Mosquitoes are a big problem here in Alaska. Trying to find a balance to deal with these pesky insects can be difficult. I prefer the more natural remedies, but these don’t always work. We have tried those Mosquito Magnet machines … a bust. Organic Cedar Granules spread on the lawn … a bust. It seems like the only products that are truly effective are the chemical based ones.
I recently received two OFF! products from BzzAgent. Last week I got a box in the mail with an OFF! Clip On, and an OFF! PowerPad Lamp, the latter of which I am reviewing for you today.
Description
If you like those Oriental style lamps, you will probably love the OFF! PowerPad Lamp, as it resembles that style. This lamp is made of a black plastic, with frosted clear plastic panels that allow you to see in, and also allow light from the candle to shine through. This unit comes with 1 reusable lamp, 1 candle, and 1 mosquito repellent pad.
The plastic lamp measures 6 1/2″ tall, and the top is 4 1/4″ square. Each of the four sides has one large window, measuring 3″ x 3″, and three smaller windows directly above it that are 6/*’ by 1 3/8″.
The top looks like a gently angled or sloping roof, with open slots in the plastic to let the contents go through the lamp and out into the air.
This unit is easy to put together. At the bottom of the lamp are two small locking tabs, and when you press both of them simultaneously, the frosted clear section with the “roof” attached can be pulled right out of the plastic base.
On the bottom of the base is a small post, and there is a candle (it sits in a white plastic holder), snaps down onto this post. The candle is 1 1/4″ in height and 1 5/8″ in diameter. Once the candle is put in place, you can light the candle, put the clear plastic lamp back inside of the base.
Next is putting the repellent pad in place, and to do this you remove it from the silver package (it’s hard to open without a knife or scissors), and you insert the OFF! PowerPad into the middle slot on top of the lamp. On one side of the lid it reads “Slide pad in center slot”, and on the other side it reads “Attention hot surface”.
The manufacturer, SC Johnson, claims that this one lamp gives the same protection as lighting 15 Citronella buckets.
Our Experience
We used the OFF! PowerPad Lamp last week when we had a birthday party barbecue in our yard. I lit it and set it on one of the picnic tables, and after the candle had been burning for a few minutes, I saw a small bit of smoke coming off of the blue “power pad. It reminded me of a citronella candle, but this one has no scent to it, which was a big advantage. I detest the smell of citronella.
The repellent pad is heat activated, and while it takes a little while to start working, it does work! OFF! claims that this will repel mosquitoes from an average size deck or patio (or areas up to 15 feet by 15 feet). The pad is supposed to last as long as the candle does, which is up to four hours. We had this lamp working for about 1 1/2 hours, and the candle is only down about 1/4 of an inch.
I would not say that this OFF! Power Pad Mosquito Lamp gave us protection for 15 feet away, but it really did work for those of us who were sitting at the table the lamp was sitting on. I liked that the blue repellent pad gave off no odors, and the smoke coming from it went straight up (we had no wind) and was not at all irritating.
Refills are available, in sets of three, and they cost almost $2 each, so they aren’t exactly cheap. Still, I will pay a lot to have a nice evening outdoors and not worry about mosquitoes spoiling the fun, or eating me alive! The lamp kit itself sells for $9.00, and is reusable.
The active ingredients in the repellent pad are 21.97% d-cis/trans allethrin, and the inert ingredients make up the remaining 78.03%. I really don’t know much about the active ingredient, but the bottom of the package has warnings not to breathe the vapors, keep out of the reach of children, and not to use indoors.
Final Recommendation
If you are looking for an attractive product to help keep mosquitoes at bay, this OFF! PowerPad Lamp is a good choice. It is more than a product to repel mosquitoes, it is an attractive lamp to use while entertaining.
Since it doesn’t get dark in Alaska during the summer months, we can’t fully enjoy the ambiance of the candles flame glowing through the frosted plastic panes, but I bet it’s quite pretty.
I recommend the OFF! Power Pad Lamp for use in the yard, during a barbecue, while entertaining, lounging on the deck, or to take with you while camping. It works!
