This is my third season of using the thermacell's. The prior two years I thought they were the best thing to come down the pike...
This year mine hasn't been nearly as effective.
I'm sure I'm better with it that without but I still have mosquitos around me and biting.. I'm using new matts too... Anyone else notice this?
Maybe we have some new hybrid mosquitos that are immune to the fume!

I've notice that too Pat.  Not in-effective, but less effective.

Maybe you need to replace the unit itself.

Chris, you may be right but the heating element is turning red and sure gets hot...  

I'm thinking the impregnated matts are weaker..

QuoteOriginally posted by Apex Predator:
I've notice that too Pat.  Not in-effective, but less effective.

Ditto...I thought it was just my imagination.    :confused:

Maybe a bad batch of pads?

Here in Washington state during the early elk season we had the worst mosquitos in memory.  This was because of a long snowy winter and cool summer.  Some of the snow up high never melted.  It's a recipe for lot's of bugs.   :eek:  

I've used a Thermacell for the last couple years and this was the only thing that made camp survivable.        For me at least it seemed to work normally.  Who knows why?

Pat, sounds like the unit is good. Maybe you should buy another refill kit and see if it works any better. Hopefully you just have a bad batch of pads and Thermacell is not putting less repellent in the pads.

That would be one way to take a great product and make it dang near useless.

Let us know what happens. This is one of my must have's in my pack.

Chris

the thing I notice with mine is that it does take a few minutes to heat up then once it does, it takes a few minutes for the smoke to really affect the bugs, so for the first five minutes its hell swating all the bugs, but after that its like there are none in the area

I usually turn mine on when I leave the truck so its good and hot by the time I get in my stand.

The mosquitoes are mutating. Becoming immune to it! hahah... Just kidding.... If those suckers get any more vicious here in the swamp land, I'm giving up on hunting... We don't really have a winter so they are just about year round....

Those things work on skeeters but do they have any effect on black flies up north, just incase I do a spring bear hunt!!!!!

Make sure you keep it horizontal. That way the whole pad is used. Had mine for 2 yrs. and going strong. I understand they make the pads in earth scent now.

mine worked great tonight

This is my third season with this unit...I think it needs to be replaced.  It just doesn't seem to get at as hot as it used to, so maybe that explains why it is less effective.  Certainly was a good investment. 2 1/2 seasons for only 25 bucks.    

I've been thinking about getting one of these.

Do places like Wally World carry them or their refills?  If I have to go to a Cabellas or somethin' similar every time to get a refill it might not be worth it.

Sure could used one the last two times I was out.

Reading the posts above about the lesser effectiveness some of you are haveing this year, I have a few questions.  One, were you refills old or new?  If old, do they have an expiration date?  If new, do you think maybe they've changed the recipe of the repellent?  That would kinda suck to take something that really worked and water it down to save a few bucks on refills.

If anyone has old refills AND new ones, maybe you could check the labels for differences in the percent of active ingredient?

Dave,

You can get the unit and refills from Walmart...

I have never had an issue with mine not working effectively but I do need to replace one of mine since the igniter seems to be going out.

Curious about self life though since I buy enough refill packs to last a couple months at a time.

Chris

I was in the Florida swamp yesterday morning. I too turn mine on when I leave the truck, they do need a few minutes to get hot. I've had mine for 7 or 8 years. One of the 1st ones. If you think it's not working, turn it off for a few minutes!!

If there's a breeze, it does seem to move the "cloud" away from you. Always set it on the upwind side.

Went to Wallmart tonight to get one and couldn't find them.  Finally got help and we found the spot on the shelf where they were supposed to be...  $22.88 and $6 something for refills but all gone and when he scanned the bar code he said it could be 2 weeks till they get more.

This is one tool I don't go into the woods in S.E. Alabama in ealy fall without.  You could come out a few pints short.  I love this and hope the company hasn't listened to some young idiot saying "we can make more money if we put less chemical in the pad".  I think some boys here would storm the corperate offices if we found that out.  I wander if the guys from Thermacell visit Tradgang?

If you think it's not working, turn it off for a few minutes!!


Exactly my thought!  These things are great. I'm still using pads from last season. So I haven't noticed any difference.