DIY mosquito trap

[John F]

Received this by email... don't know if it works or not (Ziggy/Critter???). Use it, don't use it... it surely is cheap...

What you need:
* 200 ml of water
* 50 gr brown sugar
* 1 gr of yeast (get it at any supermarket)
* 1 x 2 L coke plastic bottle


1. Cut the coke bottle in half;

2. Mix the brown sugar with hot water. Let it cool down. Pour the solution into the bottom half of the plastic bottle.

3. Put the yeast in. No need to stir.

4. Put the top half of the plastic bottle (ie funnel) inside the bottom half, upside down.

5. Wrap it with a black plastic bag.... keep it somewhere in the house, garden, school, hospital....

In two weeks check the amount of dead mosquitoes inside!

[PH]

Interesting. Will definately try it. I wonder if its the release of CO2 that attracts them?

[deezynking]

mozambique has a way los more mosquitoes than here in the urban areas i assume.
but i will show it to my dad, he lives by the river, summer time is hectic there.  :shre:

[dugong]

I've had mozzies all friggen year, even winter, going to buy yeast now!!!

[John F]

Interesting. Will definately try it. I wonder if its the release of CO2 that attracts them?

 

[REEFMAN]

Fascinating!  Must try this.

[Fritz]

Wonderfull idea Marcos, Just hope that mix does not stink. Will make one for our bedroom. Last time we had moziez Mandy nearly took me out in the dead of night trying to swat one with a slipper.
Cred to you!!!

[John F]

Last time we had moziez Mandy nearly took me out in the dead of night trying to swat one with a slipper.

 

[Fritz]

You laughing. Wait till you get woken up with a slipper in the face while dreaming.

[SAfish]

Great idea. I forgot about this one. I saw it the other day on a TV program called "knock-knock". It is the CO2 that attracts them and it works best when put in a dark area. Cheap to make and there are no harmful poisons or chemicals. 

[SAfish]

Pantoffel regering - Eish! 

[Garrick]

Excellant idea that
Maybe the guys should start making some for Vidal
@ Fritz...bud,I know all about being klapped with a slipper bru.i got it once but it was not for a mozzie but a damn fly...............

[icstuff]

 :shre:

[Naruto]

 :shre: Will try this definitely! I see on google lots of possitive feedback for this trap.

[Andre Laas]

 
Howzit
 
Those types of traps do work, and will also trap flies and other insects that come after the sugar. The fermenting sugar solution will indeed give off CO2 that will lure the mosquitoes, and also creates a bit of heat that will also bring the mozzies in for a closer look. The trap works on the same basic principle as the commercial baited fly-traps you get in many places. If it will work as a control measure for mosquitoes in or around the house, I am not sure though, as you will need to keep it going by keeping the yeast culture alive, and adding sugar solution as a food source.
 
Maybe a short bit of mosquito biology.... The female mosquitoes use a variety of environmental clues to track down potential food sources, and then to choose the most appropriate host (or victim for that matter). The long distance cue is mostly CO2, as this is given off in large volumes by their hosts. When they reach the source of the CO2, they start using different cues to assess if the CO2 source is indeed an appropriate host. These include temperature (body heat) and then also a variety of odours given off by the host (not all mosquitos’ species will feed on humans). So when they get to the source of the CO2, the temperature is right, and it has the "chemical signature" of their host, they will land and look for a place to drill for blood.
 
This trap will attract them from a distance through the CO2 given off, and when they may also be lured closer by the heat from fermentation. However, you must remember that you will also still be giving off CO2 and radiating heat and also have the right chemical signature, so if the mozzie pass by you before it reaches the trap, it may still stop for a drink, so it is not a fail-safe option. Like with flies though, reducing the number around the house will reduce the number bothering you inside.
 
Particularly in the USA, you get a trap system that runs on liquid gas. It basically has a small burner that produces the heat and CO2, and then they add a special attractant to the mix to simulate the chemical signature the mosquitoes look for.
 
As a final matter of interest, I am actually working on a trap based on these same principles for our research. Like I said, it may not be effective as a control measure (yet), but it is a very useful method for assessing the species composition and other parameters from the local mozzie population. Try it out you may well be surprised at what you catch in it!
 

[PH]

Thanks, Critter. 
Slight hijack: Should one take precautions when visiting Vidal in October?

[icstuff]

I would you are taking homie and a few others with you!

[Kumz]

  .... :shre: ....