If mosquitoes are the bane of your existence in the warm months, you might want to try fighting smarter, not harder. At least, that’s the idea behind the Thermacell LIV, a smart mosquito repellent system that can be controlled by phone or voice, offering protection for outdoor areas up to 1,575 square feet.
Eliminating the need for monthly perimeter treatments and bug sprays, the LIV comes with a smart hub and up to five repellers, each about a foot tall, that you stick into the ground throughout your yard, near the areas you hang out. Inside each repeller is a heat-activated repellent cartridge that lasts for about 40 hours. The repeller heats and diffuses the repellent into the air, offering a 20-foot zone of protection (a 10-foot radius in every direction).
About 10 minutes before you plan to go outside, turn on the system and your backyard should be free of mosquitoes, Thermacell says. When you head inside, turn it off to save repellent.
The smart hub (pictured above) can be mounted to the side of your home. It plugs into any outdoor outlet and connects to your Wi-Fi network, so you can control the system from your phone via a companion app, or with your voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. A single cable connects the hub to all of the repellers.
In the companion app, you can also share system control with others, create schedules so it automatically turns on and off, and monitor estimated repellent levels. When you’re out of repellent, simply pop in a new cartridge and you should be good to go.
LIV’s repellent contains 5.5% of metofluthrin, an EPA-registered active ingredient that is odorless and undetectable to humans, but irritating to mosquitos. Thermacell says it repels “even the toughest mosquitoes including those that may transmit Encephalitis, Chikungunya, West Nile Virus, and Zika Virus.” The company says the repellent is safe for kids and pets, and is harmless to eat around.
The hub and repellers are meant to withstand severe weather, including snow and extreme heat, so you can leave them installed all year and turn the system on and off as needed. Thermacell says the DIY installation process only requires the tools needed to mount the hub to your home, and usually takes anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes.
The system is available now and starts at $699 for a three-repeller kit for areas up to 945 square feet. A four-repeller kit designed for spaces up to 1,260 square feet costs $799, and a five-repeller kit meant for areas up to 1,575 square feet is $899.
The Thermacell LIV looks to be a promising solution to a common summer problem. PCMag will be testing the system for an upcoming review, so stay tuned.
