Catches Thousands
Written: Jun 05 '04 (Updated Jul 24 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Really Works
Cons: The replacement sticky Tac-traps are difficult to attach securely. I tape them with duct tape.
The Bottom Line: The SkeeterVac works in two ways. It kills the biting insects and it also draws them away from your area. It really works. I recommend it.
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| thehappyboy's Full Review: SkeeterVac |
We have a cottage in Northern Ontario. The mosquitoes and black flies are so bad in June that you really can't go outdoors without either a bug jacket or covering yourself with deet. I didn't expect the SkeeterVac to help much in June but I was hoping that it could make a difference in July when there are many fewer biting insects.
I purchased the SV-35 at Canadian Tire for $429.00 (Cdn). It was easy to set up - no tools required. I set it out in mid May just as the mosquitoes and black flies began to get bad. Its been running for just over 2 weeks now.
It doesn't require electricity and runs entirely on propane (a regular tank lasts just over two weeks) which the SkeeterVac converts to carbon dioxide to attract the biting insects. The insects are sucked into a screened holding area via a fan. The unit is covered with a sticky tac trap (like fly paper). Its colors help direct the insects to the fan. Those that land on the tac trap instead are stuck. The replacement tac traps ($29.95 Cdn for 2) are supposed to last for a few weeks. Mine has been so covered in mosquitoes within a week that there isn't room for anymore - so I've been replacing weekly. The unit also attracts insects through flashing neon lights (subdued) as well as using octenal. Replacement octenal cubes cost $29.95 Canadian and last for about 60 days. The dosage can be adjusted for the type of mosquito in your area.
The results have been well above my expectations. It has caught literally thousands of mosquitoes and black flies. It is supposed to take up to 6 weeks to significantly reduce the mosquito population. However, because it draws these insects away from our beach area we have noticed the effect immediately. While we have been able to go outside, our neighbors have not. In fact, one neighbor, after initially laughing at me for buying one, has now purchased one himself.
While I still don't expect it will make too much difference during the worst part of the bug season, it has already increased our "bug free season" - which makes it well worth the cost.
Update: It is now late July and the SkeeterVac has made a major difference throughout June - our worst bug month. Although there were still a large number of mosquitoes throughout June, they were significantly reduced in the area around the trap. While the wet season has meant that this has been a terrible year for mosquitoes in our area, with the SkeeterVac it has been one of our best.
Issue: On two occasions the SkeeterVac stopped working and got very hot. In talking to their support area we decided that the fan could be blocked. In checking, I found the fan was blocked with mosquitoes and couldn't turn, therefore the unit was overheating and no more mosquitoes were being caught in the trap.
Fix: Turn off the propane and let the unit cool down. Take the top of the unit (the engine) off the stand and remove the rain cover. Under the plastic coated directions you will find 4 large screws. Remove them. This will allow you to remove the top and expose the main fan. The top is still connected by a wire which may be easily removed by unplugging it from the main unit. I removed the encrusted mosquitoes from the fan and surrounding area with light sandpaper. The fan should now spin freely, so you can put the unit back together and it should work like new.
Comment: This has happened to my unit (twice) and last week to my neighbors unit. I assume that the fan would only become encrusted with mosquitoes under severe mosquito conditions. However, this maintenance should be described in their user documentation. However, as we were able to fix the units fairly easily, this is not considered a major problem. Actually, the fact that we can clean and somewhat maintain the unit ourselves, especially considering our remote location, we consider a positive factor. Therefore, I still recommend the unit.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
thehappyboy
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Reviews written: 1
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