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Some times I have used Raid (insecticide). Normally there are no mosquitoes inside the dome, maybe they do not see me there.

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The one question you want to ask yourself regarding anything which emits a mist of repellent: do I want this stuff on my mirror surfaces or optics?

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Like Achilles, they will find your weakness. I read about deet and it seems that it has been in use since the 1950's with no reported problems.

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The one question you want to ask yourself regarding anything which emits a mist of repellent: do I want this stuff on my mirror surfaces or optics?

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OK, here is the oddest thing I ever tried. Dryer sheets, yep the ones you use in your laundry. There are numerous reports online that say it is a myth and other sites say they work. So take it for what it is worth. Try a sheet or two one night, tuck them in your waistband and see what happens. My wife and I tried them last fall on a rather mosquito infested night. Not one bite the entire night. Rumor has it the scent of the sheet masks your normal scent and fooling the hungry mosquito. What the heck for a few pennies anything is worth a try.

Clear skies,

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OK, here is the oddest thing I ever tried. Dryer sheets, yep the ones you use in your laundry. There are numerous reports online that say it is a myth and other sites say they work. So take it for what it is worth. Try a sheet or two one night, tuck them in your waistband and see what happens. My wife and I tried them last fall on a rather mosquito infested night. Not one bite the entire night. Rumor has it the scent of the sheet masks your normal scent and fooling the hungry mosquito. What the heck for a few pennies anything is worth a try.

Clear skies,

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Here's what snopes says:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/bounce.asp

The way marketing people are, if there were any truth to it whatsoever, they'd be trumpeting it to high heavens. Dual use products are gold mines, ya know.

Reminds me of the SNL skit: "It's a floor wax. No, it's a dessert topping. It's both!"

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Like Achilles, they will find your weakness. I read about deet and it seems that it has been in use since the 1950's with no reported problems.

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DEET is effective. What I don't like about DEET has nothing to do with any health effects it might or might not have. The problem with DEET is two-fold:

1. It's most effective at high concentrations, or with a controlled release formula. (The CR stuff is harder to get.) Unfortunately, especially with high concentrations, this stuff WILL interact (i.e. melt) some plastics. Maybe Thermacell is harder on a mirror than smoking 10 packs of cigarettes per night in your obs, this remains to be seen. However, I am quite certain that DEET will screw up some stuff made of plastic, because it's happened to me. The controlled release stuff is MUCH better about this - you can get it from REI or other camping stores. (3M makes it - it allows you to use much a lower concentration of DEET.)

2. Other people in the dome. I may not be afraid of DEET, but as soon as someone notices "hey, I picked up this plastic thingie, and it kind of melted, this stuff has to be really bad for you!!" then it's all over. It doesn't seem to matter that I point out "well, yes, it was bad for that bit of plastic, but YOU aren't made of plastic, are you?"

It is substantially cheaper to use DEET than a thermacell, unless you just have a massive number of visitors.

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Some times I have used Raid (insecticide). Normally there are no mosquitoes inside the dome, maybe they do not see me there.

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A yard fogger type of insecticide used around the perimeter of the building will be effective for a while. (We use that on our patio out here, and it's pretty effective.)

Another option is something like this - a distance away from your observatory:

Stinger ultra bug zapper

But honestly the most effective thing I've tried, other than coating myself in DEET is Thermacell. It works just exceedingly well.

Links from the equipment forum:

How 'bout them thar Thermacell bug ejectors? (Apologies to Uncle Rod)

Thermacell Question

Thermacell and observatories

Quick Report on Thermacell

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Bug zappers are not a good way to combat mosquitoes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug_zapper

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What features can one build into the observatory to lessen the number of mosquitoes?

Besides a force field of course. ;<)

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Has anyone sprayed their observatory instead of themselves with mosquito repellent to see if that results with a protective shield effect?

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What features can one build into the observatory to lessen the number of mosquitoes?

Besides a force field of course. ;<)

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Since an observatory is open, don't know of anything that can be "built in" to mosquito proof it, same as being on your deck, etc.

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The only real solution here is to control your observatory remotely, from a warm room or from inside your home, and either image or observe via video camera. Unless those were your primary goals anyway, though, this is a lot more expensive than any of the other options suggested.

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Cute little devils, and they don't bother anything but the bug population!

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What features can one build into the observatory to lessen the number of mosquitoes?

Besides a force field of course. ;<)

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Since an observatory is open, don't know of anything that can be "built in" to mosquito proof it, same as being on your deck, etc.

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The only real solution here is to control your observatory remotely, from a warm room or from inside your home, and either image or observe via video camera. Unless those were your primary goals anyway, though, this is a lot more expensive than any of the other options suggested.

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As long as they stay in the bat houses and outside. They are a nuisance when the decide your eves are bat houses.

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What features can one build into the observatory to lessen the number of mosquitoes?

Besides a force field of course. ;<)

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Since an observatory is open, don't know of anything that can be "built in" to mosquito proof it, same as being on your deck, etc.

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The only real solution here is to control your observatory remotely, from a warm room or from inside your home, and either image or observe via video camera. Unless those were your primary goals anyway, though, this is a lot more expensive than any of the other options suggested.

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Has anyone made a portable observing booth that houses the observer while the scope remains outside in mosquito land? Maybe out of mosquito netting?

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After the first 11 years, we have never had any in the house,eves, carports, workshop, or dome. They prefer the bat houses when they are available.

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Knowing this, I will suggest this to my parents who live in Upper Michigan, and occassionally get bats in the eves and even under loose siding. A good home just might keep them where they belong.

Thanks,

--Andy

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A neighbor had no luck with their bat houses, they prefer under the eves, right above huge windows; kind of messy.

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Hmmm. I guess I'll just let sleeping bats hang then...

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A neighbor had no luck with their bat houses, they prefer under the eves, right above huge windows; kind of messy.

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Has anyone draped their observatory with mosquito netting?

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What kind of views would you get thru the netting? I sure would have fun trying to move around mine, with 3 foot high walls, & netting draped over it.

Speaking for myself, when I can just click to start my ThermaCell, put it on the floor of my Observatory, & not be bothered the rest of the night with mosquitoes, going to other difficult solutions seems unnecessary (to me)

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Has anyone draped their observatory with mosquito netting?

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What kind of views would you get thru the netting? I sure would have fun trying to move around mine, with 3 foot high walls, & netting draped over it.

Speaking for myself, when I can just click to start my ThermaCell, put it on the floor of my Observatory, & not be bothered the rest of the night with mosquitoes, going to other difficult solutions seems unnecessary (to me)

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A view through the netting would not be good...BUT...one could easily drape netting over the majority of the open observatory that one is not viewing through and screen for a majority of mosquitoes.

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I would then be moving around my Dobservatory on my knees, with my 3 ft. high walls! If I had to go to all this trouble, it wouldn't be worth it.

Again, I don't understand going to such troublesome lengths, when one can use the ThermaCell, or even bug spray on themselves, if desired!

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It's safer than breathing Thermacell chemicals!

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Jerry, no offense, & I bow to your expertise; but I don't understand why the Thermacell is considered more toxic to breath in, than slathering oneself with repellents.

I can't even smell the Thermacell, while in my observatory, & one can hardly see any vapor, but for me, it works. I've yet to see any documentation concerning ill effects on people, using it. ( Allethrin, a copy of a naturally occurring insecticide found in chrysanthemum flowers.)

Speaking for myself, only; I love it, & will continue to use it.

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BTW, anyone know what happens if you just forget and leave the thing running all night - I'm always afraid I'll do that.
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Yes-it will eventually just run out of propane.

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Yes-it will eventually just run out of propane.

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I helped design a West Nile management program for a municipality I used to work for. This is what I learned:
Mosquitos have about a 100ft perception range. They breed in water including rain gutters, children's toy's, tires, flower pot water trays, birdbaths, low spots in lawns. Draining sources nearby helps a lot.
Adult female mosquitos can be confused enough not to search for you by the simple technique of moving air which dilutes the CO2, heat signiture, etc eminating from you. Research at Michigan State University shows a simple 5-10mph air movement is sufficient. Two fans set an an angle can nearly form a 'wind barrier' and the breeze doesn't have to contact you if you set it up right, but one fan will work if it is directed on you. In fact they designed a deck with PVC pipes that directed a curtain of air around the edge of the deck. If you're interested, I've got the PDF file of the research paper somewhere I could send you.

Pyrethrum/pyrethrins are botanical pesticides derived from the pyrethrum daisy (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) and C. cineum).Using it or it's synthetic analog sprayed in a 100ft perimeter works well too. Mosquitoes must rest and when they land on the sprayed lawn and plants, they die!
pyrethrum is usually sold at a a 6% concentrate in garden centers or organic farmers co-ops. Once you see how much it costs, you'll begin to understand why organic produce costs so much.

The synthetic version is caled, Permethrin & is sold under the following brand names:

* Repel Permanone
* Cutter Outdoorsman Deer Guard
* Sawyer Insect Repellent

It's safer than breathing Thermacell chemicals!

If you do want to wear repellent, Ben's water-based DEET skin spray won't harm optical surfaces and plastics, nor will Picaridin to my knowledge. I use the two products around the telescope.

Hope this helps!

Jerry

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how about extracts from the lovely tobacco plant.

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Why not drape netting with draw strings, much like a window blind configurationthat opens with the roof and a hole for the OTA to poke through that has an elastics material surrounding the hole. With enough slack it should slew with the scope quite easily. Have I done this ? God no! Will I try it when mu Obs. is finished, absolutely!

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Why not drape netting with draw strings, much like a window blind configurationthat opens with the roof and a hole for the OTA to poke through that has an elastics material surrounding the hole. With enough slack it should slew with the scope quite easily. Have I done this ? God no! Will I try it when mu Obs. is finished, absolutely!

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Yes...that was exactly the idea I had.

I really do not see why it would not work.

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It would be impossible for me, with my low walls. I'm all over my Dobservatory, reading charts in one corner, getting eyepieces out of my case in another corner, etc. I'm too old to crawl around all night on my knees

Going to all this trouble would defeat the purpose of my Dobservatory, of simply walking in, removing the turn buckles, hitting a button & start observing; especially when a simple little device such as the ThermaCell does the job. I'm lazy, even bought a second ThermaCell to use while sitting on the deck, so I wouldn't have to walk a few feet down & get the other one!