Zappers and Other Mosquito Killers to Keep You Bite-Free

There’s nothing better than lounging outside when it’s nice out. One thing no one loves about outdoor evenings though is mosquitoes. If you haven’t had much luck with citronella candles and other options, it may be time to try another solution.

Bug sprays with natural ingredients like citronella oil do have some effect, but if you’re particularly susceptible to mosquito bites, or if you have an especially skeeter-cursed backyard, consider opting for the nuclear option: DEET. DEET is serious stuff: you don’t want it anywhere near your mouth, nose, eyes or open water like streams or lakes. But it works.

Thermacell’s award-winning Radius gadget is a very small, rechargeable device with repellant pods that you replace as they die. Those pods contain allethrin, a synthetic oil based on one produced by chrysanthemum flowers, which are naturally anti-insect. It’s a little like portable Bluetooth speakers, except instead of tunes, you’re blasting mosquitoes away.

Repellents that lure in and then kill insects should be placed far from your outdoor seating area, so the bugs get to the device, not to you. This one attracts and kills insects up to half an acre away and is free of pesticides, so the environmental impact is minimal.