Why don't you post that photo of -30C, +30C again, Iain? There must be a new member who'd be interested.

Am I boring you? Im so sorry Its one of my favourite "canada" photos...sadly the thing crapped out shortly after it was taken...

are these things exspensive

sorry forgot to ask, is this bite blocker stuff any good, does it keep black fly away too

$300 ish for the small one...

not bad thanks

They need accessories too - Iain will be able to detail, but think they use a tank of propane every month or so....

DONT GET THE SMALLEST ONE, the larger ones are about $450...should be in the link above somewhere, canadian tire have them

Only the intermediate and up ones have the electrical generator and fan to suck the buggers in.

In addition to a tank of propane every 3 or 4 weeks ($15), the sticky traps are $30 for a pair, and the octanol lure is $30 too, so thats about a buck a day on top of the propane costs. I spent $130 on 4 traps and 2 lures which should cover the majority of this years use. Best to buy now while they have stock.

As I said, we dont have much of a blackfly season, so cant really comment on the bite blocker efectivity against them, but it works pretty well on mozzies and you dont have to worry as much about kids sticking hands in mouths with that in them. You could always get hold of the military surplus permethrin and impregnate a set of clothes in it for outside wear...that shit kills most any insect that comes in contact with it for months...

Including humans it seems :-

Iain - if you didn't have the skeetervac, would you still be able to use your yard in the daytime? Having arrived here just after the mozzie season, I only saw a few hanging around lights etc, didn't get bitten - I'm wondering how bad it is during daylight hours. We don't live that close to wooded areas, I'd say a mile away. I do have a nasty pool of stagnant water on top of the pool cover though that I need to get rid of sharpish!

Whatever.

<walking a very fine line there souv>

Do I hear a ban ?

Those who know me might kindly describe me a "frugal", and yet I still think the $400+ and $200 a year to run the thing was worth it

Without it the bugs were a nuisance on all but the hottest days, and evenings were no fun at all, with it the yard is far more useable. Its not quite a miracle device and there are still some mozzies around...I suspect thats inevitable living with a wooded hill behind us and a (stagnant) watering hole for the neighbouring farm not too far away, but at least we have reclaimed the yard for the most part.

Pemethrin is nasty shit and not to be used lightly, we came across it when it was a recomended precaution for a trip to malaria positive parts of the carribean and panama. Deet is no laughing matter either, and most of the risk with pemethrin is in applying it, once its dried to the clothes its not as bad... Id only go that route though if the bugs were really thick.

Me? I'm much too cute and cuddly to ban.

Yeah.