I’m always the prime target for mosquitoes; I’ve spent most of my summers covered in itchy bites. I’ve found the true cure for mosquitoes is living over 100 feet in the air – it’s apparently too high for them to fly, and they aren’t strong enough to push the elevator call button. But even I have to come down to earth sometimes, and it would be nice to have a way to keep mosquitoes away when I’m enjoying the outdoors without having to coat myself in insect repellent sprays.
Enter Radius, which sprays the area to repel bugs with a compound based on a chemical naturally occurring in chrysanthemum flowers. This compound has been used for ages as an insect repellent, but Radius uses a modified version that can be dispersed at a lower temperature. In the past, actual combustion was needed to reach the necessary temperature for dispersal, but Radius can use a battery-powered heat source with the modified compound. The effective treated area is 110 square feet, and the repellent cartridges can last up to 40 hours. The lithium-ion battery is USB chargeable. Radius is small enough to fit in your hand, which makes it portable enough to take with you wherever you go.
Radius is a current Kickstarter campaign. It’s more than met its funding goal, but you still have until Friday, January 12, 2018 at 8:06 AM EST to pledge to get one of your own. A minimum pledge of $40 gets you a Radius with a 12-hour repellent cartridge. Shipment is expected in February 2018.