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Alternative to Thermacell?

I seem to lose a thermacell every year, I finally found an old one on the ground last year that someone else lost. I bought the clip pouch for it last year and i still ended up losing it.
 
When I moved to Fl from Tn I thought I could tough it out without one. Wrong. That first hunt in a real swamp just as it was getting dark like to have drove my crazy. Couldn’t look up, couldn't get hands out to swat without being mauled by mosquitoes. When I got out of the woods that night I went straight and bought one. I would rather forget my weapon as my thermocell at least then I can sit and observe in “peace”. If the scent of a thermo gets me busted I was busted anyway. Godsend for hunting deep swamp islands to me.
 
There are stories from way back in the day were whole herds of cows would be found dead on bad years....not from blood loss but from suffocation having nose and mouth blocked with mosquito.....those early pioneers were so hardcore
 
useyourbow said:
I would rather tote the extra ounces than risk blowing out a spot with foreign odors left on brush as I walked through or being picked off swatting at bugs. IMO the beauty of a Thermacell is I don't have to deploy it if things are not bad and the heated air/scent rises. Additionally, when it is gone ie; you carry it out with you its gone versus spraying and that scent whether natural or not is flying and sticking. You'll get away with it with some deer but the mature ones a tendency to vacate the area. I generally muscle through the bugs until I get settled up the tree and then turn it on.
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I'm not saying spray is right and thermacell is wrong. But I do think your logic is a bit off. You don't have to deploy a spray or the thermacell. Both disperse a substance that has scent and will drift with the wind and stick to whatever it lands on. And while
Weldabeast said:
There are stories from way back in the day were whole herds of cows would be found dead on bad years....not from blood loss but from suffocation having nose and mouth blocked with mosquito.....those early pioneers were so hardcore
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We lost a chicken to Buffalo gnats this year. Stuff is real.
 
No see ums are the 1s I don't like the most....I've been caught far out in the salt marsh and been totally engulfed. Even with my shirt over my face and a facemask I still felt like they were suffocating me. I carry a mesh head net now because I learned my lesson. They aren't affected by thermacell
 
I live and hunt North Central Florida and do pretty much what Nutterbuster said. I do carry and run a thermacell but it’s not always effective for various reasons. If the wind is bad, if I’m in a real wet/swampy area where mosquitoes are extra thick, other biting insects like no-see-ums and yellow flies don’t seem to be as bothered by it, etc. So I also always carry a little bottle of 98% deet and if/when the Thermacell isn’t enough I put 2-3 squirts of that in the palm of my hand and then just dab it on exposed areas and/or clothing. A lot of times just puting it on my hat and sleeves, occasionally face net, is enough which is nice because then it’s not even on my skin. It’s pretty oily and seems to leak easily, so I keep it in a little ziplock bag. Both the thermacell and the deet smell and I’ve never seen any indication that the deer act differently from one to the other but a) I rely more on being downwind from the deer than scent free because…Florida and b) I literally couldn’t hunt without them because sitting still would be impossible.
 
Have you tried using a thermacell? 9/10 would recommend.
 
Weldabeast said:
What was it that was posted just recently...peppermint oil?
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Peppermint oil does work. Might be other oils which are better but I can't speak from experience. What I can say is careful where you apply the peppermint. That stuff can light you up. Easy on the face or it'll burn up your eyes and sinuses.
Edit: That's testing here in PA with moderate gnats, biting flies, and light on mosquitos. No promises for you southern boys.
 
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Vanilla Extract works for gnats. Not sure why but it does. I laughed the first time I heard it but was a lifesaver for me a few times. Only problem is you get hungry smelling like a cookie all day. :laughing:
 
Gator said:
Suck it up is always an option. IMO the thermocell doesn't work very well anyway while moving. Permithrin on clothes and good to go.
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Permithrin does little to stop mosquitos or sand gnats down here. It it great for ticks. Lol I do enjoy the suck it up answer though. I did that once last year because I forgot my thermocell and came home looking like I had chicken pox from all the bites. Swollen up and all. It was miserable
 
Dewey said:
Vanilla Extract works for gnats. Not sure why but it does. I laughed the first time I heard it but was a lifesaver for me a few times. Only problem is you get hungry smelling like a cookie all day. :laughing:
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I read that on-line so I tried vanilla extract once. It worked great until I started sweating. Which in Florida is pretty quickly lol. Then my clothes smelled like vanilla all day. I still ended up having to use my thermocell :sweatsmile:
 
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