Burgess Mosquito Fogger:

How it works:

A mosquito fogger works by dispensing a pesticide out in a fog. This product is very effective and kills any flying insects where you spray. It is a “kill” product that will kill anything it comes in contact with. They are very effective at what they do: spraying before backyard events.

Do we recommend it:

Mosquito Foggers can be very affordable in price and are great in their single use effectiveness. The only downside to them is that they only last for about 6 hours (and that is under perfect conditions, and if you applied it correctly). We do not recommend the use of this product as ways to repel mosquitoes around your home for daily use. If you would like to use this product for a one-time event in your backyard, it may work. If you are looking for a long-time residual, you will not get it. We do not recommend this to any of our clients.

Mosquito Bits:

How it works:

Mosquito Bits kill larvae in swampy areas. They control the population of mosquitoes in the development stages. The product is a corncob granule coated in Bti. Bti is a chemical created to kill mosquitoes in the larvae stage. Mosquito Bits work as a short term control factor for larvicide products (controlling mosquitoes before they hit adult life). You should not expect over 2 weeks’ effectiveness out of Mosquito Bits.

Do we recommend it:

Bti is something we use in our methods of controlling mosquitoes. Our first options are with misting systems or yard treatments but if we have a special situation that requires more attention we will use Mosquito Dunks (covered below but the same product as Bits) to control areas that have constant standing water. We do not recommend Mosquito Bits (or even Dunks) alone as ways to repel mosquitoes but when partnered with another treatment they can be very effective.

Mosquito Dunks:

How it works:

Dunks are the long term control factor Bti (longer than Mosquito Bits), used in areas that have standing water (water troughs, ponds, birdbaths, rain barrels, etc…). It has the same mode of action as Mosquito Bits with the added benefits of biodegrading over time to release the product. Bti, as stated above, works to kill the mosquito in the larvae stage before it becomes an adult.

Do we recommend it:

As stated above, Mosquito Dunks is a product we carry in our truck at all times and use it for people who have a problem with mosquitoes even after have a yard treatment conducted. Sometimes there is standing water and we treat it with dunks to control the mosquito population. We recommend this product when used along with at least one of our other programs.

DEET Spray:

How does it work:

DEET serves two purposes in its protection. The first is that it provides a “cover-up” that prevents mosquitoes and other bugs from detecting the sweat on your skin (among other factors). The second is that it repels insects. They find the smell of DEET to be disgusting and dislike it. The primary ingredient, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide keeps bugs away from you.

Do we recommend it:

This is a great product we use when visiting a home infested with mosquitoes. This provides us with protection until we get our products dispensed and protect them with a longer term product. DEET lasts 24 hours.

*Disclaimer* DEET does not work on the Asian Tiger Mosquito, the daytime flier that is the primary pest here in Texas. Asian Tiger mosquitoes will bite through clothes treated with DEET. They are that aggressive!

Citronella Candles/Mosquito Coils:

How does it work:

These candles (and coils) work by producing a fragrance (or smoke) that confuses insects and mosquitoes. Mosquito coils produce an insecticide called Allethrin. It is effective at working but only for a tiny range. If you are experiencing a strong breeze you will see no effectiveness from the product.

Do we recommend it:

This is another product we do not recommend as ways to repel mosquitoes if you like to see results. If the day is not windy then you might see effectiveness from the product. Instead of wasting your money on this product though you could treat the yard with a treatment and see even better results regardless of what the weather is like.

What does Tactical Mosquito Control Recommend for Ways to Repel Mosquitoes?

We only support products that work. The first thing we support is a Mosquito Misting System provided by Mistaway (a Houston-based company). The second thing we support is yard treatments. These treatments provide you with mosquito control for a full month.

If you use one of the above products (especially the first three) please know you must first attract the mosquito before you kill it. We frown upon this at Tactical Mosquito Control. With our misting systems and yard treatments we focus on either keeping the mosquitoes away from you or killing them if they come close! We cannot stress enough you want to prevent attracting mosquitoes!

Try out the above ways to repel mosquitoes and let us know your success!

*Did you know that Mosquitoes are the worlds #1 Killer?