SkeeterVac

Pros: Very Effictave,No Power, Cost, Easy Set-Up
Cons: Uses more propane then the "Mosquito Magnet"

We are building a house in Maine, where the Mosquito is concidered the state bird! At our house lot, we are on a Meadow & a brook, very wet, and all of the soil is turned up. We have been tring to camp there, but the very heavy mosquito population has ...

Pros: Uses 5 methods to attract and kill vs only 2-3 used by other brands.
Cordless
Cons: I hear they don't last (durability), but we haven't had trouble yet.

We live in an area that has a protected county park right outside our backyard fence. This park is heavily wooded and quite damp as well. This means we have a major mosquito problem. After 8pm we were forced to go inside or be eaten alive. You could ...

Pros: Kills lots of mosquitos around here. No electricity required.
Cons: High maintenance item.

My wife talked me into buying this at Sam's club 3 days ago. Price was $281. I was very skeptical but had read a very positive review of it elsewhere. We live on a 1 acre lot in SW Ohio. Quite a few trees in the back yard bordered by a creek in the back. ...

Pros: Heavy volume wide area good price No cords Attractant lasts long time & quiet
Cons: High Maintenance Difficult Keeping fan clean Sticky cover hard to apply w/o sticking to hands

We just bought one of these, as well as a Mosquito Magnet, a month ago. They both cost the same. The Mosquito Magnet works well, but is only 1/2 acre coverage, but it is easy to maintain. But its attractant lasts much shorter than Skeeter Vac, and all ...

Pros: Really Works
Cons: The replacement sticky Tac-traps are difficult to attach securely. I tape them with duct tape.

We have a cottage in Northern Ontario. The mosquitoes and black flies are so bad in June that you really can't go outdoors without either a bug jacket or covering yourself with deet. I didn't expect the SkeeterVac to help much in June but I was hoping ...

Pros: Very solidly built. Easy to put together. Good instructions. Quiet. No cord needed.
Cons: None.

Picked this up at Sam's Club last night for $349. Very easy to put together, (wheels and stand are the only assembly tasks). Positioned it as called for, about 20 feet from the patio, threw on the propane tank, and started it up! Was surprised at how...

Pros: Self-powered. Price. Solid unit. Easy set-up. Configurable bait chips. Blue Rhino product.
Cons: None so far.

I'm confused about the previous 1-star rating! Early spring (especially with all the rain we've ha ...

Pros: It really does work. We have major infestation and can see a difference.
Cons: It is expensive to buy and will be expensive to maintain, but worth it.

We bought the SceeterVac at Sam's Club for $283.00. You also have to buy a $40 propane tank if you don't have an empty one sitting around to have refilled. We turned it on around 10:00 p.m. last night and by 6:30 this morning we had caught probably 200 ...

Pros: Works very well especially in wet areas.
Cons: Fan gets jammed to easily and led connections should be non rusting.

I bought my Skeetervac sv35 last May 2004 online from Merrifield garden center in Virginia. They were the lowest priced dealer and they have the tac traps and bait blocks for sale at reasonable prices as well. Anyway, my skeetervac worked very well with ...

Pros: Works Great
Cons: Customer service at Blue Rhino stinks.

Bought a Skeeter-Vac SV-1000 on ebay. It is the 1993 model and it works great. I added the 2004 / 2005 Tack Trap sticky paper that goes on the new models and that increased the performance x2. It works great to get green heads and dear flies. ...

Pros: Easy to use, easy to set up, works great, no electricity required.
Cons: None we've found

We have had the SV-35 for almost two weeks now and it has been working great. I react very badly to mosquito bites and they have been so bad here in Southern Wisconsin that I could barely go outside. We picked the Skeetervac after reading reviews here ...

Pros: Works longer than they claim. Nice low profile. Quiet.
Cons: Clean out is a pain. Cost of attractent.

Being up North, I think we have a better chance than those people in the Southern areas to catch mosquitoes. We don't have the Tiger mosquito up here. My SV2000 has caught a great amount of 'skeeters, Black Flies, and deer flies. The trap has to be ...

Pros: Initial cost, effective biting insect attraction, customer support, cordless.
Cons: Reliability, cost of use (propane, bait, sticky tape, etc), portability (no wheels on SV-27).

Prior to purchasing, I was worried about reliability of both the Mosquito Magnet and the Skeeter Vac. However, I ultimately decided on the Skeeter Vac (SV-27) for its lower cost, cord-free use, and better user ratings for reliability. I bought the item ...

Pros: easy to build; good price (comparatively); no electricity required; easy to tell its on
Cons: unproven manufacturer; gotta pay for LP every 3 weeks; supplied tools are worthless

Bought this unit form WALMART.COM ($389)after researching these on the web. The SkeeterVac looks li ...

Pros: Relatively inexpensive compared to the competition, good performance, mobile and self-contained (no power cord req'd)
Cons: Doesn't instantly eradicate all mosquitoes within a 3 block radius

This wet spring has brought forth one of the worst crops of mosquitoes in years. My house backs onto woodland and the backyard has been unlivable this spring so far. I have a 4 year old daughter and a 6 year old son that used to love to play in the ...

Pros: Really gets rid of mosquitoes and gnats.
Cons: Expensive $269 at Sam's. Expensive 21 days $13 propane. 2 Tacky strips for $17.00.

The SkeeterVac is like Mosquito Magnet, Mosquito Deleto and other insect collectors in that a propane flame creates heat and CO2 which is similar to the temperature of exhaled breath of a human being and thus attracts mosquitos and gnats and other ...

Pros: Wide sticky paper captures black flys, mosquitos and other bugs 24/7
Cons: No fan or net on this budget unit.

Update: May 31st - Mosquito hunting season has begun! How do I know? I checked the sticky paper and low and behold, it had about 20 of the nasty buggers with their feet stuck and their wings flapping like crazy trying to get free. Hopefully they know ...

Pros: effective. LED lights give confirmation of function easy setup.
Cons: orifice clogs easily can kill unintended targets (small climbing frogs) expensive to run

Bought the SV-2000 model from SAMS last year. It functioned extremely well at my one acre home in Northeast Arkansas when installed. I was getting aproximately half a basket of mosquitoes for each of the first several days, and the tack paper seemed ...

Pros: Very effective right out of the box (with proper placement)
Cons: Replacement items expensive. Ensure you get the right sized model for your property.

I can't help but feel that this product is the outdoors equivalent of an inkjet printer: the consumable items will end up far surpassing the cost of the item itself. I ended up purchasing the SV-15, which provides 1/2 acre coverage. I should have held ...

Pros: Cordless, propane powered, 3 attractants+ 2 catchers, inexpensive compared to similar brands.
Cons: Impossible to keep running. Refills are very expensive.

We live in Southern Wisconsin, on a 7 acre hobby farm with 2 horses, surrounded by a marsh next to a lake. Our mosquitoes were so bad we literately couldn't go outside and our horses were completely miserable with fly sheets, layers of spray, and masks. ...

Pros: Works well when it works
Cons: Fan plugs up easily, weak fan, lots of time spent cleaning the fan

I bought the SV-35 SkeeterVac about 2 months ago to help reduce the mosquito population around our house. We live on a 43 acre treed lot with a quite a few low lying damp regions not too far from the 3 acre yard, include two small swamps (about 1/3 of a ...

Pros: The machine works phenomenal when its working
Cons: It does require some work on a yearly or less basis. needs a good cleaning

I have successfully repaired my skeeter vac several times. I had to upgrade some of the materials but the two machines I have are working on their fourth season. If you are down and in the dumps about your skeeter vac, email me at Gkconst@comcast.net. I ...

Pros: It helps when it's working
Cons: Frequent problems

If you enjoy wrenching on an appliance while mosquitoes are eating you alive, then you have found utopia! But to be fair - This thing actually does work – when it’s working, that is. This is my fourth year with this thing, and when it’s running, it ...

Pros: Does work if you run system 24/7 from mid Spring to Fall
Cons: Expensive to operate whole unit must be replaced if broken, no parts per Blue Rhino

Have had my unit now since they first came out in Summer 2003. Got the unit to replace a Mosquito Magnet Freedom model which failed to work after 1 year of use also. Paid $310 for my unit at Sam's club (with tax) unit worked for two summer's then konked ...

Pros: Cordless, easily put together.
Cons: Doesn't catch the mosquitoes in my yard! Mine didn't last a year!

(April 2006) - The mosquitoes are beginning to appear so I went to start up the SV-35 and see how well it worked this year. Well, it caught fire - very small but it melted part of the fan. The passage ways were clear of any obstructions and I'm not ...

Pros: No power cord needed
Cons: Does not catch mosquitoes

After reading all of the good reviews at eopinions, I had high hopes for the Skeeter Vac. I live in South Carolina and, and we have lots of aggressive mosquitoes. They especially love my family for some reason. We cannot be outside for more than a ...

Pros: Conversation piece.
Cons: Ugly, ineffective, very expensive to purchase and operate, difficult to light.

I have had this unit for 1 1/2 years now. I bought it with high hopes based on SkeeterVac's advertising. I can honestly say now that I wish I had kept my money in my pocket. Firstly, it is not only expensive to purchase but costs about $60.00 a month ...

Pros: product actually works
Cons: craps out after 1st season. bait & trap refill is expensive

1st year of use it was "OK". the trap would get full, and then you would replace the trap and scent. but, its $20 for the scent and $20 for the trap! and it goes through a tank of gas once every other month. ouch.. this is major expense. but.. ...

Pros: Easy to assemble. does not not need to be plugged in to electrical outlet.
Cons: Not effective at catching mosquitos

I live in Western NY on 5 wooded acres. It is my first summer in this house, but I was certian I would have a mosquito problem. Sure enough, we have had a wet spring so we have a bumper crop of mosquitos. I purchased the Vac in mid May at Sam's Club ...

Pros: None.
Cons: Doesn't work at all.

I bought the SV-2000 at Sam's Club after reading the reviews here. I fired it up and gave it about a week to operate. I checked the trap and there was 1 mosquito and about 30 tiny little bugs. There were various species of bugs stuck to the paper but no ...

Pros: none
Cons: unreliable unit after only 2 months

I live on the edge of a lake and wooded area that is a mosquito producing haven. I purchased the SV-35 hoping to reduce the population even though I knew it was like using a fly swatter to kill an infantry division. Anyway, I set it up and went through ...

Pros: Easy to set up, ignite, and move to any location
Cons: Design flaw in trapping mosquitoes destroys product's potential.

I bought the skeeter vac when it first came out over a year ago. I was hoping to at least catch some of the many mosquitoes in my yard. I have followed all instructions. the machine ignites without a problem and I can position it anywhere for best ...

Pros: Easy to assemble. Does not require power cord as it completely runs on propane. Quiet.
Cons: Is not functional at trapping mosquitoes. Poorly Engineered.

To simply state it this unit does not work! Not only does it not work but if you take a look at the engineering/design of the unit one would have to seriously question how it would ever work other than by mosquitoes flying into the trap by pure...

Pros: Works great, portable.
Cons: Trap doesn't kill skeeters so you lose a few when emptying.

Purchased the SV2000 at SAMS three weeks ago for $282. Set it up on my property near Sterling AK on the Kenai Penninsula. It finally warmed up enough to let the swarms hatch and this thing worked great. From Fri eve to Sun morning the trap was nearly full and the sticky tape was loaded with skeeters. Rough estimate is well into the hundreds of dead skeeters, it worked so well my buddie who checked it the weekend before last and found it empty has decided to buy one today. I will check it again this Fri and post an update.

Pros: works great, neutral color, easy to move, cordless, small size
Cons: replace/refilling gas tank

We love our SkeeterVac. From the moment we started it, it started catching mosquitos. We could tell the little buggers were drawn to it since we could watch it from our back window. They came and landed all over it. All the ones that just sat on it got caught by the sticky paper and then hundreds were pulled into the basket where they all died. Yeah!

With regard to the gentleman that didn't catch anything, I think maybe he had the Asian Tiger skeeters that need a different bait to lure them in. It's called Lurex. That's what we found out in our research before purchasing this product.

We've used ours for 3 years now and recommend it to all our neighbors that can't go outside and enjoy their porches during the mosquito season. It gets pretty heavy where we live.

Pros: Enjoy your yard or deck at night.
Cons: Have to buy propane gas when it runs out, as with a gas grill.

We also bought ours at Sam's Club last year and it did work great. It takes a few weeks they say to get the full effect. Make sure you do NOT look at the blue light, it can blind you it says, so watch your children.We have ours on the deck and enjoyed the pool in the evenings.

Pros: Great catch rate and cordless.
Cons: Expensive supplies and rather small net.

We bought our SkeeterVac Model SV-2000A from a local Sam's club for about 325.00 with 4 tac sheets and 2 bait blocks. We live right next to a wooded area and have had a fair amount of rain so far this year. Two nights ago my wife commented how bad the mosquito's were outside and I told her I would check the Vac in the morning and that the tank had probably run out (they last between 2 and 3 weeks running 24/7). Last night I changed the tank over, replaced the Tac Strip and bait block. This morning, I walked over to it and was totally shocked at the amt that was on the tac strip from just one night- and the net was half full! I have to order more tac strips today and am a little surprised at how pricey they are but it is definitely worth the money. I really like this brand/model because it is totally cordless and you can pretty much set it up and forget about it for a couple weeks or when it needs emptying.

Pros: SV-15 is $160. Works great.
Cons: Propane & trap expense. Tank heavy w/ no wheels.

Love it! Using it in a 1 acre front yard that has a large 1800 sq. ft. koi pond. Smaller model is cheap and uses less propane than the bigger model. Directions a little lacking but a simple design. May want to use gloves taking the safety paper off the glue trap paper. Started it on 7/15/04, the day it arrived. Caught only 5 the first day, 28 day 3. Now move it around every day to hit different areas; about 150 on it on day 9! Plus an equal quantity of biting flies. I move it assembled and running vs. taking it apart a rec'd. Grab w/ 1 hand and steady the top w/ the other hand. Now only get an occasional bite w/ no deet, vs. 4 bites typical when sitting out front. Very worth the maintenance & gas/trap expense.

Pros: Quiet operation, Easy to start/use, catches/kills Mosquitos! Sticky Trap and Octenol attractant easy to replace.
Cons: At $320.00, is still pretty pricey to combat Mosquitos!

I purchased a SkeeterVac SV-2000. I assembled the unit easily with no tools in about 10 minutes. I then started unit at about 6 pm and let it run all night. I checked unit at 6 am. WOW! One side of the sticky trap was completely covered by Mosquitos! I then checked the screen trap which also had a lot of Mosquitos, and other unknown insects! I can only imagine that through consistent use, that the overall Mosquito population around my house will decrease! Unit is very easy to operate/start. It's compact size makes placement easy anywhere. The unit is a lot quieter than I thought (I can't hear it running 5 or more feet away!) Feel free to Email me questions about unit at: 10lbkey@firehousemail.com. I paid about $320.00 for entire unit. I am writing this review so people don't overpay on other brands that sell for 2 to 5 times higher! Your welcome!

Pros: Catches mass quantities of biting insects
Cons: Doesn't get them all

I just emptied the 'wave' trap of hundreds if not thousands of skeeters after a week on the current tank of propane. The sticky trap has hundreds more. I've also seen the sticky trap so full of yellow flies, I don't think I could have placed another on it.

I live on a few acres of bottom land and with the rains we've been getting, about a half acre remains under 3" - 12" of water. Prime breeding grounds apparently and I had to do something, the city's control was sporadic at best and I could have been carried away by the amount of 'skeeters here.

This was available at my local warehouse club for less than $300 so I jumped on it. It goes through 20# of propane in about three weeks (I would keep a spare tank on hand so you don't have a lapse in coverage while trying to get your tank filled) and the tack traps get so full in the beginning that I changed them out every couple of weeks instead of once a month like the manual says.

Pros: Truly cordless. Not as finicky as high priced "magnets"
Cons: 15 day propane, but 60 day octenol makes up for that.

Bought a mosquito magnet years ago.....when it works, it works well....just doesn't work all that often. Thinking about buying one?...call their customer service and create a problem....you'll buy a skeetervac. Worried about birds, frogs and meteors getting caught in the sticky trap? Don't use the sticky trap. Still far superior than the competitors. I caught a lady bug the other day....guess I should call lowes....please. Works awesome! Disconnect the tank while running it...still goes. Do that with a mosquito magnet. More frequent tank changes....yeah that's right, but I'm not pulling out my co2 cartriges, adaptors and 21 day octenol either. Thing's a tank and works awesome. Best monet I ever spent and where you get your prices, have no idea. My SV35 was 249.00 compared to 600.00 from Mosquito Magnet for a truly cordless unit.

Pros: plenty of blackflies stuck on the side and in the trap. Runs quiet too
Cons: $$$ to run

I purchased my 1.2 acre Skeeter Vac and minutes after I fired it up, it had about 30 Blackflies in the trap. I live in Northern Ontario Canada, and for those who don't know, this is Blackfly country. I am very impressed with my Skeeter Vac and the Trap has to be dumped about every two days. It does cost a bit for the Octanol and Propane but it is WORTH IT!!!

I haven't hit Mosquito season yet but I'm sure I'll be pleased. So far the SkeeterVac works great for Blackflies and I recommend it to anyone.

Pros: it works. cordless.
Cons: none.

i bought this product thanks to the good reviews on this site.
having used it for a month i am satisfied.
i have a 1/3 acre yard that is near an open drain. we also have rice fields at the outskirts of our small town in arkansas. as a result we have not used our yard much in the summer.
i initially wanted to buy a mosquito magnet, but was put off by the bad reviews and the fact that it was not cordless.
i hesitated to buy the sv-15 which is the smallest model and does not have a suction trap for the mosquitos. it relies on a sticky paper to trap the mosquitos. after using the device for a month, the sticky trap is covered with mosquitos and the yard is mosquito free.
the monthly costs for supplies are a small price to pay(shop online for good deals for the supplies and the machine)

Pros: It works great. Great Product.
Cons: I wish I knew about the Skeetervac before I bought the Mosquito Magnet

The SkeeterVAC works and starts easily every time.

I tried the mosquito magnet which was impossible to start.

The SkeeterVAC is not sensitive to Propane tanks like the Mosquito Magnet.

Skeetervac starts easily every time and catches more mosquitos than the Mosquito Magnet

Pros: SkeeterVac is less expensive and works better.
Cons: SkeeterVac sticky paper and fine tune attractant are not cheep, no CO2 to fool with.

I bought 2 Mosquito Magnets, the pro which I paid $1000 for worked for 4 months and died, they repaired it under warranty and it worked for another four months. The second time it died, they wanted $495 to repair it. Why bother when the SkeeterVac cost less to buy new than the repair for the Mosquito Magnet. The SkeeterVac works better then the Mosquito Magnet ever did. The SkeeterVac catches the bugs via a sticky paper on the outside and a screen trap on the inside. I empty the screen trap every three days. The sticky paper is not cheap, but it gets the job done. There is something satisfying about seeing all those bugs stuck in place and not able to bite us.

Pros: Very effective on all mosquitoes and black flies found in Northwestern Ontario
Cons: Sticky traps are effective, but expensive

24 hours after installing SV 35 our sticky tape was almost completely covered with black flies and mosquitoes. The bug drawer was half filled. I give the drawer a quick spray with Raid before emptying. Each day thereafter, the bug numbers dropped. We have a 5 acre landscaped area and we found that if we wanted to work in peace we simply wheeled the trap to our working location. Didn't completely eliminate the bugs but came close. I have been looking into the bug drawer and had mosquitoes fly by my head to get into the trap. The sticky tape is very effective but costly. I found I could pour a little paint thinner on it, scrape the bugs off, and wipe it reasonably clean with a old cloth. I then applied a coat of Tanglefoot and the tape was as good as new.
I highly recommend it for anyone who has a large bug population and needs to reduce their levels to tolerable levels.

Pros: IT WORKS. Kills hundreds of mosquito's a day.
Cons: None so far

My neighbor just picked me up a Skeeter Vac at our local plumbing supply store. I live on a Pond/swamp and our yard can be terrible in the Summer as the Mosquito's can pretty much carry you away. Within a week you can actually lay on y hammock without getting eaten alive. I don't care how much is costs to replace a few tanks of propane, the sticky strips or the bait to me it well worth getting rid of the Skeeter's. It's easy to set up and once it was running I haven't had to touch it again. It sure costs a lot less than those $1,200 Plus units!!!

Pros: Does its job very quickly from the start. Good instructions and easy to put together.
Cons: Fan easily obstructed, Instructions & manual not cover detailed enough, fuel Igniter plugs.

First, this is the greatest machine for reducing the mosquito population, including yellow flies here in North Florida. My problem started with a small green tree frog getting into the fan, keeping the mosquitoes from being trapped. I let it sit for a while outside (during the winter) not knowing that was the problem. When summer bugs started gathering I could not get it to work. There isn't any detail manual available with the machine or on line. I searched for a couple of months. I finally figured out how to take the top off to get to the fan and remove the frogs. When I put it back together it would "pop" but not ignite. I called the 800 number and the support was superb. They sent a new engine out and I am mosquito free...well mostly. I don't think you can ever get them all.

Recommend Buying: YES (mostly because of support)

Pros: on sale for 299. easy to assemble
Cons: none yet. i dont mind a little maintanence to be able to enjoy outdoors

Just bought the Skeetervac sv-35 and it was easy to assemble and get operating, and I placed it where the mosquitos are real bad, and after 2 hours of operation, theres one mosquito in the trap, yet there are hundred of them flying around it. It definitely attracts them but wondering it it can actually catch them, or if occasionally one accidentally goes into the trap. I feel no vacuum or suction, but hear a fan noise. Ill keep you posted. woah woah. I just stopped typing and went outside for kicks thinking maybe Id report a few more trapped, and there are now 20 in there. that would be 19 in just a few minutes:):) does seem like its working great. Ill write again in a few days

Pros: Reduces mosquito population, quiet
Cons: Expensive to run (1 propane tank every 2 weeks). Runs 24/7.

I paid $282 for my Skeeter Vac at Sam's Club (the price dropped a week later to $250 for the end of season sale). It is great at getting rid of mosquitoes, but doesn't really affect the deer fly population in my yard (bummer because those are the worst). I was disappointed that the instruction manual wasn't more specific, and does not offer much maintenance advice. After two weeks, I changed the first propane tank, and within a day I noticed that the outside was getting really hot and the plastic on top was starting to melt. When I called their help line, I was told to remove the top, and spray the fan and everything inside with Windex and then wipe it down (disgusting job). Apparently, the fan was gummed up with bugs. I wish the manual would have mentioned this in a "routine maintenance" section. Overall, I am pleased with it so far. I heard the Mosquito Magnet is unreliable after the first year, more expensive and gives poor customer service, so that is why I went with this model.

Pros: works great when they run
Cons: gas orifice clogs too easily

I have had many problems getting my unit to re-light after replacing the tank or after storing for the winter. I found out that all you need to do is clean the gas orifice and it will re-light even after the unit has sit for a year ( we fixed a unit that had been replaced by the company under warranty).

Pros: Customer service seems to be very good. Unit seems to be well built.
Cons: So far it doesn't catch anything. Will update after receiving new engine.

I purchased the SV3100 from Northern Tool at a pretty good discount, but have been very disappointed up to now. This is a newer model with the catch tray above the fan, but even with mosquitos flying all around it, there isn't enough suction to draw them in. I called customer service and they were very polite and are sending me a new engine. I only hope it has more suction. Has anyone else experienced this.

Pros: Product controlled mosquitoes a bit for the limited life of product.
Cons: Short product life span, quality of components, customer service, cost of repairs.

I own an SV-35 which I purchased in Spring of 04. I have used for basically three seasons. This year the engine failed. I called customer service and was provided two options. First was that I could trade in my old engine for a refurb. with only a 30 day warranty or second, I could get a refurb. direct from them for $125 and a 1 year warranty. I was very disappointed in the cost to repair here considering the unit cost me $300 new. Also, I am only able to get a used item back from the factory no matter which option I chose. I will not buy from this company again.

Pros: It costs less to buy than most that operate on the same principle.
Cons: It doesn't work for long and customer service abandons you after warranty.

I bought an SV-2000 in June,2004 because mosquitoes are bad here in Houston and the price was right. Out of the box, it wasn't catching much of anything. Found out that since we have Asian Tigers, I needed to use Lurex as bait. That worked great, but by December of 2004 it got to where it would not start. Customer service was very helpful and sent me a new engine. I fired that up about March 2005. About August 2005 - warranty expired - it started acting up again. They would not even answer my e-mails asking for help. Now, I can't get it to start. I'll take the thing apart and see what I can find, but I'm pretty fed up. Even when it's working, it's expensive and takes a lot of TLC

Pros: Kills mosquitos
Cons: Hazard for some birds, e.g. cardinals

We have had the skeetervac for several years. Twice we have discovered that a cardinal somehow got stuck to the sticky paper - each time there were lots of red feathers stuck to it.

Pros: Easy to set up and use (when it works)
Cons: Terrible customer service Poor machine life

I also live in SE Wisconsin and this would have been the third year I have had the SV1000. The product worked okay when I first started using it. Although I went all out and did the lawn spray and an occasional fog. I am most upset with the fact that this year I went to pull it out and it won't start. I called customer service and described my problem, they said I need a new $70 motor. I told them I would rather throw the whole thing out. I would expect that if I paid that much for a machine, it should work for more than 2 summers. On that basis alone, I would never buy another one of these machines. The Terro lawn spray worked really well and only cost about $10 for a bottle to cover my lawn. It is a little more labor intensive, but you don't have to pay for propane, nets, and bait.

Pros: Easy to assemble, works out of the box, very nice customer service reps.
Cons: Unreliable, very expensive consumables which cannot be purchased locally.

I purchased my SV-2000 at Sam's club in late 2005 to control mosquitoes in my back yard. The unit was easy to assemble and came with sticky tape and a chemical lure. Beginning in September, I ran the unit nearly continuously until May 2006. Despite having cleaned the unit rigorously, replacing the battery, filling with fresh propane, the engine will not stay lit and, now, will not light at all. While I was impressed with the number of nasty bugs this unit caught in the first months of operation, I don't believe it is worth the high price tag. Also, Blue Rhino's prices for SkeeterVac's replacements are excessive - they take the Gillette razor business model to an crazy level. Alternatives, like spraying malathion or other pyrethrin insecticide around your yard every couple of weeks, can also be considered.

Pros: When it works it is very, very effective at catching mosquitoes.
Cons: Poor durability/reliability

The SV-15 worked FANTASTICALLY for the first season, catching thousands of mosquitoes and really making a difference to our bug problem. It was stored as recommended over the winter but would not start/ignite when we tried to use it this year. We are just over the 1 year warranty limit, as seems to be usual for failure of this unit. I guess it's a case of, if you're lucky enough to get a reliable one you'll be over the moon with it, but sadly, many people seem not to be that lucky. I've heard exactly the same complaints about the Mosquito Magnet products, so not sure what to try next! **Update** Took it apart and cleaned everything out thoroughly (air blaster) including some bits that were obviously not designed to be dismantled and it's now working again! Still wouldn't recommend it as we're just lucky that my husband is engineering minded.

Pros: Does a great job at catching mosquitoes
Cons: Reliability questionable, only worked for one season before breaking down.

When this item worked it did a wonderful job of catching thousands and thousands of mosquitoes. The replacement lures are expensive. My unit wouldn't light properly the second year I used it. Contacted company to find out how and where I could get it repaired and was told that currently they didn't have any repair facilities. Who ever heard of selling $400 units that can't be repaired. Beware of purchasing this product.

Pros: Easy to set up.
Cons: Not helping with mosquito population.

We purchased the SkeeterVac at Canadian Tire. We have had it running non-stop in our yard. It claims to have 1+ acre coverage. Today I couldn't even go out in the yard in 25+ degree weather, whereas before we had this thing running, I had no problem. For the money, I expected a lot greater results.

Pros: sv35 worked great for two summer's. then broke
Cons: older models ran hotter so they caught more mosquitoes,but stopped working.

i have now bought four machine's, the sv35 worked great for two summer's then stopped working! the sv3100 did not last a year and the two sv5100 have not caught many bug's in the drawer.the older model's ran hotter producing more mosquitoes in the drawer.the newer models do not run as hot(design flaw)therefore less of an attraction to the mosquitoes also less suction power.sv3100 did not last 5 month's of use!company does have a repair dept. so if it break's after a year you may as well throw it out.i am stunned that the better business bureau has not shut them down.they sold me a bad machine and will replace new head, but i am to pay to send back broken head!!!

Pros: None that  I can think of.
Cons: Flawed design w/r respect to trapping mosquitos & high propane usage with minimal results.

Do not waste your time, money, and propane on this system. Our Mosquito Magnet which lasted for 4 years was replaced with a Skeeter NoVac due to the cheaper price for codrless and 5-star reviews. There is definitely a design flaw whereby the lure is not in the right place relative to the "minimal" suction, so while the Skeeter NoVac attracts mosquitos, like another reviewer said, the only ones you trap are by chance. At two months into non-stop operation this year we haven't cleaned the unit's trap once and have gone through propane 50% faster than the Mosquito Magnet even though we are inundated with mosquitos living next to wetlands. We're going to toss this one out after 1 1/4 seasons and buy the Independence Model of Mosquito Magnet. 

Pros: None
Cons: does not work and the life span is very short. Too expensive to operate--$30/month

Tomorrow, I will have owned this SV-2000 (from Sam's) for 2 years. It has never done a very good job with the mosquito population in South Texas. Tonight, the engine failed to light. Storage was in accordance with the manual and it has never been abused. It is going out in the trash.

Pros: It really does trap a TON of mosquitoes when it works.
Cons: Very problematic in starting. Appears that the fuel flow gets clogged VERY easily

I purchased my Skeetervac from SAM's Club last year. It worked great initially and killed a huge quantity of mosquitoes. But by the 3 or 4th tank of propane, I couldn't start it anymore. I called the help line and they instructed me to remove the fuel filter (a TINY little cloth fiber inside the unit). I was able to get it started after that, but it was very flakey and the flow didn't seem to be as controlled. This year I get it all set to go and it will not start again. So here it is the beginning of the season, and it's DOA. Gotta call them again for more advice. I just want it work. It should start as reliably as a gas grill....but NOOOO. So buyer beware. I really wouldn't recommend this thing to anyone at this point.

Pros: Did reduce number of mosquitoes when working properly.
Cons: DANGEROUS FIRE HAZARD. Have read at least one other post here about unit catching fire.

Our SkeeterVac exploded and caught fire causing extensive fire damage to property at beginning off second season of use. Have contacted Blue Rhino Risk Mgmt Dept. Will update as to their customer service regarding this incident. Be careful!!! If children had been in yard at time it could have been fatal.

Pros: None
Cons: Tack traps messy and expensive. Doesn't catch many bugs. Expensive to maintain.

Had one of these running for a month before it broke down. Over the month it caught maybe a hundred or so blackflies and three mosquitoes as well as many houseflies, moths, spiders and a wasp or two. After the first propane change the engine refused to start up. Customer service weren't too helpful telling me that I would have to return it to them for repair (of course I was to pay for shipping). I returned it to the retailer got a refund and bought a mosquito magnet.

In one evening the magnet caught about 30 blackflies and 6 or 7 mosquitoes. Seems to me the magnet is a better product.

Save yourself time (and money) and buy a mosquito magnet. The monthly costs for a magnet are ~ 30 dollars (Canadian), for the skeeter vac its as much as 60 dollars since the tacky (or should that be tack) trap has to be changed.

Pros: It does not require an electrical connection to operate and reduces the number of mosquitoes.
Cons: It is a major hazard to other wildlife such as birds!!

We purchased this unit less that two weeks ago. It definitely reduced the number of mosquitoes and other biting insects, however, the black and white "fly-paper" that traps many of the bugs becomes grotesque over time. Then the unthinkable happened; apparently a young Cardinal bird stuck to the "fly-paper." We don't know how it happened, but we found over a dozen of its main feathers stuck to the paper and many more smaller feathers. Thank goodness we did not have to observe its struggles or suffering, I doubt if we could have freed it from the sticky paper without injury to the bird. We called Sam's Club this morning and are returning it tomorrow. This unit should be recalled!!! Its one thing to see insects stuck to the sticky "fly paper," but totally different to find that a bird has probably been killed or suffered from the same fate.

Pros: Cordless, Catches mosquitos for two days before burning up.
Cons: Quit working after two days. Very slow getting parts for it.

I bought the skeetervac one month ago. It worked for two days, Then the fan quit working. I have spent hours on the phone trying to get a replacement or repair on this product. Sixteen days ago they said they would send a replacement part. I called again today and they said they have so many that need parts, It will be another week before it will be shipped. They wouldn't respond to my asking for my money back. I wish I had never purchased it
Buy a Mosquito Magnet. They work great.

Pros: Did it's job well (when it ran)
Cons: Replacement pieces are expensive, my units only lasted one season each.

This is our third season with the SkeeterVac, the first year it worked great, when I pulled it out for the second season it wouldn't start up. I called support and they ended up sending me a new engine under warranty. The unit ran fine all summer although it was very dry around here so it's usefulness was minimal. I got it out this year again, and once again it wouldn't start up. The unit is no longer under warranty, so it's going to cost me $70 to have them fix the unit or $140 for a new unit. I don't have experience with other brands, but I think I will fairly soon.

Pros: None
Cons: They don't work!!

We have had the Skeeter Vac set up for 3 weeks now and HAVE NOT CAUGHT ONE MOSQUITO!!!! The only bugs that have been caught have been on the sticky trap on the outside!! We realize that you have to give the thing a chance to work - but not one mosquito in three weeks - come on!! We still have to spray our kids with bug spray when they're playing outside. The whole reason that we spent $400. on the Skeeter Vac was so that we wouldn't have to do that!! I there was some way that we could get our money back (which we know that we can't), we would be all over buying a Mosquito Magnet instead. Our neighbours have one and they actually work.

Pros: None
Cons: It is an expensive, ugly yard ornament.

The product has been installed for three months with absolutely NO results. I called customer service(which is closed on Saturdays - when I tried to first install the product) to explore the reason and was told to remove the bait and it might work better. This strange solution did not help.

The installation manual is imprecise and hard to understand.

Don't waste your money

Pros: Can't think of any.
Cons: Doesn't work, expensive, Blue Rhino customer service stinks, did I mention - it doesn't work???

I've had the Skeeter Vac for about 3 months now. I bought it for $199 at Target. They boast a full acre of protection - HA! It took awhile to find a good spot in the yard - first few spots no mosquitos were caught (but a lot of harmless flies) and we kept on getting bit. Then I put it near some bushes and it started catching more, but we were still getting bit more than a few feet from it (an acre my butt!). Each time I changed the propane (every 3 weeks- $20) it got harder and harder to start. Now it won't start at all. Customer service was completely unhelpful - telling me just to return it to Target but Target won't take it back since it's more than 90 days! What a pain! Don't waste your time.

Pros: Great when it works, if the motor operates it catches thousands of mosquitos.
Cons: Motors are defective.

Bought the SV 1000 Summer 2003 worked great. Wiped out thousands of mosquitos. After 6 weeks motor stopped working. We got a replacement motor. Next summer results not as good and unit stopped working. We had an extended warranty through our retailer. They sent us a 3rd motor summer 2004. That didn't last. July 2005 as our warranty was almost up we needed a 4th motor. Same reason, would not stay lit. This summer, started the motor from last July and sure enough it won't stay lit. Contacted Blue Rhino and they said they stand behind their products and to call. They will ship us a new motor if WE BUY IT! We live in New England and the unit is used 2 months of the year. I would not buy another item from Blue Rhino and am ready to contact the BBB.