We recently interviewed our friend Jeff regarding his use of the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Appliance. Thermacell makes a few different items which repel mosquitoes. He mentioned to us that his neighbor Warren uses one of Thermacell’s other bug repellents, the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Lantern. Of course, we ran right over to get the scoop.

After hearing how Warren uses the Thermacell lantern, the title of this review could have been, “How to avoid mosquitoes this 4th of July picnic”, or “How to stay mosquito bite free when you barbeque.” Here’s why.

Repellent Review: Thanks for speaking with us Warren. Jeff says you have an effective use for the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Lantern.

Warren: No Problem. Yes. I like to barbeque on my deck during the summer, but the no-see-ums, and mosquitoes can become quite irritating. I live directly behind a greenbelt which is great for the privacy, but full of mosquitoes. Without a decent mosquito repellent, we get bit pretty bad. I take a couple of the Thermacell lanterns, and place them on the corners of my deck. The thing I like about the Thermacell mosquito repellent lantern is that it blends in with my deck, and creates a little ambiance near evening using the lantern light. I swap out my regular ones, and replace them with these containing mosquito repellent.

Repellent Review: You use the Thermacell lantern almost like your own mosquito repellent tiki lanterns.

Warren: (laughing) Yes. The Thermacell lantern is an innovative idea. (as mentioned in this review, Thermacell mosquito repellent products use butane cartridges and blue mats containing small amounts of allethrin. This is the synthetic form of a natural mosquito repellent found in certain chrysanthemums. Bugs such as mosquitoes and no-see-ums hate this stuff. A press-button igniter starts the cartridge, igniting the mosquito repellent inside the Thermacell lantern. The odorless vapor enters the air deterring the mosquitoes.) I’ll be using them this 4th of July, as we always have a family barbeque at my home that day. These are easy to use, safe, and pretty darn good at keeping the bugs away. The cartridges don’t cost much and last through a few barbeques.

• Use the Thermacell lantern to protect your deck from mosquitoes
• The Thermacell mosquito repellent produces an odorless, safe vapor
• US Army field tests found an 81-98% level of protection against malaria mosquitoes using Thermacell in open bunkers and guard posts
• Cartridges for the Thermacell lantern last up to 12 hours

We know Warren’s family will stay bite free this barbeque season, and thank him for describing to us how he uses the Thermacell lantern. Repellent Review recognizes the Thermacell lantern as another great product in their line of mosquito repellent equipment, and gives it a thumbs up.

You can find the Thermacell Lantern online.

Using the snake repellent, Snake-A-Way, is usually not needed. Most snakes will generally avoid conflict with man. On occasion though, situations warrant your use of a snake detterent. Snake-A-Way is one such repellent that Repellent Review has chosen to take a look at.

Snakes will unintentionally enter your environment looking for food or shelter. These cold-blooded lizards enjoy nesting in wood or rock piles. It’s advisable to remove those types of snake bait first, if possible. Rodents are another snake attractant. Having a high number of these pests around will invite hungry snakes. The snakes could act as a natural rodent repellent, but obviously that’s not wanted. Your first step would be to find a suitable repellent for the rodents. After you’ve exhausted these methods, and still have a snake problem, it’s time to bring out the big guns. Snake-A-Way is one choice.

So how does Dr. T’s Snake-A-Way snake repellent work?

You apply the deterrent around the perimeter you want to protect. That might include a child’s play area, picnic spot, or patio. 1 pound of the granular material will provide over 60 feet of protection for around $4. When a snake comes in contact with your barrier line, it will interfer with the snake’s sensory mechanism. Biologically, the Jacobson’s organ (an extrasensory organ located in the roof of the mouth of the snake), works in combination with the highly sensitive tongue of the snake. Snake-A-Way takes advantage of this by creating a vapor using Napthalene. It acts to repel the snake when it enters the environment and senses the Snake-A-Way granules. The big question then is, does this snake repellent work? Because Snake-A-Way has been extensively tested by the EPA on a variety of snake species, we chose to provide excerpts of those findings:

• Snake-A-Way is EPA approved
• Snake repellent tested and used by the military during the Gulf War
• Safe for humans and pets
• Snake-A-Way has been University tested
• Still effective after normal rainfall
• This snake repellent lasts up to 3 months

Snake-A-Way was shown to be highly effective on most species of snakes tested.

• Around 90-100% effective against Rattlesnakes, Copperhead snakes, coral, Eastern hognose, and garter snakes
• 75% effective against the Black Racer
• Repels around 50% of Burmese pythons, and Yellow rat snakes
• Only around 20% effective against Cottonmouths or Red rat snakes

The studies indicate Snake-A-Way is highly effective on most snake species. It is interesting that it loses it’s efficacy as a repellent on the Cottonmouth. If you are aware of the type of snake you are dealing with, it will make your job of repelling them that much easier.

Based on the military testing, and EPA backing, we’re giving the Snake-A-Way snake repellent a big thumbs up for deterring our reptilian friends. Remember, most snakes you come in contact with are usually non-poisonous. It doesn’t hurt to play it safe though.

You can find Dr. T’s Snake-A-Way repellent online.