Mosquito Products

Mosquito Magnet Review

Mosquito Product: Mosquito Magnet History.

April 2004: Mosquito Magnet Defender Purchased through a whole seller.

2004: Mosquito Magnet Operated All year, till temperature dropped low enough to put in storage.

Spring 2005: Started up, after full purge and fresh bottle.

April 2005: Mosquito Magnet Fails to properly start. Trips out after end of start up process. I contacted American Biophysics Tech Support via Email. They walk me through all the steps to ensure it's not user error.

May 2005: Still trying get machine operating. Playing email tag with American Biophysics Tech Support. CO2 Purge adapter explodes, the device separates with full pierced CO2 Cartage. Due to the fact I was gardening, and weed whacking, I had gloves and Eye Protection on. Ears left ringing for an hour or two. American Biophysics promises to send an upgraded version.

June 2005: New CO2 adaptor is one piece, no joints to separate like the old one. The CO2 cartage is now horizontal, I wonder if that effects the purge effectiveness.

June 2005: No amount of purging and resetting works, mosquitoes not active due to cool weather, but summer is technically here. Contacted American Biophysics by phone to help one on one help. I am informed the machine is not too far out of warranty period (I initially contacted them a little over a year of ownership), so they will honor it with a full replacement. They send me a shipping label, American Biophysics paid for the return.

July 2005: Have replacement machine, still a Mosquito Magnet Defender. Now American Biophysics sent it with a new CO2 adaptor, and a single pack of octenal. Wow, nice touch guys! Machine started right up.

July 2005: Machine mysteriously tripped. Reset with gas reset tool. Started right up.

August 2005: storm was close by, found machine tripped again. Refused to start after many tries, purged it, restarted second time after CO2 purge. Operating strong.

May 2006: Mosquito Magnet did not start after coming out of storage. Contacted American Biophysics, and they honored the one year warranty on this warranty replacement I received in 2005. I love American Biophysics! Now my Mosquito Magnet is running like a champ!

Mosquito Product: Mosquito Magnet Defender Review

Summary: It is a love hate relationship, with a lot of LOVE.

Results: My family was able to reclaim use of our yard, with an almost zero bite summer!

The Mosquito Product Hate Part:

1. The machine is expensive initially (paid: $250),
2. The Mosquito Magnet is expensive to operate. Tank refill ($13-$16), Octenal ($8), and CO2 purge ($3 a cartage). Manufacture recommends as few purges as every other tank refill, but I've only had luck if I purge with every tank refill.
3. Machine is difficult to get starting, and only an indication is that it tripped not why. So leaves you guessing, and you need to follow steps over and over to get restarted.
4. Smells funky, after changing installing a fresh octenal, it gives off a weird smell for a few days. I'm told that smell drives mosquitoes wild. ;)
5. Product placement is crucial. I found that having the machine closer(I have frequently changing winds) helps, but if you aren't upstream of it, its effectiveness seems effected.

The Mosquito Product Love Part:

1. IT WORKS! My neighbors(two houses over) of who live next to a stream (100 feet from me) mentioned one day they were enjoying gardening. They mentioned they noticed they spend more time out, and attributed the reduced mosquito population to local bats. I laughed and told them about the Mosquito Magnet. They were amazed and wanted to see it. Had they known about it and it's effectiveness, they might have purchased one years ago.
2. No Pesticides. Because it works, the amount of bug spray used to enjoy the backyard is now ZERO.
3. Safe with little kids. I have a toddler, now 3. He had to be covered head to toe in clothing to enjoy the outdoors, or we had to opt for DEET. Now he can enjoy hours on the deck.
4. Peace of Mind. When you empty the filter and see all the bugs this machine catches, you wonder if out of the hundreds in there could one have been carrying a disease (like West Nile Virus), and your child could have gotten seriously sick. Makes you appreciate the Mosquito Magnet More.

Our final recommendation and tips:

• Get a Mosquito Magnet.
• Properly size if for your area of coverage.
• Learn patience and pray when starting it, because when it doesn't start, you really appreciate it operating more. ;)

Good luck with your Mosquito Control, and getting closer to a Mosquito-Free Yard!

Mosquito Magnet® Defender is a product/trademark of American Biophysics.

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