AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 734
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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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Unknownastron
sage
Reged: 04/06/05
Posts: 209
Loc: CatsEye Observatory,Rural Sout...
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Build it in the desert far, far away from any oaisis. Misquitos will die of dehydration before they ever get there. Of course, you might die of dehydration also but with a human's body mass we last longer than the misquitos.
Seriously I used one of the little 'belt thingy' repellant tonight. This was the third time i used it and each time does decrease the number of bites. Time before tonight I put it next to a small fan blowing my direction as i sat and studied Saturn with a schmidt cass. That seemed to work very well. Tonight I was using my big Dob and moving around one place in the observatory to another corner so the fan could not follow me and I received 2 or 3 bites. Still beter than previous when i felt being eaten alive.
Also serious, Early fall last year, when fall rains started early here in OK so it was still warm and wet again we had just flocks of misquitos. It was never confirmed by medical test but my wife (an R.N.) both decided I most likely had west nile virus. Whatever, I became very ill within a week of heavy exposure to misquito bites. Find a method that works and do it. Believe me, you do NOT want to feel like i did last year.
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"My God, it's full of stars!"
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Scott K
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/13/07
Posts: 1406
Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK
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Quote:
Bug zappers are not a good way to combat mosquitoes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug_zapper
No, they really aren't very effective. I have one - it doesn't do much. It makes people think I'm doing something to protect them. But in fact it's pretty dang useless.
By the way, since no one has mentioned it, there is a pretty effective alternative to DEET that doesn't have the bad side-effect of damaging plastics - Picaridin.
Both Off! and Cutter insect repellent have products that use this repellent, although both still offer DEET based products, so you have to look at the labels.
On another note, although this doesn't do anything for mosquitoes, I do have my exterminator (very carefully) spray inside my dome every quarter. This helps minimize all of the other stuff that might decide to visit. (Mainly I want to try to make it inhospitable for the brown recluse and black widow spiders we have out here. I'm not especially afraid of spiders, but we have both out here, and I operate in the dome with no or minimal lighting, so the chance of putting my hand down on one and getting bitten isn't really a risk I care to take. (Well, I suppose I take the risk no matter what - but at least I can feel like I'm fighting back...)
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Luigi
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 4927
Loc: MA
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>>>OFF thingy's cost?<<<
My wife got one and really likes it for working in the yard and walking the dog. One nice thing is you just switch it on or off as needed. It works very well so far. On Amazon they're $11 for the device and one cartridge. Refills are $5 each.
>>>Bug zappers<<<
May not be very effective but they sure are gratifying.
Another options that works well is treating clothing with Permethrin. It works very well when the clothing covers your skin, but doesn't do much for exposed skin. I found it to work very well when hunting to keep off mosquitoes and ticks. It last through numerous washes. You can buy clothing pretreated with it.
One last thing. Mosquitoes find their prey by following exhaled CO2 to its source, so they come from downwind, the same direction repellents blow, which is why they can be as effective as they are.
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17.5" f/5 Dob. IM-715 MCT. 120ED. Lunt 60mm Ha.
Zeiss, Leica, Fujinon, Nikon, Pentax, Bushnell bins
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csa/montana
Wild Spirit
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40135
Loc: montana
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Quote:
What features can one build into the observatory to lessen the number of mosquitoes?
Besides a force field of course. ;<)
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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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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andyschlei
sage
Reged: 03/05/06
Posts: 374
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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The only completely effective approach is to build away from mosquitoes. This, of course, is not always practical. 
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Observatorio de la Ballona
Mar Vista
Lake Riverside Estates
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EddWen
sage
Reged: 04/26/08
Posts: 367
Loc: Here or There
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Move to SoCal or move to high altitude AZ and build an observatory. This, of course, is not always practical either.
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Edd Weninger
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**** Lightshield Observatory SoCal ****
Nexstar 11 GPS Questar 3.5
A-P 900 A-P Traveler
**** Blackdog Observatory Arizona ****
A-P 155EDF A-P 1200GTO Coronado SolarMax 90
Orion ED80 Baader Mk V bino-viewer
CGE STV Canon 18x50IS
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 734
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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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csa/montana
Wild Spirit
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40135
Loc: montana
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Quote:
Has anyone sprayed their observatory instead of themselves with mosquito repellent to see if that results with a protective shield effect?
I for one, would never spray my Observatory, even with my equipment covered, I would be concerned. With the Thermacell, I don't have to go any further, for protection; & trust me, mosquitoes love biting me!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Scott K
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/13/07
Posts: 1406
Loc: Dallas, TX & Eufaula, OK
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Quote:
Quote:
What features can one build into the observatory to lessen the number of mosquitoes?
Besides a force field of course. ;<)
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.
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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revans
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/26/05
Posts: 1510
Loc: Fitchburg, MA
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What about one of the newer mosquito traps that uses CO2 as bait? My cousins works fine... traps them by the hundred and draws them away from people at outside parties. I don't think they cost much...
Rick
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Rick Evans
http://www.freewebs.com/revans_01420/
"The universe is there for us to see, but it cannot be understood without learning its language -- mathematics." Galileo Galilei
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Luigi
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 4927
Loc: MA
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>>>What about one of the newer mosquito traps that uses CO2 as bait? <<<
Other than contributing to global warming they should work great. Put them just downwind of yourself. A few arrayed around the perimeter of your obs should work very well.
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17.5" f/5 Dob. IM-715 MCT. 120ED. Lunt 60mm Ha.
Zeiss, Leica, Fujinon, Nikon, Pentax, Bushnell bins
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Tom Clark
sage
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 248
Loc: Chiefland, Florida
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Bats! When we started going to Chiefland in 1986 it was quickly noted that every evening just after sundown you always saw bats crusing the skies.
Anyplace in Florida that had no mosquitoes was a miracle, and Chiefland had none most of the year, and only a very few during the hottest, wettest, summer months.
After awhile it was the only place that I would go observing in the summer. When we move there in '98, I hung two bat houses up on a carport. Within a week the bats moved in. Today it is a fun thing to watch the little critters bail out after sundown. There are about 200 in each of the two houses.
You can learn how to build bat houses by ordering "The Bathouse Builders Handbook." We found our copy at a national park somewhere years ago.
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Tom Clark
sage
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 248
Loc: Chiefland, Florida
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Cute little devils, and they don't bother anything but the bug population!
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andyschlei
sage
Reged: 03/05/06
Posts: 374
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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Quote:
Cute little devils, and they don't bother anything but the bug population!
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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Observatorio de la Ballona
Mar Vista
Lake Riverside Estates
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 734
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
What features can one build into the observatory to lessen the number of mosquitoes?
Besides a force field of course. ;<)
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.
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.
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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Luigi
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 4927
Loc: MA
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Here's one you can wear...
http://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Net-Bug-Suit-Pants/dp/B000E94D1E
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17.5" f/5 Dob. IM-715 MCT. 120ED. Lunt 60mm Ha.
Zeiss, Leica, Fujinon, Nikon, Pentax, Bushnell bins
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Tom Clark
sage
Reged: 11/14/07
Posts: 248
Loc: Chiefland, Florida
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Quote:
As long as they stay in the bat houses and outside. They are a nuisance when the decide your eves are bat houses.
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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Luigi
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 4927
Loc: MA
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Bats are very cool, but their numbers are dropping sharply due to the recent white nose syndrome. Bad news.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_nose_syndrome
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17.5" f/5 Dob. IM-715 MCT. 120ED. Lunt 60mm Ha.
Zeiss, Leica, Fujinon, Nikon, Pentax, Bushnell bins
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Ian Robinson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/29/09
Posts: 1154
Loc: Gateshead.NSW Nth Coast,Austra...
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
What features can one build into the observatory to lessen the number of mosquitoes?
Besides a force field of course. ;<)
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.
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.
Has anyone made a portable observing booth that houses the observer while the scope remains outside in mosquito land? Maybe out of mosquito netting?
All you need is some mozzie netting like you put over camp bunks in places where there are stacks of mozzies. And a light timber frame to throw it over.
Will keep the mozzies out but not the cool air.
Costs about $8 per lin-metre (the cotton variety).
Edited by Ian Robinson (06/17/09 10:14 AM)
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