Mosquito traps

[River Rat]

Anybody ever built or bought any kind of mosquito trap that actually works?
There are a bunch of ideas on the interwebs - fan in a bucket that sucks them in after they are attracted by a light, dish soap in stagnant water to make them drown, etc. Then there's the store bought CO2/vacuum traps, but they want an arm and a leg and your first born son for one of those.

Just curious if anybody has first hand experience with a design that is effective and worthwhile.
The skeeters will carry you off around here right now.

[contrahead]

the store bought CO2/vacuum traps, but they want an arm and a leg and your first born son for one of those.

$899.95 for this:

Nope. I've got no advice to give about the little bastards - except don't stand in the same place too long, and keep swatting and flailing your arms about. I remember reading somewhere that male mosquitoes could hear a female from what seemed like an incredible distance (at least several hundred yards).

Here is some triva.

- The average mosquito lifespan is less than two months (Males have the shortest lives, usually 10 days or less)
- Male mosquitoes locate females by the sound of their wings (Females can beat their wings up to 500 times per second, and the males pick out the higher frequency of those beats)
- Only female mosquitoes bite
- There are more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes
- A mosquito can drink up to three times its weight in blood
- Female mosquitoes can lay up to 300 eggs at a time
- Mosquitoes spend their first 10 days in water
- Mosquitoes hibernate
- Mosquitoes can smell human breath(They have receptors on their antennae that detect the carbon dioxide released when we exhale).
- Sweat helps mosquitoes choose their victims (Our skin produces more than 340 chemical odors. They are fond of octenol, a chemical released in sweat, as well as cholesterol, folic acid, certain bacteria, skin lotions, and perfume).
- Malaria is caused by a parasite that lives in mosquitoes
- West Nile virus first appeared in the United States in 1999 when it caused an epidemic in New York.
- Mosquitoes do not transmit HIV
- Mosquitoes are considered the deadliest “animal” in the world (malaria kills more than one million people every year)
- DEET is considered the 'gold standard' of mosquito repellents (DEET doesn't mask the smell of the host or jam the insect's senses, mosquitoes simply don't like it because it smells bad to them. A product containing 10 percent DEET can protect you for up to 90 minutes. Two other repellents, picaridin and lemon-eucalyptus oil, have also proven effective)
- Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes (they are drawn to heat and darker clothes retain more heat than light-colored clothing).
- Bats @ purple martins eat very few mosquitoes - (martins were once believed to be voratious mosquito predators nut they actually go for bigger insects)
- The two main mosquito predators are fish and dragonflies (Gambusia, or mosquitofish, feed on mosquito larvae and are used all over the world to help control mosquito populations. Dragonfly larvae, called nymphs, eat mosquito larvae, and adult dragonflies prey on adult mosquitoes. Some towns in Maine release dragonflies every summer as a natural form of mosquito control).
- Bug zappers are useless against mosquitoes.
- Mosquito traps can kill thousands of mosquitoes in a single night (One study conducted by public health researchers in Australia found that a Mega-Catch™ trap caught and killed more than 44,000 female mosquitoes from 17 species in less than two weeks).

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[AlWorms]

I'm in the North of New Zealand, so probably a totally different climate etc.

I brought a locally marketed version of the Dynatrap XL (https://www.dynatrap.com/dynatrap-full- ... nsect-trap) Massive with with a UV light, and a fan to suck the little arsehats into the mesh bucket at the bottom.

Our onsite septic system breeds mosquitos, so I got this thing and the septic tank is almost empty of them now - I think it interupts so much of their breeding cycle, by trapping the females and stopping them being able to breed. There are always plently of them in there, along with piles of moths and random bugs.

My one has an LED bulb system that is NOT used in the Dynatrap models, and it's crapped out after about 2 months use each time... I have recently ordered the Dynatrap LED from a different version to try - hopefully it lasts longer! I see the Dynatrap version use a CCFL UV tube instead.

[v-child]

There's a couple of homemade mosquito traps on youtube using 5 gallon buckets, a small fan and a lamp. Kind of a hillbilly clone of some commercial traps.

[IMALOSERSCUMBAG]

I use a company called Mosquito Hunters. I believe they are a national chain. They come in every 3 months and spray the yard. Not harsh chemicals, and after 30 minutes safe for your pets. Not sure what it all is, just know it's non-toxic and safe for pets. I also know there are a number of other companies that do this. Check out the Google machine.

From a personal standpoint, it is worth it.

[cob]

I have a couple of these, but it takes forever to collect enough pelts to make a hat let alone a jacket

[contrahead]

it takes forever to collect enough pelts to make a hat let alone a jacket

That there, is funny...

[River Rat]

There's a couple of homemade mosquito traps on youtube using 5 gallon buckets, a small fan and a lamp. Kind of a hillbilly clone of some commercial traps.

Yeah I might throw one of those together and see how it does. Same principle as the one AlWorms linked. Sounds like you've had good luck with yours Al.
Don't give up Cob, you'll collect enough eventually! I can't find a link in your post by the way... just an amazon logo pic.

[cob]

Don't give up Cob, you'll collect enough eventually! I can't find a link in your post by the way... just an amazon logo pic.

For what ever reason the picture is the link. click away.

[AlWorms]

it takes forever to collect enough pelts to make a hat let alone a jacket

That there, is funny...

Agreed

[River Rat]

For what ever reason the picture is the link. click away.

It must be my computer or browser causing the issue. On my phone it's a picture of the trap and it is a link. On my computer it's still just an un-clickable amazon logo. Anyway, thanks Cob!