Summer weather can not always please, but the number of people who want to take a country trip does not change. Nature has always attracted and will attract people. Here are just some of its factors that do not contribute too much to a pleasant and relaxed vacation.
Mosquitoes are one of the most malicious troublemakers who will definitely not let you fully enjoy your vacation in the forest or on the river bank. In addition to concern, their bites can pose a considerable danger in terms of the possibility of the spread of dangerous infectious and invasive diseases, which is especially true in the southern regions of our country.
There is a solution to the problem. These are electronic mosquito repellers, about which there are numerous reviews on the network. Thermacell is one of the best representatives of these devices. How true is his advertisement? This is what our article will tell.
What it is?
As a rule, some chemical agents are used to repel mosquitoes. Everyone knows repellents in the form of ointments, balms and sprays, which you need to process yourself and your clothes before going to nature.
The advantages of this kind of funds include low cost and ease of use. However, with the latter, not everything is so smooth. Many summer residents complain that repellents do not stick well to the skin, immediately rinsing off with water or sweat. But how to weed the garden if you are bitten by mosquitoes? In addition, too often it is impossible to apply such products to the skin, as this is fraught with poisoning.
Doctors often say that in the summer they constantly meet patients with symptoms of fairly severe poisoning. Often they are caused precisely by the excessive use of chemical repellents. In particular, it is not necessary to apply such funds to damaged and inflamed areas of the skin. Of course, our article is not devoted to this, but such important details still will not hurt every lover of summer holidays to know.
In any case, many reviews indicate poor health after their use. Thermacell is a fundamentally different solution based on knowledge of mosquito biology. The device makes high-frequency sounds that are not heard by the human ear, but have a tremendous effect on bloodsuckers. As a rule, either the sound of alarm for the mosquitoes themselves or the sound of the approach of their natural enemy (dragonflies, for example) is imitated. Repellers can be carried out both in the stationary and in the mobile (keychain) version.
Development history
For the first time, the military became interested in such methods that make it possible to protect themselves from the presence of bloodthirsty insects. They often had to stay in the field for a long time, and millions of mosquitoes did not add any combat effectiveness to the unit. In addition, under tropical conditions, hematophages can be carriers of the most dangerous viral and invasive infections, so the military ranks the issue of protection from them very urgently.
The corresponding order was given to scientists, after which intensive research began. Soon it was found out that a strong electromagnetic field acts extremely effectively on insects. Even cockroaches are afraid of it, and bees and mosquitoes completely fly around areas with a high frequency of electromagnetic radiation (electromagnetic radiation) in circular paths. However, with bees everything is very bad: “grabbing” even a small dose of radiation, they completely lose their ability to orientate, cannot get into the hive and die.
Health is more expensive!
That was just one small difficulty. The fact is that for a stable effect, a frequency was needed that was extremely dangerous for the health of the person himself. Even then, biologists and doctors warned that prolonged exposure to sources of electromagnetic radiation could lead to severe pathologies, including even oncology.
This was especially noticeable in the sailors, who often worked with radar equipment that produced similar effects. No protective measures were planned at that time, and therefore few of them survived to a happy retirement. It was urgently needed to find something as effective, but without dangerous side effects.
It was then that the experience of those biologists who studied the behavior of bats came in handy. Pundits have long noticed that insects somehow sense the presence of a predator, as a result of which they can change the flight path in a timely manner.
As it turned out, mosquitoes take ultrasonic signals from the mouse for "red light". Accepting them, they try to get out of the way of the flying predator. Why not once again take advantage of natural “developments”? It was then that electronic devices appeared that mimic the sounds made by the natural enemies of mosquitoes.
What is their effectiveness in advertising?
Manufacturers themselves promise that as a result of the operation of the device, an area of about 2x2 meters is formed, completely free from blood-sucking insects. If you use the stationary option, you can "clear" the space of about 4x4 meters.
In addition, they promise that the effectiveness of the device in no way depends on weather factors. Even if it rains, which will almost completely neutralize standard chemical repellents, there will be no mosquitoes within reach. What do the reviews say? Thermacell, according to many gardeners and gardeners, is a pretty good tool that really fulfills its purpose.
This is based on their experience, which was obtained in fairly characteristic and common conditions.
Indoor efficiency
According to buyers of such devices, their goal was to acquire truly health-friendly and compact products that could protect people in the apartment from mosquito bites all year round. Yes, the Thermacell device will be necessary for you all the year round.
The fact is that in the basements of residential buildings, these insects breed well even in winter. They feel especially good when sewer flows into the basement. Proteins that are contained in such a liquid, they have enough for reproduction. Of course, the females of such “troglodytes” willingly scatter through ventilation pipes, from where they end up in apartments.
Customer experience
Therefore, an electronic mosquito repeller in urban environments will always be in demand. Tests of models in practical conditions showed that the efficiency of electronic fumigators is quite good. Users say that the frequency of bites decreased by an order of magnitude, and the number of blood-sucking insects that used to be in the apartment all the time decreased significantly.
This is especially noted by the parents of young children, to whom winged bloodsuckers are especially annoying, sometimes bringing the matter to serious dermatitis and other skin lesions.
We did not accidentally say about the frequency of bites. Unfortunately, the electronic mosquito repeller does not give a full guarantee of getting rid of them in any case. This is its main negative difference from chemical repellents, which indoors prevent bites in almost 100% of cases.
The main mistakes of buyers
It should be noted that in some cases the low efficiency is due not so much to the poor quality (or complete inefficiency) of the devices as to errors in their installation. So, focusing on the experience of their communication with ordinary chemical repellents, people put Thermacell fumigator in one room, and they go to bed in another.
Is it worth mentioning that the performance of the device is greatly reduced? In this case, people begin to say that the purchase did not live up to their expectations. It should be remembered that the principle of operation of such a fumigator is based on the propagation of sound. Even one reliable door may well prove to be an insurmountable obstacle for him, so you need to put the device in the same room, which should be protected as much as possible from the penetration of bloodsuckers.
Other conditions
If you have interior doors made of solid wood, they are likely to completely block the signal completely. A pair of concrete walls with a 100% probability will make the use of the device completely useless.
Another mistake is that the room has a lot of working household appliances. This is especially true for wireless routers and other equipment that uses wireless communication channels. The fact is that in this case a large number of interference occurs, which, due to their superposition on the device signals, sharply reduces the efficiency of the latter.
How to solve this problem?
So that the Thermacell device (reviews of which we are considering) in such conditions becomes completely useless? If you take some measures, then the situation can be somewhat improved. First, try turning off at least some devices that use wireless channels overnight.
Secondly, you can try to use routers operating at a frequency of 5 GHz. They give a lot less interference. User reviews indicate that in this case the number of bites actually drops sharply.
Testimonials indicate that, provided that within the “visibility” of 10-15 points of wireless Internet, the efficiency of the device drops to almost zero. In a word, here is the most suitable “recipe” for using Thermacell: a mosquito repeller is most effective in country houses provided it is installed in the bedroom.
Users confirm that the number of bites in this case is reduced to almost zero. Of course, provided that the device is installed in the bedroom, as well as in the absence of massive partitions and friends.
How are things on the street?
And here Thermacell Mosquito Repellent showed itself not from the best side. To begin with, the fishermen and hunters who took this equipment into the forest were not very pleased with its characteristics. They believe that in the open air the effectiveness of the electronic mosquito repeller is approaching zero.
So, experienced fishermen report that it is unrealistic to be on the bank of a Siberian river with the device turned on and without a special suit. Most likely, this is due to the banal properties of sound. It simply dissipates in the surrounding space, and most mosquitoes do not even notice its stopping effect.
In tents, especially made of dense materials, everything is much better. Even if they do not have tight valves, there are practically no insects inside. This fully confirms the theory of reflection of ultrasound.
conclusions
Thus, the Thermacell device, whose price is approximately 1200 rubles, is a good help when protecting against bloodsucking insects at home, but it is not worth recommending it for open air. If you intend to go to the forest or river, it is better to use standard chemical repellents and protective clothing. Of course, their application is fraught with some difficulties, but the result will be guaranteed.
These are the reviews. Thermacell is a well-established equipment, but it should be used wisely and in a suitable situation. Otherwise, you just waste your time, and also find yourself completely bitten by mosquitoes. Not the best alternative!