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Here’s how most of us Canadians handle summer bugs: we swat at the one mosquito we can see, light a citronella candle that does approximately nothing, and douse ourselves in spray just to sit on our own deck, all while complaining the entire time about how ‘the bugs haven’t been this bad in years’.
The good news is that bug season is one of those problems where a few smart tools beat a lot of effort. These are the nine that really, truly work. Some stop pests at the source, some handle a full-on invasion, and some just quietly work in the background so you can stop thinking about them and, you know, enjoy the summer. Read on to discover top finds from Thermacell, TERRO, Coghlan and more.
Stop mosquitoes before they ever fly
Did you know that the mosquitoes ruining your evening hatched last week, in standing water you didn’t know you had (think: a plant saucer, the kids’ sand-and-water table, a clogged gutter, the rain barrel). So the smartest move is to treat the standing water so those larvae don’t have a chance. To do this, drop a Mosquito Dunk into any standing water and it kills the larvae for about a month before they can take off. The active ingredient is Bti, a naturally occurring bacterium that targets only mosquito and black fly larvae, meaning it’s safe around pets, fish, birds, and bees. You can break a dunk into smaller pieces for small water sources, or even soak one and pour that water over your indoor and outdoor plants.
Throw up an invisible shield
Citronella candles and skin spray are what everyone grabs, and both disappoint (and stink, might I add!). Instead, build yourself a bubble. The Thermacell repeller creates a 20-foot scent-free, DEET-free zone around wherever you’re sitting, meaning no smoke, no smell, nothing on your skin, and it runs on little refills you swap as needed. Now here’s one thing you need to remember: turn it on about 15 minutes before everyone sits down so the zone has time to fill. Switching it on once you’re already swatting is too late.
Let the light do the work, both indoors and out
For the flyers that sneak inside like fruit flies over the fruit bowl, gnats, the odd housefly, moth or mosquito, the STEM Flying Insect Light Trap is my silent star. It plugs into the wall and uses a soft blue light to pull insects onto a hidden sticky cartridge: no zapping, no spray, no touching bugs. I have one running at home; I leave it out every spring and summer, and I’ll be honest: swapping a full cartridge is equal parts satisfying and deeply horrifying. For the patio, its cordless cousin, the STEM Flying Insect Zapper sits on the table or hangs from a hook, throws light in every direction, and zaps on contact. It works best after dark, so think of it as your evening routine bug-management tool.
Outsmart the two worst party crashers
Every summer gathering has two uninvited guests: wasps dive-bombing the food, and the ant highway that materializes on your counter or floor overnight. A reusable RESCUE! W·H·Y trap lures up to 18 species of stinging insects, including four species of paper wasps, bald-faced hornets, and European hornets, and 12 species of yellow jackets with food bait to bring them in. It doesn’t trap bees, so you don’t need to worry about your flowers. And there’s no killing agent involved, just a two-stage trap that they can’t leave once they enter. Hotel California for pests, if you will.
Now for ants, skip the spray and set out a TERRO liquid bait. The workers carry it back and share it with the colony, which takes out the nest you can’t even see. Give it a few days and you’ll notice the population seriously thin out. Buh-bye now!
Suit up when you’re headed into the thick of it
Sometimes you’re walking into bug territory on purpose, whether it’s weeding at dusk, hanging on the dock, or cooking dinner at the campsite. For that, I suggest wearing a mesh bug suit, which consists of bungee-corded pants and jacket. Now, let’s be clear: this does indeed look completely ridiculous, but if you want a 100% preventive measure against bug and tick bites, this is your answer. The jacket and pants pull right over your clothes, there are zero chemicals involved, and I wear mine for yard work (regardless of what my neighbors think!). It is truly freeing not to think about bites or ticks for once.
And for when one gets you anyway
No system is perfect, so here’s the one for the aftermath. A friend used the Bug Bite Thing on me a few months ago, and I was genuinely shocked. It’s a little suction tool that pulls the saliva or venom back out from under your skin, so your body stops reacting (aka no itching!). It works on bites and on bee and wasp stings; it’s chemical-free, and it’s safe for kids. Just pop it on and use it as soon as you can after the bite.
Pick the two or three that match your worst bug problem, and you’ll spend a lot less of this summer swatting and a lot more of it actually enjoying being outside.
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Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 – $399.99
Aveeno Anti-Itch Concentrated Lotion – $10.38
ParaGuard, Parasite Cleanse for humans – $49.99
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