the trap does what it's supposed to do

By Rich Charpentier (Gadget's Airstream Chronicles)

While we never expected to be reviewing mosquito trapping systems for the Airstream Chronicles, recent events have made reviews of such devices necessary. Both our home, in NH, and our favorite vacation spots in Northern New Hampshire, harbor many mosquitoes. Did someone say Black Flies too??

The Airstream might be washed again.....

Within the past few weeks our attention has turned to rid-ding ourselves of the dreaded mosquito. The driveway has been a popular spot with them, and any work that needed to be done there was made “difficult”. Only one short week ago we tried the Mosquito Magnet, and ran into extreme difficulties within one day.

After finally returning our dysfunctional Mosquito Magnet and doing some good old fashioned research on the web we found the MegaCatch Mosquito Trap. The concept of this trap sounded simple enough. And the price tag of $249.00 was in line with the cost of the Mosquito Magnet Defender. Given how intolerable the driveway has been we decided to give the MegaCatch a try.

MegaCatch is not widely available yet, so we used their web site ordering system. The order was placed easily, and we received our E-mail receipt for the purchase. Unfortu-nately shipping could take up to 10 days (according to our receipt). While my hopes for a quick end to our mosquito plague were dashed slightly I decided a 10 day wait could be tolerated. Boy was I surprised when the product arrived 2 business days after the web purchase!

Good First Run

Like the Mosquito Magnet Defender, the MegaCatch was very easy to set up. Unlike the Defender, this unit did not use a propane tank to generate C02. Instead the system em-ploys a scent cartridge (refill every 30 days), lights (replace as needed), a fan system, and a liquid or net catch basin.

With the unit setup quickly we placed it in a shaded spot near our driveway and fired it up. The fan and lights came on, and the unit was off an running. In a short amount of time I noticed mosquitoes buzzing around the MegaCatch, just like when we fired up the Mosquito Magnet.

After running the system for several days I can safely say that it is effectively drawing in many mosquitoes, and cap-turing them as well. So far, so good.

Turning off and turning back on.....still working

The big failure with the Mosquito Magnet occurred when we attempted to move the system into a shadier spot. It would not start up correctly again after running it for less than a day. Apparently the system can be very fickle, and the issue usually deals with the propane system. This prob-lem has been noted all over the web by private consumers rating the product on review sites.
Mega-Catch's system has so far not shown the same problem. It does not rely on a propane source. Instead it uses a scent cartridge (so does the Magnet), a light system, and a fan. A very simple design. And simple designs means there's very little to break.

The Mega-Catch Mosquito Trap is a very small, very light unit. Relocation is simple. Simply unplug the device, and carry it to the next spot you choose for trapping. There's no worry about relocating a propane tank, no worry about blowing out the system with a CO2 cartridge, basically no worries. If you don't want to spend more time worrying about the maintenance of a trap system this one might be for you.

Keeping a schedule

Another interesting feature on the Mega-Catch is it's programmable interface. Users can set this product up to run only at night, run 24 hours a day, or run when you believe mosquitoes are at their worst.

A small computer interface on the device's main body has a digital clock greet users. The interface is quite simple, and new owners can quickly program when they'd like the unit to run. In our case we've left it on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as our mosquito situation is severe. For other users running from dusk to dawn might suffice.

Definitely an on the go device

After dealing with the Mosquito Magnet for a weekend we realized it was not a device that an Airstreamer would want to bring on their next trip. A simple relocation in our drive-way caused the unit to malfunction. I'd hate to think what a cross country trip would do.

The Mega-Catch on the other hand is definitely a portable device that will function after moving it anywhere. And I think any reader will agree, being able to use your product in any location without fear of breakdown is a necessary feature. Given the size and weight of the Mega-Catch, any Airstream owner wanting to bring one along will be pleased. The system is compact, light weight, and functional.

More to Come

After using the Mega-Catch for a few more weeks we'll provide further updates. For the moment I think we've found part of our mosquito solution!

Just for the fact that this product does what it says, is highly portable, and so far more reliable than its closest competitor we're giving it 4 out of 5 flamingos. Provided it keeps working and catching over the next few weeks we might be revising our rating. Check back soon.

Fourth of July Update!

After running the Mega-Catch for a little over a week and a half we emptied the catch net! I can safely state that Mega-Catch does what it is supposed to!

After opening the unit I realized quickly that I should have emptied it sooner. The Mega-Catch's net system was well filled. Several moths unfortunately entered the Mega-Catch, but the bulk of our catch was our dreaded mosquitoes.

The Mega-Catch has now been relocated a little further toward our wetland area on the property. While it has effectively bagged many mosquitoes to date, I believe it can do more a little further from the home and closer to our mosquito source. We'll run the unit for another week and see if the move gets us some more of our local pests. Also we'll test the “wet catch” system next week that was included with the system as well.

In comparison to our recent experience with the Mosquito Magnet the Mega-Catch Premier has been an easy product to use and maintain. Well worth the expenditure!

Gadget's Airstream Chronicles has also reviewed the Mosquito Magnet.