How I fought with mosquitoes. Personal experience and tests for yourself

Let this summer come later than expected, but with it it has already brought a host of mosquitoes. And this is such a misfortune that can spoil any long-awaited holiday in nature. And since I was not used to believing advertising, I did not greed and bought various mosquito repellents. I decided to try it on myself, using my favorite systems approach: I am developing a test methodology, conducting tests, summarizing the results. So, we buy and go closer to the water, where mosquitoes are the most.

Video for those who are too lazy to read:

All means of fighting mosquitoes can be divided into two types: funds that are applied to the body and tools that scare the smell from the side. For example, there are spirals that smoke, and there are sprays that are applied to clothing and exposed areas of the body.

What repels mosquitoes?

After collecting all the bottles and boxes, I began to study the composition. The main element of all sprays that repels mosquitoes is DEET or Diethyltoluamide . This chemical was developed by the US Army in 1946 to protect personnel in regions with large numbers of insects. Apparently even then they began to gather in tropical countries with a large number of insects. Since 1957, repellents with DETA became available to the civilian population. In addition, this chemistry effectively acts against all blood-sucking insects, including midge, gadfly, ticks and others.

The second element that repels mosquitoes is Alletrin . I will not go deep into chemistry, I will only tell you that this drug causes hyperactivity in mosquitoes, impaired motor coordination, convulsions, prostration, paralysis, and eventually the death of an insect. In general, it works well.

What is the difference of action?

The deta has to be applied to the skin, and this poison can enter the body through the skin, as well as accidentally: they licked the lips on which the spray fell, rubbed their eyes with their hands, on which the poison, etc. Therefore, even on the packaging they write that these products should not be used for pregnant women and small children. In addition, many tools can not be used more than 2-3 times a day, and the duration of the action can be calculated in several hours. This means that the rest of the time you are left without protection from mosquitoes or poison yourself voluntarily, in violation of instructions.

The spirals and the plates act differently: in the process of smoldering of the spiral or evaporation of the alletrin from the plate, its concentration in the air increases and the mosquitoes simply get disoriented and die. The concentration in the air is so small that it does not harm pregnant women or children. Actually, household fumigators, which are inserted into sockets, act on the same principle. By the way, it is necessary to leave the room aired when using the fumigator!

We start the test

I decided to test myself. Every day I went to work and sprayed / smeared with another remedy. Noticed while working until they started to bite mosquitoes. I must say that with active work, when you start to sweat, the time of action of the means is seriously reduced. But since I’m far from retirement, then just sit, looking at the sunset, will not happen soon - after all, there are many interesting things and for this we need to move forward. A table with the time of each drug and the percentage of the chemical DETA below.

Separately, I note: I do not pretend to the truth, and I obtained these results exclusively for myself, testing in my own conditions, on my skin and with incorruptible mosquitoes. All data can be used by anyone and as you wish. I don’t have any claims to the producers, because all the same, all the funds went into action.

Title	Det	Claimed protection time	Real time protection
Deta Aqua	51%	8.4 hours	3 hours 40 minutes
Off! Family	15%	up to 3 hours	57 minutes
Picnic family	4.50%	up to 3 hours	2 hours 10 minutes
Mosquitall	20%	up to 4 hours	2 hours 20 minutes
Gardex family	15%	up to 4 hours	2 hours
Reftamide	not specified	up to 4 hours	50 minutes
Ultrathon	34%	more than 4 hours	5 o'clock
Raptor	missing	till 7 o'clock	4 hours 38 minutes
Thermacell	missing	12 hours	12 hours

Separately calculated the cost of using each tool

Means	Type of funds volume	Cost, rub.	Duration of action	Action area	Cost of 1 hour for 1 person, rub.
Gardex Extreme	spray, 100 ml	235	4 hours	1 person	11.75
Raptor, spirals	spiral, 10 pieces	99	7 o'clock	3 m2	9.9
Off family aero	spray, 100 ml	148	3 hours	1 person	9.86
Mosquitall	spray for adults aerosol, 100 ml	190	4 hours	1 person	9.5
Deta Aqua	aerosol, 125 ml	181	4 hours	1 person	9.05
Reftamide Maximum	aerosol, 145 ml	190	3 hours	1 person	9.04
UltraThon, Lotion	lotion, 56 ml	525	5 o'clock	1 person	8.75
Picnic family	spray, 150 ml	182	3 hours	1 person	8.65
Thermacell	fumigator 10/30	4125	120 hours	20 m2	8.6

What to choose: ointment or spray?

It became interesting that it is better to choose: ointment or spray. Something suggested that the ointment applied to the skin would protect much longer, since the ointment contains elements that will maintain the concentration of det longer. On the other hand, you will not apply ointment to clothes, which means that most of the body will remain without protection from mosquitoes. In general, everyone chooses himself. But I will pay attention to one more experience. It turned out that not even all sprays are “equally useful,” that is, not all sprays are so harmless. Specially took a white T-shirt and put all the ointments and sprays on it, so that it was clear what traces remain. Distinguished one spray - Reftamid. The spray trace did not disappear even after a day. So be careful with applying sprays on things dear to your heart!

What is the alternative?

Until recently, only spirals appeared as an alternative to all sprinklers and ointments. The principle of action is simple to ugliness: set on fire, put out the flames and set it close to him. The spiral smolders, Alletrin stands out with smoke and discourages mosquitoes from living at someone else’s expense. There are two minuses: the first - if the wind blows in the other direction, then all the protective smoke will go to the side. That is, you have to throw the entire camp in a circle with steaming spirals. The second minus is the possibility of fire and a limited time of action. As a rule, no one after scattering spirals around the camp, does not walk and does not check whether they smoke or not. And after 3-4 hours the mosquitoes begin to attack again.

Most recently, I saw a fumigator for tourists - Thermacell. The principle of operation is similar to household household fumigators. The plate, impregnated with Alletrin, is put on a heated platform and creates a protective cloud in the radius of 3-4 meters by evaporation.

But since there is no electricity in nature, the plate must be heated somehow differently. So the manufacturer has preoccupied himself with such a device in which the plate heats up when gas from a can burns. The cartridge lasts for 12 hours of burning, but the concentration of the aroma from the plate begins to fall after 4 hours and the pill needs to be changed. The remaining gas can be controlled through the process port.

Well, such a fumigator is produced in two versions: a wearable "keychain" and a camping lamp. The lamp is LED and works from 4 AA batteries. It has two light modes: weak and full. This is good to put on the table, turn on and periodically change the tablets.

In general, the "keychain" is good for individual use - for fishing, for example. But you can also hang a lamp in a tent (pay off the fumigator, because you can poison yourself with burning products) or scare mosquitoes from the common tent on the table.

There was somehow an idea to save on the purchase of original consumables tablets. He took the pills for home fumigator - they are almost half the size of those installed in Termasel, and put it on a heated plate. Acts, but much less efficient. Apparently, the secret lies in different concentrations of Alletrin in these plates.

findings

Most of the various sprays available on store shelves are understandable: I sprinkled on a person and let him walk. I somehow had a chance to walk through the forests around Lake Plescheevo, in Pereslavl-Zalessky. The city is famous for its mosquitoes, and then I realized what time protection is. After a couple of hours, even the most resistant repellent lost ground: the mosquitoes flew closer and closer, the most desperate even sat down, but then they flew away. In general, protection against mosquitoes is needed!

As for the experience and results of the experiment. In ideal conditions, in calm weather and sitting on the priest exactly, perhaps, the time specified by the manufacturer will be close to the real, but in life everything is a little different. Some repellents could not stand even a quarter of the time from the stated. The advantages are obvious: he sprinkled and for some time forgot about bloodsuckers, regardless of the wind. Cons: poison is applied to the open skin, pregnant and children is contraindicated. Yes, and you can update the poison on the skin just a few times a day. In addition, from him then you need to wash.

But with regard to the spiral and fumigator, then everything is more interesting: no poison, you can use everything, mosquitoes really fly away. But there are also disadvantages: the coil smolders and can start a fire, and it burns a little more than 4 hours without wind. If the wind blows, it will burn faster. In addition, the wind blows away a smoke screen, and mosquitoes fly from the other side. In this regard, the fumigator wins: you can hang it on a belt or forearm and carry it with you when going out for mushrooms or at night fishing. But we must not forget to periodically change the pill.

For myself, I made the following conclusion: if there is an opportunity to swim before you get into a sleeping bag or to protect yourself from mosquitoes for a short time, you can use a spray. If you do not want to get dirty, you need protection around the clock and there are small children or pregnant women in the company - it is better to take a fumigator. Spirals lose due to the fact that they have to follow. Well, if you have questions, ready to answer.

UPD. Thank you Meklon

1st generation pyrethroids

1st generation pyrethroids - chrysanthemic esters. They are produced by the interaction of the chrysanthemic acid chloride with the alcohol component in the presence of tertiary amines or by transesterification of chrysanthemic acid ethyl ester in the presence of sodium. The most toxic compounds for insects are found among the esters of cyclopentenolones, substituted benzyl alcohols and N-hydroxymethylimides.

On the basis of the 1st generation pyrethroids, the following drugs are produced: allethrin (2-allyl-3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-4-ol-1-onylchrisanmate); Fouretrin (2-furfuryl-3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-4-ol-1-onylchrisantemate); cycletrin (2-cyclopentenyl-3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-4-ol-1-onylchrisantemate); Bartrin (6-chloro-piperonylchrysanthemate); dimethrin (2,4-dimethylbenzylchrisantemate); neopinamine [N- (3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalimido) methylchrisantemate].

These compounds have a high insecticidal activity, but, like natural pyrethrins, are easily oxidized in the light and therefore are used mainly in enclosed spaces. They are also included in the composition of mosquito glowing spirals, plates of the type "Moskitol" and "Fumitoks", as well as aerosol cans designed to combat household insects.

2nd generation pyrethroids

Pyrethroids of the 2nd generation appeared in the 1960-70s. These compounds are more stable to photo-oxidation. These include 3- (2,2-dihalogenovinyl) -2,2-dimethyl-cyclopropane-carboxylic acid esters — permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin (decamethrin, “decis”), and also fenvalerate — a pyrethroid that does not contain a cyclopropane ring. These compounds have a wide spectrum of action, are effective at very low consumption rates - usually from 16 to 300 g / ha, and for deltamethrin 5-20 g / ha. All pyrethroids of the 2nd generation significantly exceed the pyrethrins in insecticidal properties: thus, optically active deltamethrin is more than 900 times more active than natural pyrethrin I. They are widely used for processing cotton, potatoes, and many other crops and gardens. In addition, they are used against household insects, for processing fabrics and packaging materials. Their disadvantages include high toxicity to bees and fish, the lack of systemic action and unsuitability to combat soil insects.

3rd generation pyrethroids

The third generation pyrethroids include cygalothrin, flucitrinate, fluvalinate, tralometrin, cyfluthrin, fenpropathrin, bifetrin, cycloprotrin, and also etofenprox, which, unlike other pyrethroids, does not contain an ester group. The greatest distribution of pyrethroids of the 3rd generation found cyhalothrin, which is 2.5 times more active than deltamethrin. Some of these pyrethroids are highly active against ticks (acaricides), less toxic to bees, birds and fish.

Effect on warm-blooded

Pyrethroids are considered less toxic than insecticides from other groups. This is because they are either immediately eliminated or metabolized (due to the lability of the ester bond), after which they are removed from the body, and esterases that hydrolyze pyrethroids are much more active in the liver of insects than in insects [1].