Not greasy is good. I use Bushmans sparingly because it feels like a second skin. Horrid, but effective.
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Are you also testing for protection against midges and ticks?
In the tropical north on the coast toward dusk the miniature flying midges that can penetrate through normal insect screens are like dark clouds. Their bites are painful and can be very itchy, or worse.
Our biggest risks are scrub and paralysis ticks. I spray ankles neck and wrist and clothing at the waist to discourage them. Off or Bushmans. Unfortunately with ticks often the first sign of their presence is long after the first bite. Tick Typhus is a concern. No limes disease officially but some of us seem to react with severe lumps and infections at the bite site.
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No, sorry, the test focuses only on mosquitoes. These tests are performed by an external lab using insects bred for the test (Aedes aegypti is the species) with live human subjects - the usual test methodology for insect repellents. It’s fairly expensive and I suspect adding further insect species would make it prohibitive. (They can test with ticks and sand flies but not sure if midges are an option.)
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Thanks Chris for the insight.
The assumption is that similar insects all react in similar ways to the tested repellants. Despite using repellant generously the effectiveness seems to vary with how much you sweat/wipe (logical). There are those oversized mossies that seem to be able to penetrate through any thin clinging clothing.
For tropical PNG and parts of Northern Australia, head to toe long pants and long sleeved shirts preferably pretreated with repellant washes was the go. Others reject the sweat box approach and go shorts and shirtless. Either way it will be useful to learn how little or much of the chemicals available we need to place on our skin to reduce the risks.
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This is a device that is used by those who do research into Mozzies.
Sounds very effective but I am not sure who distributes in Australia.
Australian researchers use them though.
Thanks everyone. Some great info … bloody mozzies.
What I take from the comments is that these electronic devices have been making a fortune by their false advertising. I wonder just how many people have bought them, and given up (I see one or two in this thread) uing them; I almost brought one myself. Time for the ACCC (?) to step in. Choice needs to put our a slap on the wrists.
We’ve had pretty good success with one of these:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Yard-Guard-YGMT100-Mosquito-Trap/dp/B078YHH3KP
I’m on the second one because the fan died on the first. A few places sell rebadged versions. It uses an octenol attractant like this one:
We easily catch 100 mosquitoes a night with it when there’s mozzies around. It does catch moths as well, but it has definitely reduced the mozzie population to the point where most of the time we don’t have to worry about them. We run it 24/7 over the warmer months.
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An article/ad for Mozzie Stop which claims to attract and kill mosquitos.
However I strongly suspect that it is powered by snakeoil.
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I still use mozzie coils outside, they do seem to reduce the numbers of mozzies at the door when you get home from shopping 
Otherwise its personal repellent.
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I retried Off this past week and in spite of my previous claim that it wasnt working for my mozzies… it did, to a lesser extent than Bushmans. Its good for quick in and out of the house, but if I have to be out for any length of time, I still use Bushmans.
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Make sure you get the tropical strength Off! there is one with less than 20% Picaridin in it (think 10% or thereabouts).
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Yes, thats what I have.
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We may talk about which insects are attracted to UV light or to bait substances or neither. However even if the attractant works well the use of the zapper outdoors is going to be of limited value depending on your situation. If you live near a swamp (mozzies) or a cow paddock (flies) the zapper could kill hundreds an hour which would only leave a few billion to get you.
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I’ve been looking at the effectiveness of UV light mozzie traps. I have an old one that catches lots to bugs but not mozzies. I see research that says 365nm UV-A light attracts various mozzies. Is there any experience with these newer traps?
Welcome to the community @Greyghoster,
I merged your topic and two related older ones, that may be helpful.
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Current science is that you are wasting your money on UV lamp driven devices. The targeting of a particular UV-A spectrum suggests just another marketing trick to make consumers think the product is different and works.
If you are able to share some links to the scientific studies?
Simple logic also suggests that mosquitos do not need to navigate the universe like some other insects. They have but a single mission if female. To seek out a host, warm blooded and leaving a trail of CO2. AFAIK humans are not a source of UV-anything. Offer a mosquito a choice of target, UV-A or white fleshy human. It seems odd to expect they would as a result of evolution prefer flying towards the sun rather than a tasty meal.
Personal experience of our 2ha mosquito breeding ground. Clothing, netted hats, repellant, small meat eating fish and frogs all work.
Smaller native birds are also great. Assuming you have a zero tolerance of free ranging cats in the yard!
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Even if UV did attract the beasts how would killing a few hundred make any difference?
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The World Health Organisation has made a science out of studying the options. Their recommendations are for avoidance through protective clothing and repellant, they are also interested in traps. Traps for sampling and for control.
Some of the science and it’s many considerations in trapping.
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/275801/WHO-CDS-NTD-VEM-2018.06-eng.pdf
There is no real interest in UV from the WHO who would be keen if it was that simple. Guess they know what works.
Possibly not unless the UV light was more attractive than a warm blooded mammal waiting to be gorged upon. As most insects are there to feed and reproduce, it is likely that the later will occur before being attracted to the light.
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