So I have I am one of those unfortunate blood types that makes me extremely susceptible to mosquito bites. To give you an idea of how bad it is, I was attacked three times while installing the mosquito repellent system I am reviewing here. Big, nasty red welts that persisted for days.
I usually take extreme measures to avoid mosquitoes, including topical ones. products like OFF! and visits from a professional mosquito control company that sprays citronella all over my backyard every three weeks. Tragically, none of this has been much help. For most of the summer, I look like patient zero for some form of smallpox.
This summer I decided enough was enough. So along came Thermacell’s LIV, a mosquito blocking system that can be installed and adapted to your patio or garden, regardless of its shape and size.
Invisible force field
LIV is not a mosquito killing system (you need zappers and poisons for that), but rather a repellent technology. It works with a chemical called metofluthrin, which emits a vapor that mosquitoes apparently hate when heated. Metofluthrin is not unique to Thermacell; it is also the active ingredient in OFF! Mosquito lamps and wearable devices, among other products.
Photography: Christopher Null
LIV is a wired system made up of two main components: a base station, called a Smart Hub, that makes the decisions, and as many satellite repellents as you need. The Smart Hub plugs into wall power and communicates via Wi-Fi with your home network. The repellents are also daisy-chained to the hub one after another using the included cables.
If you’re envisioning a low-voltage lighting system, you’re on the right track – only LIV isn’t quite as flexible. Each cable is a fixed 24 feet long (though shorter 10-foot cables are available as a separate purchase), as the repellents need to be placed about 20 feet apart from each other. That’s because the range of vaporized metofluthrin is only 10 feet. With a ring of repellents around your safe zone, you create an invisible mosquito-killing force field as a perimeter, with each repellent’s coverage zone slightly overlapping.
Installation isn’t difficult, but it does take time and requires some attention to detail. You may not have much flexibility as to where to place the Smart Hub because it must be close to a power outlet. and Within Wi-Fi range of your router, plus it must be mounted on the wall. Since most homes have few outdoor power outlets, finding the ideal spot for the hub can be tricky.
Photography: Christopher Null