Mosquito traps
With the increasing and justified concern over West Nile Virus, more and more people are looking for ways to rid their homes and yards of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are no longer just a nuisance – they now represent a real and life threatening health risk. One of the best ways to keep a yard clear of biting mosquitoes is to use a mosquito trap. With the right traps, just one or two devices can kill thousands of mosquitoes and all but wipe out a local population.
There are several types of mosquito traps. They range in size from the size of a coffee mug to the size of a BarBQ grill. There is also a huge range of price from a few dollars to thousands of dollars.
They work like this:
The homeowner places the mosquito trap in the yard between the source of the mosquitoes and where people gather. For example, if mosquitoes tend to come from a drainage ditch at the back of the yard, the trap would go near the ditch to catch the insects before they reach the patio.
Typically, it’s better to place the trap upwind of the mosquitoes and in a shaded spot.
Because mosquitoes find their prey by detecting CO2, octenol and other chemical odors, as well as light and heat, most mosquito traps use some combination of artificial smells and lighting displays to lure mosquitoes.
Brands like the Mosquito Magnet burn propane both to power the trap and to release CO2, while simpler machines like the Nile Mosquito Traps may rely on octenol and a lighting array of oscillating frequencies proven to attract mosquitoes.
Once the mosquitoes get close to the traps, fans capture and force them into catch basins or bags or onto sticky boards to die.
The pros and cons of mosquito trap brands
The effectiveness of the mosquito traps varies from brand to brand and location to location. However, Nile brand mosquito traps have performed consistently well in a wide range of areas.
In an independent test run in the mosquito infested marshes bordering the Great Salt Lake in Utah, a Nile Mosquito Trap caught nearly 3,000 mosquitoes in 2 nights, outperforming several other brands, including the Mosquito Magnet Liberty, the Lentek Mosquito Trap and the Coleman Mosquito Deleto.
Probably one of the most significant advantages of the Nile Mosquito Trap – which is powered by electricity, not propane – is in its ease of use, especially over traps that rely on propane to produce CO2.
Several brands, including the Mosquito Magnet and the recalled Mosquito Deleto have had significant problems with the connections between their propane tanks and their traps, leading to clogged lines, air build-up and other issues that cause the traps to malfunction.
Nile Mosquito Traps typically are low-maintenance, requiring only regular cleaning and emptying of the catch containers.
As one reviewer on Amazon.com described Nile mosquito traps: “I’ve tried everything, and Nile traps catch more, for less money, and with much less hassle than any other trap on the market.”
Mosquito trap reviews – what are the best traps?
What is the best mosquito trap you can buy?
When you buy a mosquito trap, you’re making an investment in the comfort and safety of your home. And, like any investment, you should give it careful consideration before making a decision on how to spend your money.
You will learn that not all mosquito traps are created equal. Most will attract and kill some mosquitoes. But only a few can do it consistently, for the right price, and on a scale that will help clear the biting insects from your yard.
How mosquito traps work
First, a quick overview of the way mosquito traps work to reduce mosquito populations and protect you and your family from bites.
When hunting for bloodmeals, female mosquitoes fly about 25 feet or less off the ground, using several types of sensing organs to find human prey. Among their equipment:
- Antennae that detect the carbon dioxide released from a person’s lungs and are capable of picking up more than 340 chemical odors produced by human skin, including octenol, a substance also found in perspiration.
- Compound eyes made up of hundreds of tiny lenses designed for spotting movement and distinguishing prey, particularly useful for day-biters that rely more on visual cues. Accompanied by two light-sensitive simple eyes.
- Maxillary palpus located on the head and believed to be sensitive to heat, helping mosquitoes to located warm-blooded prey and pinpoint capillaries that are closest to the skin and more easily reached.
Mosquito traps take advantage of mosquitoes’ sensory abilities by tricking them with features that mimic the smells and visual stimuli associated with people. Various brands produce CO2, octenol, heat, or light – or a combination of those – to lure mosquitoes in, then trap them in containers where they die.
To be most effective, the traps need to be placed correctly, which means in shaded areas located between the source of the mosquitoes and where people gather in the yard. The best idea is to try it in different places until you find the right one. You’ll also need to experiment with a variety of attractants to see which ones appeal most to your local mosquitoes.
The major mosquito trap brands
When you start looking around for a mosquito trap, you’ll probably find that a handful of companies account for the majority of commercial traps available on the market.
- Nile Mosquito Traps – A very popular line of traps that includes the a 1000 and model which vary in size and range. These traps are electric and rely on an integrated lighting display, octenol, and infrared heat to attract mosquitoes. These traps are unique as they can be used indoors or outdoors and do not require propane.
- Mosquito Magnet – This troubled brand consists of the Defender, Pro, and Liberty models. The traps mainly use CO2 and octenol as attractants, and although some models are electric, they burn propane to create CO2. The Pro model recently was discontinued. Created by American Biophysics Corp., sold to Woodstream Corp. after the company failed.
- Lentek – The models in this line are the Guardian and the Champion. Both are electric and use octenol, heat, and a lighting array. The Guardian also burns propane to produce CO2. Made by Lentek International Inc.
- Dragonfly – This brand produces only one model, the Dragonfly System. The trap is electric and relies on CO2 from a bottle, along with heat and octenol. Made by BioSensory Inc.
Two other mosquito traps formerly available – the Mosquito Deleto by Coleman and the SonicWeb by Applica Consumer products – seem to be no longer on the market. That’s likely because the Deleto was recalled in 2002 over safety problems with its propane system, and the SonicWeb performed poorly in many tests.
Mosquito trap features
While different brands and models utilize different methods of attracting and killing mosquitoes, there are several common features found on mosquito traps. How well those features work, or whether they are available on all models, can vary.
Lighting arrays – Most traps use some type of lights to attract mosquitoes. We found the Nile Mosquito Trap lighting system to be the best for attracting mosquitoes both at close and long range.
Octenol lures – All four traps offer some variety of octenol fragrance, but have varying degrees of success. Nile Mosquito traps integrate octenol scent directly in the trap paint so expensive baits are not necessary.
CO2 systems –Mosquito Magnet and Lentek burn tanks of propane for CO2. Dragonfly uses a bottle system, but has only three settings. Nile Mosquito traps do not use CO2 and do not require the use of propane. Independent testing did not show that CO2 had any affect on the number of mosquitoes attracted to the systems.
Heat systems – All the brands use some form of heat emission to help attract mosquitoes once they are close. The heat source usually is located near the trap intake system
Catch system – Nile Mosquito traps have one of the simpler and more reliable catch systems. A powerful fan catches the mosquitoes and sucks them into a mesh catch basin where they dry out and die. This basin can be easily removed and simply dumped out once it is full.
Reliability Factor
So far, the Nile Mosquito traps have earned high marks for its sheer mosquito-killing ability. But how does the brand stack up when it comes to ease of use and simple maintenance?
Still way ahead of the competition.
The Mosquito Magnet suffers from awkward engineering of the propane tank connector; the trap is known for clogged lines and, since it is powered by propane, often has trouble starting. When the manufacturers came up with a device for unblocking the lines, it, too, was defective and had to be recalled after several people were injured.
The Coleman Mosquito Deleto, which has since been taken off the market, also had serious trouble with its propane connection. The company recalled 136,000 units several years ago because a regulator allowed leaks and overflows, causing a possible fire hazard.
In addition to the inconvenience and potential dangers, it’s just more expensive to power mosquito traps and generate CO2 by burning propane. You can easily go through a tank of propane in a month, a prospect likely to become even more costly as prices continue to rise.
On the other hand, the Nile Mosquito traps don’t need propane for power because it just plugs into an electrical outlet.
As for maintenance, the Nile stands out in that regard, as well. These traps are just more simple than others and therefore have fewer problems. Problems that do occur are easier and less costly to fix.
Price
No contest here. Nile Mosquito traps range from $99 to $199 whereas propane-based traps can cost up to $2000. In our testing, 1 Nile Mosquito trap outperformed the much more expensive propane-based units and at the low price, you can strategically place them around your house for the best results.
Summary
Overall, based on price, mosquito catching ability, reliability, flexibility, and safety we found the Nile brand mosquito traps to be the best value available.
