A little trick to keep bugs away this summer

Kev83 · #1

I, like I'm sure many here, have an outdoor all year round job. It's the dreaded time of year where the Mosquitos, gnats and various other bugs attack and annoy non stop. The other day on a job site I was getting killed by Mosquitos and no see-ums relentlessly and a buddy of mine said what? You don't know the trick? I asked him what he meant and he went to his truck and pulled out a box of dryer sheets and gave me one and he said here fold this up and tuck it up under your collar. Well I did and almost instantly the bugs stopped hovering around my head and neck area. I don't know why this worked really since I've always thought bugs were attracted to sweet and perfumey smells. So to try and replicate it I tried it again today and damned if it didnt work. So hey if you have the same issue, give it a try its worth a shot. I hope it does the trick for ya!

BAL · #2

Interesting, thanks for the tip, I'll remember this one and try it out.

Studey · #3

Kev,

Thanks for this tip! I read this today, and tried it this evening when my wife and I were picking raspberries. We have a roughly 80 yard X 2 yard patch of raspberries along/inside of one of the woods that borders our property, and when we were out there earlier today, we were just being eaten alive. We took a dryer sheet, tore it in half to split it between us, and tucked it into shirt collars. It worked very, very well! We both suffered a couple of bites in the hour that we were outside picking, but it was amazing how well it worked. I would estimate it was 85% as effective as OFF. It didn't work quite as well, but it was very close. Thanks again for the tip!!!

tonydahose · #4

i have read about the dryer sheet before. I tried making one of these traps in the video below but it only caught 5 bugs or so. Has anyone ever tried to make one of these and catch alot of mosquitos? Not my video, it just popped up first after googling

[video=youtube;QKk1EhUL8YM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKk1EhUL8YM[/video]

chuckd · #5

And now I must drive to the store for dryer sheets. I work in the redwood forests of mendocino county, CA and my god those **** mosquitos. Had a couple days of rain this week so they have been especially strong. thanks for the tip

djinnzfree · #6

I got a better trick... i got a big frog tattooed on one of my leg! All mosquitos are affraid! :D
Seriouly went out for a week-end camping... mate and suns wearing OFF with deet™ they were attacked!
Got nothing on skin and was cloths with t-shirt and shorts... nothing! They were all affraid (mosquitos)...

Kev83 · #7

Tony, I think a friend of mine tried that after seeing it on Pinterest or something like that.. I've also heard if you have flies around a picnic table to fill a ziplock bag with water and lay it on the table and the prismatic effect it puts off messes with their eyes and they go away. Djinnzfree, that's definitely a creative solution.. Lol

tonydahose · #8

Another one i saw just showed a tray or bowl with a lil water and a light shining down on it. The light draws the mosquitos and when you add a few drops of dish soap to the water it loosens the tension on the water where they bugs can land safely on it. The bugs try to land and then drown. I know an old trick that we use on at the firehouse is to put a lil bit of dish soap into the hand pump (5 gallon can of water to keep a one room fire in check while they guys lead out hose to the fire). It breaks the water tension and allows the water to penetrate more IIRC. I have read that alot of companies in towns too cheap to pay for foam (read mine here, we have Lake Michigan, why pay for foam) will use dawn in the booster tanks (500 gallons on our engines) to make an improvised foam. It will put out fire much more quickly than just water and with less gallons. Ok sorry for the lecture :o .

Kev83 · #9

Haha no prob tony.. I'm also a firefighter (volunteer) so I know how thin departmental budgets can be stretched. Not to wander too far off topic but do you guys use AFFF foam?

tonydahose · #10

we have it on the rig but I think you have to fill out a form/to (paperwork) if you use it to get it replaced. We have the foam hose and eductor but it is just easier and quicker to use the 2 and 1/2" on a regular fire. Obviously on a liquid petroleum fire we would use the foam. Some of our engines have a seperate tank to carry the foam and you can just mix it at the pump. I was googling the dish soap and on a firefirghters board someone mentioned that you don't really want to put dawn in the booster tanks because it might degrease the bearings of the pump. One guy said on car fires (out in the country without a + source of water) that they will just have a guy pouring a lil dawn onto the stream as it comes out of the pipe. I might try that next time we get one of those car fires where the gas tank is leaking and the fire doesn't want to go out.

Kev83 · #11

Hook some of that up with a Venturi nozzle and you're good to go brother

tonydahose · #12

that would be the foam eductor.

ok since we have really gone off topic here but its your thread so I don't feel bad since your are part of it :p . Similiar to the venrui effect I was looking into a water fed sump pump for my house. We have basements here in Chicago. I have overhead sewers, a sump pump and pit and a backup sump pump when the power goes out. I need a new battery for that back up pump but then I read about a water fed pump. I am guessing it uses the same venturi effect or an improvised siphon. It doesnt matter if the power goes out because as long as you have water pressure (which isn't a problem here, the next block over has a 5' main under the street) it will work. For every gallon that pumps into the pump 3 gallons come out. Ever heard of the this or know anyone who has one Kev?

Kev83 · #13

I haven't heard of that type of system actually but would be very interested to see it in action. Here in Baltimore, we are sadly slaves to the power grid, so unless you've sprung for diesel, propane or natural gas backup, no electric equals no sump pump action. I guess the only problem would be the nature of water always trying to level itself, based on the degree of angles in the plumbing, well that and a supply feed failure which you said isn't likely. Consider me intrigued though!

tonydahose · #14

Kev83 wrote: Consider me intrigued though!

this one is expensive but shows you how it works
[video=youtube;H8jAWAZ6TyY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8jAWAZ6TyY[/video]

some for sale
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GE81W4

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/water_pow ... _pump.html this one looks exactly like the one he is selling in the video...so he only charges you $832 to install it :rolleyes: plus i'm sure he is getting a deal on the pumps to begin with.

defenestrate · #15

Many of the single-setting carburetors found on small import engines used Venturi forces to work. Plenty of smaller-than-automotive do or have as well.

Lord vader · #16

What brand of drier sheets did you use?

Kev83 wrote:I, like I'm sure many here, have an outdoor all year round job. It's the dreaded time of year where the Mosquitos, gnats and various other bugs attack and annoy non stop. The other day on a job site I was getting killed by Mosquitos and no see-ums relentlessly and a buddy of mine said what? You don't know the trick? I asked him what he meant and he went to his truck and pulled out a box of dryer sheets and gave me one and he said here fold this up and tuck it up under your collar. Well I did and almost instantly the bugs stopped hovering around my head and neck area. I don't know why this worked really since I've always thought bugs were attracted to sweet and perfumey smells. So to try and replicate it I tried it again today and damned if it didnt work. So hey if you have the same issue, give it a try its worth a shot. I hope it does the trick for ya!

Kev83 · #17

Lord vader, they were just bounce brand and I think the fragrance was clean linen or something like that.. I don't know if the fragrance matters but I would stay away from any floral scents

Lord vader · #18

Thank you,I will have to give this a whirl. It will come in handy because I`m a professional landscaper,and I spend a whole lot of time outdoors. I will give a try, and report back and let you know how well it works. :)

Kev83 wrote:Lord vader, they were just bounce brand and I think the fragrance was clean linen or something like that.. I don't know if the fragrance matters but I would stay away from any floral scents

Doc Dan · #19

This is a great idea. I am going to try it. Thanks.

Another thing that keeps bugs away are clove spikes. Just put a handful in your closet and no need for moth balls (and they smell good too). Also, an apple on a pick-nick table that has a lot of clove spikes stuck in it will keep flies away.

zidfeldts · #20

I am really lucky when it comes to mosquitoes; I can stand out in the swamp and very seldom git bit. I have never had a "mosquito bite" that left a mark and I have never used mosquito repellant. Horseflys are a diffent story and they are more annoying than mosquitoes.