there are several of them in the package. The device is quite fragile and requires careful handling. Then the fumigator is placed on a fireproof base. This could be a plate made of tempered glass, porcelain, a piece of brick, stone or a metal element. The tip is set on fire with a lighter or match, and the flame is immediately blown out until it smolders. There should be some smoke left. The space should be at least 1 m free on each side of the fumigator.

The spiral can be hung. The main thing is to maintain a distance from people, animals and flammable objects.

This product is best used in open spaces. In outdoor conditions, you can place several pieces at once around the perimeter on the non-windy side.

Indoor use is possible, but not recommended. It is permissible to fumigate a room of up to 20 square meters, provided the windows and doors are open. The duration of smoking is no more than 15 minutes. Be sure to ventilate for half an hour afterward. The person must leave during processing.

Strict precautions are required due to the toxic composition. The main substance is most often allethrin, esbiothrin, and less often pyrethrin. The poison is especially dangerous for insects and fish.

The main advantages of pyrotechnic fumigators:

• Possibility of outdoor use . It can be difficult to turn on an electric device at the dacha, during a fishing trip or a picnic. The spiral will easily work in outdoor conditions. Also suitable for non-glazed loggias, balconies and verandas;
• duration of protection . Burning is smooth and can be kept in an open space for up to several hours;
• efficiency . Blood-sucking animals are very sensitive to allethrin and its brothers, they lose orientation in space, die, and are isolated away from the source. Reduces the need to apply skin repellents;
• low cost . Pyrotechnic spirals are much cheaper than devices and also save energy. One piece can be set on fire several times if it is not used entirely at once.

The disadvantages are also obvious:

• toxicity _ It creates problems for home use, can cause poisoning if safety precautions are not followed, it is undesirable to use it near children and pregnant women;
• incompatibility with fish . It is forbidden to light a spiral in the same room with aquariums and directly on the banks of reservoirs;
• fire hazard.

Conclusion: Suitable for limited situations, mainly during outdoor recreation.

Category leaders

All brands are equally good against midges, mosquitoes, mosquitoes.

Other effective ways

If the midge is detected in a timely manner, instead of insecticide chemicals and other sprays, you can resort to traditional methods. Among them are:

• horseradish repeller - you will need the root of the plant, which should be placed in a plastic bag and hung in the room. Leave the package open. The smell will repel insects, and they will disappear within a day;
• vinegar-soapy water - pour 3 tbsp into a 5-liter bucket of water. l. vinegar and 100 ml of liquid soap. A midge will fly to a pleasant smell and drown in a thick liquid of soap;
• bait with essential oil and liquid soap - pour water into a plate, add 5 drops of lemon balm or lemon oil (for bait) and liquid soap;
• orange-clove repeller - in a place where there is a large concentration of annoying insects, you should lay out an orange peel, in which you need to wrap a dry clove in advance.

Traditional methods will get rid of adult insects, but not clutches of midge eggs.

Electrical

First, you need to attach the active substance to the device. The bottle with liquid is screwed into a special groove. In the case of a plate, it is similarly inserted into the hole to the heating element. Only after this can you connect the device to power (socket, battery).

The liquid contains mainly the insecticide DEET. The records are also impregnated with it. The substance paralyzes insects, causing their death from poisoning.

Lighter versions contain a natural insecticide - citronella oil or hormonal chamomile extract. In this case, the product has a slight odor.

Electric fumigators are used mainly in apartments, offices, and houses.

One plate or one bottle is enough for one closed room up to 20 sq.m. A larger area requires an increase in the number of fumigators according to specific figures. So for 60 sq.m you will need 3 devices at once.

In a room less than 15 sq.m., the use of electric fumigators is not recommended due to the creation of a high concentration of poisons in the air.

The advantages of such an insect repeller are as follows:

• long work . Many liquids and plates can last up to 20-30 days on one cartridge. Particularly modern formulations are prolonged even up to 45 days;
• soft action . There is no smoke, no unpleasant odor. Minimum side effects. There are formulations that are safe for children and animals;
• minimum control . It is acceptable to leave it unattended overnight, provided the battery is in good working order;
• availability . Available in almost any grocery and household store;
• fast heating . They start working within a couple of minutes after connecting to power.

There are also disadvantages:

• high price . The fumigators themselves are not cheap, but they are purchased quite rarely, in case of breakdown. However, consumable bottles and plates need to be purchased regularly. Sometimes a considerable amount accumulates over the course of a season. This also includes expenses for electricity or batteries, increased prices for special formulations for allergy sufferers, animals and children. For a large room, expenses will increase another 3-5 times;
• restrictions at places of use . It is difficult to find an outlet in nature. Batteries can run out at the wrong time, and vapors do not spread well in the open air.

The best plates and liquid products for them

As for choosing the fumigator itself, experts advise choosing a universal fork with holes for both liquid and plates. These are presented in the Moskitol and Reid brands. They can rarely be purchased separately, but complete with liquid they are quite common, ranging from 190-270 rubles for the entire box. Afterwards, it will be enough to just buy more filler. Plugs of these brands have a low level of electricity consumption and last longer than others.

The most popular products

The most popular mosquito repellent kits include the following products: Reid, Moskitol, Fumitox, Raptor. You will learn more about them below.

The electric mosquito fumigator Raid works due to the liquid that is in the connected bottle. It can last for a month or more if you turn it on every day for 5-6 hours. One fumigator is enough for a room with a volume of up to 50 cubic meters. If you prefer to sleep in a room with open windows, then this device will not need to be turned off at night. It is not recommended to keep it connected to the network for longer than 8 hours.

The active substance contains perethrin, which is safe for the human body. This product also has a rather pleasant smell, reminiscent of mint and eucalyptus.

Raptor mosquito repellent has a similar effect. Mosquito repellent Raptor is also a popular remedy, but if you buy a fake (there are a lot of them on the market now), you may not expect a good effect. This drug can also be produced in other forms (not just a fumigator).

To protect against mosquitoes, you can use Moskitol. To protect children, you can use a special children's “Moskitol”; there is also a product designed for adults. For children, a less concentrated substance is used. It effectively fights pests and does not harm human health. One bottle of liquid is enough for one and a half months of use.

Manufacturers claim that you can completely get rid of mosquitoes after just an hour and a half of using the device. With the window completely open, it is better to use the fumigator throughout the night.

Fumitox contains a special extract that can be obtained from chamomile. The composition contains antioxidants, a solvent and other components that can remove toxic substances from the body. Fumitox does not cause an allergic reaction in adults and children. Also, the drug does not create discomfort in the room, since it has no odor.

Fumitox is in a bottle and can be used for a month.

Features of ultrasonic and light

The frequencies of ultrasonic fumigators are so high that the human or animal ear does not perceive them.
Subtle vibrations irritate insects, preventing them from mating productively, reproducing and looking for food. Individuals try to quickly move away from the violator of the usual way of life, and there are fewer bites. Some adult insects do not perceive sound, but react to vibrations. For them, the vibration of the air serves as a signal of danger, which means they need to run.

There are lamps that do not repel, but on the contrary, attract mosquitoes with sound and light. Under the protective grille in such devices there is a current, in which uninvited guests die. It is important to keep such a lamp at a distance so as not to accidentally touch it.

The main advantage is the absence of harmful effects on humans and pets when used correctly.

The main disadvantage is the high price. In addition, there are complaints about the low effectiveness of ultrasonic scarecrows.

Popular models

Is fruit fly dangerous for humans?

Fruit flies do not pose a threat to human health as such, because their area of ​​interest is rotten fruits that are not eaten. However, it is quite possible to “catch” unpleasant intestinal myiases if you swallow lurking larvae along with food.

In addition, fruit gnats are dangerous for the reputation of your home - you should definitely get rid of them, especially if you are expecting guests. Insects in the kitchen can make you look bad if one of your guests eats “infested” fruit.

Which type to choose

What fumigator do you use?

PyrotechnicElectric

Each type of fumigator is quite in demand on the market.

Basic advice can be boiled down to several points:

• for natural conditions it is better to take spirals, ultrasonic keychains or compact devices, lamps with light and current;
• for hiking, walking, and active movement, ultrasonic keychains and small battery-powered plate fumigators equipped with a belt clip are suitable (can also be attached to a backpack);
• Electric fumigators with plates and liquids work great indoors. It is better not to tempt the sensitive respiratory organs of allergy sufferers, children and animals with rough compounds. It is preferable to take special versions;
• the presence of a fan in electric fumigators will allow the active substance to be distributed more quickly throughout the room;
• liquids provide a faster effect and less frequent replacement.

Based on these tips, it’s easy to choose a fumigator to suit your own needs and wallet.

How to get rid of fruit flies in an apartment

Typically, winged parasites live in the kitchen, where they can profit from leftover food or overripe fruit. The surest way to get rid of insects is to deprive them of their food source:

• Promptly dispose of rotten and overripe foods, especially if they are stored outside the refrigerator. Sweet juices, compotes and other drinks containing high amounts of sugar are bait for insects.
• Pour hot water or boiling water over vegetables and fruits purchased in a store or market before consumption to destroy parasite eggs. Even if the food appears unspoiled, you may simply not notice the “surprise” left by the midge and bring the parasites home.
• Store sweet, perishable fruits (bananas, apples, grapes) in the refrigerator.
• Dispose of household waste regularly; the trash can is a smorgasbord for insects. Leftover food rots quickly, especially in summer, so in addition to midges, an unpleasant odor may appear in your home.
• If fruit flies are infested in a flower pot, you need to remove the top layer of soil and treat the soil with a special insecticide, after drying it.
• If there are pets in the house, its food should not lie in a bowl all day - throw away any leftover food and wash the container immediately after feeding.
• Use specialized products against fruit gnats.