Mosquitoes can cause havoc in your yard and home, with their nasty, itchy bites. They’re also known to spread serious diseases such as yellow fever, malaria, Dengue fever, chikungunya, the West Nile or Zika virus, and encephalities.
Therefore, the need to protect yourself and your loved ones from mosquitoes goes without saying. Although an aerosol or spray bottle is enough for a room or two in your house, outdoor and commercial use requires large-capacity foggers. So, what is an insect fogger?
Insect foggers are tools used to dispense insecticides and pesticides; they atomize and spray their chemical contents to kill and repel insects. Since they come in various types, you need to decide on the specific type you want, given your area of application. There’s also the need to choose between indoor and outdoor foggers, as well as hot and cold foggers.
To help make this choice easier for you, here are some of the most popular types:
Ultra Low Volume (ULV) Insect Foggers – this type of fogger dispenses insecticides in microns for uniform spraying of a large area. It can also produce fine compressed mist sprays for effective killing of insects. Powered by electricity, these insect foggers are typically used indoors.
Electric Insect Foggers – this type of fogger uses electricity to convert insecticide into a fog. Since they’re powered by electricity, these foggers are only used indoors. However, the thick and dense mist they produce render them ideal for outdoor use in flower gardens, yards, lawns, and even on trees.
Propane Insect Foggers – this type of insect fogger uses fire to generate powerful, dense fogs for outdoor use in greeneries, on trees, and even bushes. Areas sprayed with this type of fogger are usually instantly ready for use.
Aerosol Insect Foggers – this type of fogger comes in a spray bottle, hence the easiest to use. Since no special tool is needed to use an aerosol, you simply spray it on your intended area. They’re not as dense as other insect foggers and mostly used indoors. Some types are also designed for outdoor use on low bushes, tree branches, etc.
Whether you’re preparing your yard or
patio for a
barbecue, picnic, or party,
backpacking for your next camping adventure, or simply want to kill the annoying insects indoors, there’s an ideal insect fogger out there for your specific needs. We hope that this guide will help you make an informed decision.
Price
Insect foggers come with various features to support different applications ranging from light use indoors or outdoors once in a while, to regular use. The material, capacity, size, brand, quality, and the general features an insect fogger comes built with determine its price. Whereas foggers designed for basic one-time use come with a few features, those designed for regular prolonged use come with more features.
As such, basic foggers are priced lower than high-quality insect foggers for large-scale use in complex application areas. Depending on your intended use, choose a fogger accordingly. There’s no need to spend so much if you just need a fogger for one-time use to kill insects. However, for prolonged, constant use, invest in a fogger of premium quality. You’ll find insect foggers in the price range of $5 to $250. But remember, don’t buy a fogger just because it has a lower price—lower price sometimes means lower quality.
Features
Insect foggers come in handy when there’s need to kill annoying insects, such as mosquitoes and roaches. These devices facilitate spraying of insecticides or pesticides to your intended area of application. When shopping for an insect fogger, you need to choose the right type, capacity, and power sources among other features.
Here are the most important features to look out for in an insect fogger:
- Type (propane, aerosol, electric, etc.)
- Size for portable or stationary use
- Handles/straps for easy carriage
- Construction material for strength and durability
- Power source for electric or manual use
- Capacity to hold enough insecticides or pesticides
- Coverage to treat a large or small area
- Extras such as a user manual and product warranty
- Efficient and effective fogs to kill and control insects
- Easy to use and maintain
- Durable for prolonged use
With a good insect fogger, you can expect to use it regularly to kill and control insects for many years to come.
Construction and Design
When shopping for an insect fogger, look out for the following features:
Type - choose the type of insect fogger you want for your specific area of application.
Size – decide whether you want a stationary or portable insect fogger and choose size accrodingly. Small, comapct, and lightweight foggers allow portable use.
Handles/Straps – if you opt for a portable insect fogger, it needs a strap or handle to carry it around while in use.
Construction Material – choose a fogger made of a strong material for durability.
Efficiency to Atomize & Spray – choose an effective insect fogger to kill insects and keep them away for hours. For prolonged protection, you might need to fog daily for a week to completely eliminate the insects in your area for a long period.
Power Source – decide whether you want an electric or manual insect fogger or sprayer for ease of use and increased efficiency.
Capacity – insect foggers come with different capacities. Choose the right capacity for your application area. The larger the coverage area, the higher the capacity of your fogger.
Coverage – insect foggers cover different coverage areas such as 100 feet or 5000 square feet. Choose appropriately to suit your given area of application.
Extras – also look out for extrs such as a user manual on how to use and maintain your chosen fogger and a warranty for protection from manufacturing faults.
Performance and Ease of Use
Whichever insect fogger you opt for, make sure it’s efficient and effective in killing and controlling the insects you target. Your fogger needs to be easy to use and maintain, and made of a strong, high quality material for durable use. Also ensure your fogger is easy to clean and compact to take up less space during storage.
If you decide to buy a portable insect fogger, it needs to be lightweight and compact to allow mobile use. For stationary foggers for indoor use, ensure they come with proper mounting brackets to hold them in place. A fogger you can use either indoors or outdoors can come in handy when you need to kill insects in your house or in the backyard as you deem necessary.
Choose an insect fogger of the right type, size, and capacity to meet your insect killing and controlling needs. The best insect foggers are durable, easy to use and maintain, and are effective in killing targeted insects. Find out if one of our recommended insect foggers is something you would like.
Whatever your need for an insect fogger, be it preparing your yard for a party or barbecue, planning for your next camping trip, or simply ridding insects from your house, there’s one out there for you. We hope that with our review of five of the top insect foggers, you’re now in a position to pick your ideal fogger. In case you need something different, check out our chemical sprayer reviews.
