It has worked well for seven years (and counting) in the NH woods...
Written: Jun 05 '09 (Updated Jul 25 '09)
Product Rating:
Pros: Catches lots of mosquitos, black flies and no-see-ums. Reclaims your yard in 1-2 seasons.
Cons: $500 to buy + $60-$100 per year to operate / maintain. Reliability can be variable.
The Bottom Line: $500 initial investment $60-$100 annual cost x 6 years trouble-free operation = well worth it to reclaim our yard from biting insects.
nhhwsalums's Full Review: Mosquito Magnet Liberty by American Biophysics
We bought one of the original Mosquito Magnet Liberty models for $500 in May of 2002 after hearing rave reviews from co-workers who were pulling "bricks" of mosquitos out of the net bags in their MMs. We had a wetland behind our house, and we would get devoured simply walking five feet to flip a steak on the grill, with several mosquitos following us inside. We also had a seasonal stream on our property that fed the wetland, which guaranteed a healthy black fly population (those of you in the North Country know the bastards - for those that don't understand, they're gnats from hell that swarm around and bite any breathing mammal, leaving trails of blood from the bite site, which itches and then becomes painful) and miserable outdoor experience from Mothers' Day to Fathers' Day every year. After setting up the Liberty near the edge of the wetland, we noticed that it attracted black flies and mosquitos equally well - there was always a swarm of them around the Magnet. After about 25 days, the propane ran out and I had to empty the net bag, which I found full - roughly half black flies and half mosquitos, which hatch later and become a problem in June in our region. Every month, I would have a full net bag to empty. By the end of the first summer, I had filled a 1-gallon ziploc bag with all the desiccated corpses of the mosquitos, black flies and no-see-ums we had removed from the breeding pool. There must have been 10-20,000 biting insects in the bag, which would never get to breed and make more biting insects. The next summer, we noticed a dramatic decrease in the mosquito population. The black flies were still awful, but they travel farther than mosquitos and are harder to eradicate, and fortunately they cease being a problem by late June. We continued to pull sizeable quantities of bugs out of the net bags, but catches got smaller as the mosquito population became more manageable. By 2004, we were actually able to sit on the deck in the evening without being lathered in DEET or chased inside within 30 seconds. Then my wife found a lovely house on a hill with mountain views, so we moved...
While cleaning out the Mosquito Magnet, I found that the mosquitos were somehow getting around or out of the net bag, and getting sucked through to the exit vent, which was screened with fine mesh. Using a fine paintbrush, I cleaned out the innards of the Liberty, which yielded a pint-size container of assorted bad guys (mostly mosquitos), and replaced the vent screen. The summer of 2005, we set up the Magnet in our new yard, where the strong winds keep the insect population down about 60% of the time, but when the winds die the bugs come out of the woods. Again, it worked well with black flies and mosquitos, and we were pulling large quantities of the critters out of the air. Our property (at least, around the house, where we ran the Magnet) is enjoyable, whereas my neighbor has to fight the swarm when going between his house and his screened-in gazebo. Just 50 yards away, the mosquito population is significant.
We have maintained the machine well, cleaning it out after every season and storing it in the garage (old house) or shed (new house). We've had a few problems with trouble lights and the machine would shut down, but customer service walked us through the fuel line clearing process (a bit more difficult because our machine was made before the quick-clear valve was added). We replaced the net bags, which get thoroughly caked with mosquito parts, every year and changed the octenol cartridges every 30-60 days. I would estimate the cost of octenol and nets at about $25 per season in our region (bear in mind that the "season" in NH is May to September, as the first killing frosts hit by October), and a tank of propane lasts about a month. Propane prices fluctuate by month and depending on where you get it filled, but prices have ranged from $7 to $15 per gallon in our area. Seasonal operating costs (not including electricity, which is nominal) range from $60-$100, depending on the cost of propane.
We had trouble keeping it running last summer, so we just brought the power head to a local engine shop to have it re-built (new burner and operating parts, add quick-clear valve, etc.) for $185. The re-build comes with a four-month warranty, so we'll see how it works. After six years of relatively trouble-free operation, which has made our outdoor quality-of-life better, we're pleased with the product and would buy the same model again. We have friends who had two Pro models, and experienced a lot of trouble with them, but we have not had those experiences with the Liberty. My folks also had a Pro that failed, so MM replaced it with a newer model (Executive) that worked well for them in Connecticut, and still works well in South Carolina. They switched to lurex, as the octenol did not attract the mosquitos they have in SC, and catch quite a few no-see-ums and mosquitos. They've also been pleased, on balance, with the Mosquito Magnet.
Update: July 25, 2009. We got our re-built Mosquito Magnet up and running about a month ago, before leaving for South Carolina. Right away, it appeared to get a lot of mosquito attention. We just had to change the propane tank, so I emptied the net bag and found it was jammed with mosquitos and black flies, once again. I filled a sandwich-size ziploc bag with dead skeeters. Works great again!
Mosquito trap for yards; works for no-see-ums, other biting insects too Silent and odorless; 1-acre coverage; 24-hour protection; attracts biting inse...More at Amazon
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