• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Growing Organic Food in Your Backyard

Grow Better Food!
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Seed Starting
  • Hoop House
    • Grow Tomatoes in a Hoop House
    • Grow Cucumbers in a Hoop House
    • How to Grow Carrots in Winter
    • Winter Sowing Made Better
  • Sponsor
  • Search
  • Subscribe

Product Review: Mosquito Magnet

by Bill Brikiatis

Updated: June 4, 2010

I bought my first Mosquito Magnet after my neighbor told me that it eliminates biting black flies and mosquitoes. He also told me it doesn’t work on dog flies, horse flies, green heads or other larger biting flies.

My neighbor was right on both accounts. It worked pretty well on black flies and mosquitoes … when it was running. The only problem is that it didn’t stay running for very long.

Table of Contents

This is a long, detailed article. You can jump to where you want to be by clicking on the different sections below. To come back to this table of contents, just use the back button on your browser.

  1. The Mosquito Magnet in my backyard
  2. Mosquito Magnet performance
  3. The main problem
  4. Consumables
  5. Mosquito Magnet FAQ
  6. In summary

Let’s take a sec to get the legal words out of the way. This article may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy from my partners, I will make a tiny amount of money at no cost to you. This in no way affects my recommendations.

The Mosquito Magnet in my backyard

Let me begin by telling you about the bugs in my backyard. It’s surrounded by vernal pools and a very small pond.

With all the water around, it makes for the ideal reproductive environment for mosquitoes and biting flies of all kinds.

During black fly season, which runs from the last week of April to beginning of June, the black flies are overwhelming.

Their bite causes a similar welt to a bite from a mosquito.  To protect myself, I garden with mosquito head netting and wear clothing that leaves no bare skin exposed.

I use DEET on my clothes to prevent the flies (and also ticks) from trying to get inside my clothes. Yet the black flies still find a way to get at my skin. Sometimes biting through the netting. 

I don’t put DEET on my skin because I’m afraid that it’s toxic and even try to spray it on my shirt and pants before I put them on so the DEET doesn’t penetrate to my skin.

Mosquito Magnet
Mosquito Magnet works on black flies and mosquitoes … when it’s working.

When the black flies die off in early June, the mosquito season starts. It lasts until the first frost.

I’m fortunate that mosquitoes usually don’t come out during the day unless it’s cloudy. If you go out at night, you’ll be lucky if you make it back indoors with any blood.

Mosquito Magnet performance

When it comes to black flies, the Mosquito Magnet is never able to completely eliminate them. There are too many. But it kills thousands and thousands.

During the worst black fly seasons, when there’s plenty of water around, the mosquito catcher bag fills in a few days.

I suspect that in some years, the Mosquito Magnet will end the black fly season a few days early. It does capture millions of these flies. But the population is so large that this is inconsequential.

The saving grace is that black fly season only lasts for about a month. (By now you’re probably asking yourself why do I live where I do.)

If it has been very dry for a couple of weeks, and there’s no standing water, the Mosquito Magnet will completely eliminate them in an area of about one quarter acre.

Most of the time, unless you go into a shady area or it’s cloudy, my backyard has no mosquitoes in the daytime anyway.

The Mosquito Magnet will sometimes eliminate enough mosquitoes so that you don’t get bothered even when it’s cloudy.

The main problem

So why do I NOT recommend the Mosquito Magnet? The main problem is it breaks.

After four seasons, the first one that I bought had a circuit board failure. I ended up buying a second one because it was almost as expensive to fix the broken one as it was to buy a new one.

But when the second Mosquito Magnet wouldn’t start after four years of ownership, I decided I’d had enough.

After two years, my first unit’s rechargeable battery failed.

— Suburban Hobby Farmer

If you decide to buy one, you should take into account that they have about a four-year life. This is just long enough to outlast the warranty. Maybe, in this case, an extended warranty makes sense.

I’ve opted NOT to buy a third one. Call me crazy, but twice is enough.

Consumables

The Mosquito Magnet requires a new octenol attractant cartridge and a new tank of propane every 21 days. So even after you make the investment in purchasing a unit, you’re not done paying.

It will work, although probably not as efficiently, without a new cartridge.

After two years, my first unit’s rechargeable battery failed. This cost me a little less than $45 (with shipping) to replace.

The second unit used regular batteries, so you should figure batteries into the cost of the consumables.

Every once in a while, the MM just stops working. When this happens, you need to use a Quick-Clear Cartridge with a Quick-Clear Valve to clear out contaminants.

This is the only way to start the Mosquito Magnet when contaminants build up in the system.

Mosquito Magnet FAQ

Here are my answers to some of the most common questions about the Mosquito Magnet:

What does the Mosquito Magnet do?

It captures biting black flies and mosquitos before they have a chance to breed. This interrupts the breeding cycle thereby eliminating these bugs from your backyard.

Does it work?

It does kill mosquitos and black flies in significant numbers … when it is running. If you have a lot of black flies or mosquitoes, it sometimes gets overwhelmed and isn’t able to kill all of the bugs.

How long does the Mosquito Magnet take to work?

My experience is the Mosquito Magnet starts to make a noticeable difference after about two weeks.

Does the Mosquito Magnet work on black flies?

It works on black flies, but sometimes there are too many, and the Mosquito Magnet gets overwhelmed.

How does the Mosquito Magnet work?

It imitates the prey of the mosquito by giving off carbon dioxide. The device converts propane into carbon dioxide to make this happen.

When the mosquito or black fly gets close to where the Mosquito Magnet emits carbon dioxide, the fan sucks them in and they are trapped.

In addition, the device uses a chemical attractant to increase the chances of trapping the mosquito. This attractant is toxic to humans, so be careful how you handle it.

You must replace this attractant every time your propane tank runs out.

How long does it run on a tank of propane?

A tank of propane will last roughly 21 days of continuous running. It’s important to make sure the Mosquito Magnet isn’t stopped for long because this will give the mosquitoes a chance to reestablish their breeding cycle and repopulate your garden.

Where do you put a Mosquito Magnet?

If mosquitoes are likely to come from a certain direction, you should put it downwind, between you and the source of the mosquitoes.

Do NOT put it near where you are going to be hanging out. It does attract mosquitoes, so you should put it about 50 feet away.

How much does it cost?

See the price on Amazon.

In summary

To sum it up, here are the pros and cons of the Mosquito Magnet:

Pros

  • Significantly reduces the amount of mosquitoes and biting flies
  • Doesn’t kill anything that doesn’t bite humans
  • Doesn’t use pesticides

Cons

  • Doesn’t kill ALL the mosquitoes and biting flies
  • Expensive to buy and run
  • Consumes a tank of propane every 21 days — not exactly “green”
  • Temperamental and sometimes difficult to start
  • Lasts about 4-years, then you must buy a second one

The bottom line is that if you have a smaller yard, fewer mosquitoes and no biting flies, you’d probably be happy with a Mosquito Magnet — for as long as it is working.

Related articles you might enjoy:

  1. How I Prevent Tick Bites
  2. Repelling Mosquitoes Naturally
  3. Six Beginner Gardening Tips

Suburban Hobby Farmer is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Pin
Share
Tweet

Filed Under: 1. Beginner -- Easy to Complete Tagged With: pests

Primary Sidebar

Meet the Blogger

Bill Brikiatis

Hello! I’m Bill Brikiatis. I started this website in 2010 to help you get better at growing organic food in your backyard.

I’ve been growing fruits and vegetables for nearly all my life. And I'm over 60.

That’s not to say that I don’t make mistakes. I make plenty, then I write about them so both you and I get better at growing great things to eat.

You can read more about me and Suburban Hobby Farmer on my about page.

Most Popular on SHF

  1. How to Get Free Seeds from the U.S. Government. It's Easy If You Know How
  2. How to Use Chicken Manure Pellets in the Vegetable Garden
  3. Which Seed Starting Mix is Best? I Tested Them
  4. What Are the Benefits of Pruning Tomato Plants?
  5. I've Used a Rain Barrel Downspout Diverter for 10 years. Here's What I Know.
  6. Grow Millions of Cucumbers in a Hoop House
  7. I Shopped for Hoop House Kits. A Review of the One I Bought.
  8. Do Tumbling Compost Bins Work?
  9. Can you plant potatoes in the fall? Absolutely!
  10. What are the Best Potting Benches for Vegetable Growers?

Search This Site for Articles

Growing Tomatoes

Growing Tomatoes

Learn Everything I Know About Growing Tomatoes

Extending the Growing Season

  1. A Hoop House is a Tomato Growing Machine
  2. Coldframe Kits Make It Easy to Extend the Growing Season
  3. Grow a Million Cucumbers in a Hoop House
  4. I Shopped for Hoop House Kits. A Review of the Three I Considered
  5. Growing Salad Greens in Winter. Here's How to Do It
  6. Better Tomatoes with Walls O Water
  7. How to Grow Carrots in Winter
  8. Winter Sowing Made Better

Improving Soil

  1. How to Use Chicken Manure Pellets
  2. Three Important Soil Building Techniques
  3. Grasscycling and Composting Grass Clippings
  4. What is "Deep Litter" in a Chicken Coop?
  5. Why Grow Cover Crop and Which Ones?
  6. Mulching Raised Garden Beds
  7. Five Gardening Ideas from Building Soils Naturally
  8. Should You Use Neptune's Harvest Liquid Fertilizer?
  9. How to Use Aquarium Fish Water to Fertilize Plants
  10. Using Chop & Drop to Improve Your Soil
  11. How to Improve Your Soil
  12. What is OMRI? Why Should Organic Gardners Care?
  13. Winter Ground Covers for Vegetable Gardens

Collecting Water with Rain Barrels & Downspout Diverters

  1. My Automatic Downspout Diverter
  2. Rain Barrel Downspout Diverters
  3. Fixing an Overflowing Rain Barrel
  4. Oatey Mystic Rainwater Collection System / Downspout Diverter

Composting Articles

  1. Do Tumbling Compost Bins Work?
  2. How to Compost Faster
  3. Worm Composting Not So Easy
  4. Worm Composting Not So Easy, Part II
  5. Worm Composting Not So Easy, Part II
  6. Free, 77-page Worm Composting Guide
  7. Grasscycling and Composting Grass Clippings
  8. The Best Worm Food
  9. Making Compost in a Chicken Coop

Footer

My Recommendations

  • Start Here
  • Subscribe
  • Things I Like

SHF Info

  • Advertising Info
  • Affiliate Policy
  • Article Sponsorship
  • Privacy

Blogger

  • About
  • Contact

© Suburban Hobby Farmer 2020