Citronella candle residue

The mosquitoes are getting to me even through a layer of Deet. I'm thinking
about putting a couple of citronella candles in the observatory but I'm
worried about residue from the smoke being deposited on my SCT's meniscus
and other opticals.

Anyone have experience/knowledge of burning citronella candles around
optical surfaces?

Robert Burns

Dont do it.

I have citronella torches and have slight sooty residue on the side of my
home even though the torches are at least 6 feet from the house. I am using
the torches ...not the candles so the residue may not be as severe with
candles.

Andy Blackburn

"Robert" wrote in message
...
The mosquitoes are getting to me even through a layer of Deet. I'm
thinking
about putting a couple of citronella candles in the observatory but I'm
worried about residue from the smoke being deposited on my SCT's meniscus
and other opticals.

Anyone have experience/knowledge of burning citronella candles around
optical surfaces?

Robert Burns

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 15:29:28 -0500, "Robert" wrote:

The mosquitoes are getting to me even through a layer of Deet. I'm thinking
about putting a couple of citronella candles in the observatory but I'm
worried about residue from the smoke being deposited on my SCT's meniscus
and other opticals.

I wouldn't burn anything around my optics. And in any case, I seriously doubt
that a mosquito that ignores DEET is going to be put off by citronella. What is
needed is an apodizing mosquito net over the observatory!

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

In article , Robert wrote:

Anyone have experience/knowledge of burning citronella candles around
optical surfaces?

I haven't, but I think the result won't be pretty. It takes a lot of
fumes for citronella to work and some soot, wax and other goodies are
bound to condense on the glass.

You could try the experiment by setting a piece of clean window glass
near a citronella candle to see what happens.

Tom,
I've looked into all the other mosquito repellants and traps and have it
from good authority that they don't work.

http://overton.tamu.edu/photos/3mulchcs.htm

Deet works but I sweat it off and worry about about smudging eyepieces with
greasy fingers.

I may rig up a fan as mosquitoes are reputedly weak fliers.

Thanks for the advice,

Robert Burns


"Tom Markert" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 22:46:29 GMT, William Hamblen
wrote:

In article , Robert wrote:

Anyone have experience/knowledge of burning citronella candles around
optical surfaces?

I haven't, but I think the result won't be pretty. It takes a lot of
fumes for citronella to work and some soot, wax and other goodies are
bound to condense on the glass.

You could try the experiment by setting a piece of clean window glass
near a citronella candle to see what happens.

I found a neat product in a little store by me.. Had the battery
operated mosquito repellers... 3 in a pack for a couple of bucks.. I
bought a pack and put one on each tripod leg (they are about the size
of a ciggar butt) and I had not problems with bugs this past weekend
at all...
I threw away my pack so I dont remember what they are called so I'll
go to the store again and get some more and post the company and info
here for ya...

As far as candles go, well I smoke 1 1/2 to 2 packs a day but I wont
smoke near my scope at all.. Not even in my truck on the way to the
field.. I dont want blurry vision optics!

John,
I'd have to convince my wife that the blonde was a "telescope accessory."
Cows and horses also work as they emit C02, but they tend to be clumsy
around telescopes.

BTW, did you hear the one about the two blondes were stranded on an iceberg
with only a telescope. One of the blondes was looking through the telescope
and said, ''We're saved! Look, it's the Titanic

RB
"John Steinberg" wrote in message
...
Robert Burns wrote:

Deet works but I sweat it off and worry about about smudging eyepieces
with
greasy fingers.

I may rig up a fan as mosquitoes are reputedly weak fliers.

In a scientific study --published fairly recently -- it was determined
that mosquitoes were particularly attracted to the smell of human feet
and blondes were also greater attractants than brunettes.

Thus I concluded that the best mosquito remediation was to get yourself
an attractive barefoot blonde and have her stand a good fifty-feet down
range of your observing site.

Why attractive, you may well ask?

Hey, gotta have something to look at when the clouds roll in or when
the atmosphere starts to boil.

(My wife questions my motives here, but the science is strong.)

On the original topic of citronella:

As a young teen I had a summer job working in a NJ factory that
produced citronella candles. Loading and unloading trucks, often
filled with 55 gal. drums of citronella oil or the finished product.

For the first several weeks of that job I walked around with an acute
and persistent headache. Later that mutated into just a dull pain that
was tolerable, but as a result of that exposure, I wouldn't go near any
citronella products for love or money, and I don't believe I've ever
read any reliable research to support the concept of it being
particularly efficacious.

Further, if the fumes can have the effect they did on me (and virtually
every other poor schnook who worked there) I wouldn't want it anywhere
near my optics.

YMMV, but please, don't ever come near me smelling of citronella. I
won't be held responsible for my actions.

--
-John Steinberg
email: lid

?

(BTW, big fan of your poetry, Mr. Burns.)

Fan? You'd better read some my poetry before you commit. As an
example:


There was a young blonde, a beautiful creature
Who stared at the heavens one night in rapture
The view's first rate, she said to a friend,
But something's bitting me whenever I bend
And John's wife keeps asking me what's my aperature

--
-John Steinberg
email: lid

JSN News Ticker (r)
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"Robert Burns" wrote in message
...
I may rig up a fan as mosquitoes are reputedly weak fliers.

That's been my technique for back yard observing. Since I'm running house
current for the clock drive, I bring a fan too. This helps a number of
things.

Mosquitoes find you by your CO2 emissions, and/or body heat. The fan
disperses that. Also, on still nights rising body heat will sometimes waft
across the front of my Newtonian scope and create what looks like instant
tube currents. Finally, in this part of the world, it is often still near
80F at midnight with very high humidity. If there's no breeze I'll sweat
like I'm standing on an asphalt parking lot at noon..... just standing
there.

Yes, a fan is always part of my setup at this time of year.

Clear Skies,
Craig in Tampa

"Robert" wrote in message ...
The mosquitoes are getting to me even through a layer of Deet. I'm thinking
about putting a couple of citronella candles in the observatory but I'm
worried about residue from the smoke being deposited on my SCT's meniscus
and other opticals.

Anyone have experience/knowledge of burning citronella candles around
optical surfaces?

Robert Burns

This should fall in the stupid trick category. The other night I had
some citronella candles burning on the patio for a few hours. When it
was time to go inside I attempted to blow them out. Those big fat
wicks are pretty windproof, so I took a big deep breath and...you
guessed it! I got my face and hair splattered with really hot wax.
D'oh!

Luckily I was wearing glasses, and yes I still had to shave the next
morning.

Jim

"Robert" wrote in message ...
The mosquitoes are getting to me even through a layer of Deet. I'm thinking
about putting a couple of citronella candles in the observatory but I'm
worried about residue from the smoke being deposited on my SCT's meniscus
and other opticals.

Anyone have experience/knowledge of burning citronella candles around
optical surfaces?

Robert Burns

This should fall in the stupid trick category. The other night I had
some citronella candles burning on the patio for a few hours. When it
was time to go inside I attempted to blow them out. Those big fat
wicks are pretty windproof, so I took a big deep breath and...you
guessed it! I got my face and hair splattered with really hot wax.
D'oh!

Luckily I was wearing glasses, and yes I still had to shave the next
morning.

Jim