Mosquito traps are designed to attract and kill mosquitoes. Traps are made to mimic the smells and visual stimuli of humans and other live hosts.
Various products may produce CO2, octenol, heat, light or a combination of chemicals to lure a mosquito in. However, these traps have minimal impact on getting rid of mosquitoes because of the knowledge needed to properly use the devices. For example, you will need to know what type of mosquitoes are invading your home, how they hunt and where to strategically place the mosquito traps indoors and in your yard.
How Mosquitoes Hunt
When hunting for blood meals, female mosquitoes typically fly less than 25 feet off the ground, using several types of sensing organs to find their living hosts, including:
o Antennae. Mosquitoes have antennae that can detect the carbon dioxide released from a person’s or animal’s lungs. Their antennae can also pick up more than 340 chemical odors produced by human skin, including octenol, a substance also found in perspiration.
o Compound eyes. Made up of hundreds of tiny lenses, their eyes are designed for spotting movement and targeting their prey. Mosquitoes that prefer to feed during the day rely more heavily on their eyesight for visual cues. They also have two light-sensitive simple eyes.
o Maxillary palpus. Mosquitoes have a sensor on top of their head that is believed to be sensitive to heat, which helps them locate warm-blooded prey and pinpoint capillaries that are closest to the skin for an easy blood draw.
Do-It-Yourself Mosquito Traps
People may opt to save money by creating homemade mosquito traps themselves. Some DIY methods involve using a sugary concoction to lure mosquitoes into a plastic bottle. However, there’s no guarantee that the mosquito won’t fly back out of the bottle. Also, you run the risk of drawing even more mosquitoes to your yard by placing lures outside. It is important to note that mosquito traps will only get rid of mosquitoes within short distances of the trap, too, making it difficult to protect your entire yard.
The Terminix® Solution
If you want to protect your home and surrounding yard for weeks at a time, contact a pest control specialist. Terminix has a mosquito solution that begins working immediately and can help protect you and your guests from mosquito bites. Contact Terminix today to learn more.