Battling the Skeeters

[PrairieGhost]

I wonder what I am doing wrong with the termocell? I have not used it in a ground blind because I don't want to breath the concentration that builds up in the blind. My only experience is in a tree stand and on a houseboat anchored on shore. After an hour fishing the mosquitoes were just as bad as before I turned on the thermocell. Old insecticide pad maybe?

You guys have convinced me to go dig it up and give it another try.

 

[Fishmission]

I go all out and use two thermocels when skeeters are super bad. One attached to my backpack and one attached to my shirt. Adjust them accordingly for wind to make sure the fumes are always blowing over your body.

 

[Vollmers]

I sat in my treestand for the first time on Monday night & had about a zillion skeeters on around me by the time I was set up. Pulled the thermacell out of my pack & fired it up & within 5 minutes they were gone as well as the rest of the evening being bug free.

 

[Kickemup]

I think the biggest thing with a thermocell is people don't wait for them to warm up before expecting the skeeters to be gone. I usually fire mine up about 10 min before I even get to the spot I'm going to park my pickup. Keep the pad fresh helps also mine get one night normally but that is about 5 hours of use.

 

[Walleye_Chaser]

Sounds like I'm picking up a Thermocell or two. On a side note, I'm pretty new to blind hunting....do deer get spooked by a guy drenching himself with 40% deet??

 

[DirtyMike]

I try not to wear anything on my body that stinks. No shampoo, deodorant, cologne, etc. If the skeeters are biting, it means I cover every inch of skin. Facemasks work great this time of year if it isn't too hot out.

 

[deleted_account]

Sounds like I'm picking up a Thermocell or two. On a side note, I'm pretty new to blind hunting....do deer get spooked by a guy drenching himself with 40% deet??

play the wind... as always

 

[johnr]

I can honestly saw SW ND has very few skeeters, pretty rare to have to worry to much, sometimes they are pesky. But holy crap for flies, GD flies everywhere, I open the back door just to walk through, and 20 flies enter the house.

 

[CatDaddy]

i have been using mine dove hunting in the grass, and if i can sit in this damn swamp that ive been dove hunting out of in the evening and not be carried away or drained of blood that can attest to how well the thermocell works, ive run one since they first come out and if you havent used one yet you are living under a rock its $30-40 bucks to not be eating by mosquitoes! TAKE MY MONEY! it works buy it quit being a tight ass!

I don't know if I'll stop being a tight ass......not sure I'm ready for a loose ass. But, the masses have spoken and Thermocell is now on the "to buy" list. Thanks for the testimonials - Vollmer, you can likely make NDA some cash by selling this thread to Thermo!

 

[BX2]

yep the thermacell seems to be working pretty good. ive been hunting on the ground without a blind and they are terrible this year. I light it as I leave the truck so it warms up on the way there. they are bad for about the first 5 minutes and after that hardly any. the bug tamer jacket helps too. if you look in the end of the thermacell you can see a orange glow when its lit. mine doesn't always light the first try and I use a new pad every night. well worth the money

 

[Yoby]

I have been out for a sit yet, but will tonight. Woke up this morning and there was a nice layer of frost across the grass, so I don't anticipate too much for bugs.

 

[LBrandt]

Some of those damed things have fur coats and half inch beaks this fall, and love to hide in my garden.

 

[Bri-guy]

Another thermacell believer here. Had a horrible time getting to my ground blind last weekend when it was dead calm. 5 minutes after turning on the thermacell I didn't have a single skeeter bug me the entire time I was in there. If you're not in a blind, you need to make sure the unit is upwind of you. If the wind is in your face and you place it behind you -- it will not work. The fumes need to pass over you.

The deer don't seem to mind the smell. I have shot 3 deer in a blind with it running. 2 of them were under 10 yards away.

 

[bigbrad123]

I'm another thermacell believer. Definitely useful in a ground blind where the scent is more concentrated. Not as much success in the wide open with a bit of wind, but probably useful if no wind. But in a ground blind, I've always had really good luck using the earth scented pads.

 

[man in the box]

Thermacell definitely works. I did an experiment about three years ago when I first bought one and wanted to see how effective they were. There were a bunch of mosquitoes and other insects in my garage one night, so I set up a lamp and put the thermacell underneath it to see which one would win out. After the thermacell warmed up, the light was still too much for the mosquitoes to avoid and they stayed near the thermacell. What I noticed was that after about 5 minutes the mosquitoes started acting like they were drunk, unable to fly, stumbling around, etc. After 5 more minutes they dropped over dead. Not sure its a great idea to be breathing in the fumes, but then again I smoke so what do I know.

 

[NDwalleyes]

Spray bottle filled with Tempo, face net and I take the Thermocell with just in case.

 

[MarbleEyez]

Wouldn't catch me out in the woods early season without my thermacell. About got eaten alive bear hunting in Canada a few weeks ago, grabbed my thermacell out and 10min later I was bug free. Only thing I do not like is the chemical on the pad makes me light headed every once in awhile. But I place the thermacell directly beneath me in the stand when it starts off.... I hate bugs.

 

[duckman1302]

Thermacell works great. The 1 time it was not working for me was taken care of by switching out the pads.