Mosquito foggers are one of the most efficient ways you can utilize to kill mosquitoes. Since mosquitoes are outdoor pests that fly across long distances in search of blood, there are very few remedies available to eliminate them from around your home.
Foggers are efficient because they can disburse a mosquito insecticide to controlled areas that you will be using outside and keep those areas mosquito-free for hours at a time, so it is important to know exactly how to use a fogger to maximize the potential of your purchase and enjoy your outside area.
How do you use a handheld mosquito fogger?
Mosquito foggers are made as either handheld propane or electric models. Propane models can be used by igniting the propane tank to use heat to aggregate insecticide and electric models run off electricity via extension cords.
Types of foggers available
You can buy handheld foggers as either propane or electric and both types have positive and negative attributes when using. Both types will certainly work to kill and repel mosquitoes from your chosen outside area, but there are limitations to both types to be aware of.
As a general rule of thumb, if you would like to utilize your mosquito fogger for both your yard and during camping or fishing trips, than propane foggers are your best bet – likewise, if you wish to use your fogger continuously without the need of replacing propane tanks, then electric foggers, are a good option. Here is an overview of both types and how to use them.
"Propane Foggers use compressed gas tanks or cartridges to both heat and expel oil-based insecticides over small to medium spaces outdoors.”
Using a Propane Mosquito Fogger
This is a basic summary of exactly how propane foggers work, but it is also important to remember that propane foggers also have a very potent residual effect over the area that you administer the fog, which can keep the surrounding area virtually mosquito and gnat-free for upwards of six hours at one time depending on the particular brand.
Using a propane fogger is generally easy, with only a few steps to remember.
Fill with insecticide
To start, remove the reservoir and fill with a mosquito insecticide of your choice. When full, securely tighten the reservoir to the fogger; be sure to ensure the fogger pump is free from debris before placing the insecticide.
Preheat
Next, add a propane cylinder and make sure the fuel valve is closed by turning the silver knob towards the nozzle until it stops; then insert propane cylinder into the rear of fogger and tighten, after this has been done, simply ignite the fogger and be sure to preheat the fogger for a few minutes to ensure that the chemical is being properly heated and mixed.
Fog the area
After you have properly preheated your fogger, you can then begin squeezing the valve to release the fog to your desired area. Pay particular attention to all of the areas outside where you will be congregating, you patio area, around picnic tables, lounging areas, and be sure to spray the fog into bushes, foliage, and around any areas that retain moisture—as these areas are where mosquitoes thrive.
Refrain from spraying the fog onto any surfaces where food or drink will be placed as well as any areas where pets feed and drink.
Propane foggers are great for use when traveling and can be used on camping and fishing trips much in the same way that you would use them in your own yard. Be sure and take all the necessary components of the fogger with you when you travel and remember to bring a lighter or fire source of some sort to ignite the propane tank. Propane foggers create a potent release of mosquito insecticide and are one of your best bets when trying to repel the pests.
Using an Electric Mosquito Fogger
Electric mosquito foggers mostly work in the same way that propane foggers do. The only distinct difference between the two types is that electric foggers require electricity to work and are not as movable as stand-alone propane foggers. You will need an extension cord to administer the chemical from an electric fogger.
You do not have to worry about buying propane tanks or igniting the tanks with electric mosquito foggers. Simply plug the unit into an extension cord (the longer, the better) and fill the reservoir with a mosquito insecticide of your choice. Just like a propane fogger, it is important to preheat the fogger for at least two minutes and then begin fogging your desired area.
The drawbacks to using electric foggers are that you will need an electrical source to use the fogger—meaning that camping, fishing, and outdoor excursions are not electric mosquito fogger friendly. With this in-mind we recommend the Burgess 1443 Propane Insect Fogger. Although you will in fact save a bit of money by not having to continuously purchase propane tanks, but you will essentially be limited to using an electric mosquito fogger to areas that allow you to plug into electrical sockets.
Do Foggers Really Kill Mosquitoes?
Foggers are perhaps the best method available to homeowners to not only kill present mosquitoes in and around your yard but to also repel them from your yard for hours at a time. Simply spraying mosquitoes or burning repelling candles is not enough to adequately address a mosquito problem around your yard.
Mosquitoes are flying insects, meaning there is no way to control where they can go and when they go, although it is important to eliminate potential breeding spots for mosquitoes and educating yourself on exactly how mosquitoes operate is important to reduce their numbers in your yard as well.
How Do They Work?
Foggers for mosquitoes work by coating the atmosphere and the surrounding foliage and structures of the area in tiny particles of a mosquito insecticide.
By heating up the chemical in a fogger, the chemical becomes atomized and broken into thousands of particles that are then able to cling to structures where they are administered due to the heating process – which also can keep the chemical particles floating in the air for hours at a time.
This makes the area where the fog was administered a mosquito death zone as well as a strong repellent against mosquitoes who venture into your yard in search of human blood.
Mosquito foggers in and of themselves are not dangerous, although it is important to read the instructions carefully when using one for the first time and to use caution when lighting propane foggers.
The main concern with mosquito foggers comes with the types of chemicals used to create the fog. Most mosquito repellents that are made to be used in foggers are generally safe, using various types of pyrethroids that are generally well-tolerated around humans and pets.
With this in mind, you will not want to fog over structures that your household members or pets will be using to eat or drink off of. Always administer the fog to structures and foliage that mosquitoes flock to as well as the surrounding air that you will be spending time in. After five to ten minutes, the fog will be dormant and safe to be around.
Where Can You Buy Propane & Electric Foggers?
Mosquito foggers can be found at any retailer that specializes in pest control. Buying online is always the most efficient, and Amazon offers a comprehensive selection of foggers, such as the Burgess 1443 (see our review here), which is one of the most superior models for propane foggers due to its ease of use and ability to hold a wide range and variety of mosquito insecticides.
In Summary
Mosquito foggers are some of the best insecticide products available to kill and repel mosquitoes from your yard. Foggers are sold as either propane or electric models and both types have positive and negative attributes dependent upon how and where you wish to use the fogger.
Propane foggers are amazing for traveling, due to the fact that they require no electricity to use, whereas electric foggers are attractive in that you do not continuously need to purchase propane tanks to use them; however, they can only be used with electrical outlets.
Foggers work by atomizing liquid chemicals into tiny particles that are then disbursed into the surrounding atmosphere as very potent residual that can last for hours. Using a mosquito fogger will get the job done and ensure that your yard will be mosquito-free for however long you choose to remain outdoors.
- Propane foggers. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.nixalite.com/products/propane-foggers
What is the average lifespan of a mosquito? (2019). Retrieved from https://citypests.com/lifespan-of-a-mosquito/.
