Because mosquitoes are attracted to the CO2 we breathe out, I started looking for ideas that used CO2 as the bait for the mosquito trap. I did think of dry ice but it does dissipate fairly quickly.
I found a cached link on Google here. It seems to be active again now. I've rewritten the instructions some and hopefully it will work as well.
Thanks to the students for their hard work on this project. I've used some of their photos for illustration.
Take a 2 liter soda bottle. Cut off the top right below where it starts to narrow for the top, invert and place inside the lower half.
Make a simple sugar syrup.
Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil.
Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water.
Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in 2 cups cool water, stir well.
Check the temperature of the syrup to make sure it is no hotter than 90 degrees F, if hotter, let cool to 90 degrees F, add 1 tsp. active dry yeast, no need to mix. Put syrup in the bottom part of the bottle, using the cut off neck piece, leave in place.
Be sure to seal the two parts of the bottle with the tape. The fermenting yeast will release carbon dioxide. Put black paper around the bottle since mosquitoes like dark places and carbon dioxide. This mosquito trap will then start working.
TIPS: Put the trap in a dark and humid place for 2 weeks, you'll see the effect. You'll have to replace the sugar water + yeast solution every 2 weeks.
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This links tells the direction and what to do with the black pepper. Here is a cut-n-paste of the the info on the paper:
Put black paper around the bottle since mosquitoes like dark places and carbon dioxide. This mosquito trap will then start working.
Mosquitoes fly around the corner, so the best place to place the trap is at some dark corner.
It also says this about placement and longevity - Tips: Put the trap in some dark and humid place for 2 weeks, you'll see the effect. You'll have to replace the sugar water + yeast solution every 2 weeks.
Does not work tried it twice once using white sugar second using brown sugar
No Bueno Unacceptable
Will try sound like a good idea
Black pepper inside the bottle or outside the bottle?
If outside, why not just use black papaer or paint.
Thanks
Thank you for sharing this! I want to make one so that we can enjoy our lovely new front porch.
I'm sorry, I think I'm missing something... what is the black paper for? I would love to try this! Wanted to invest in a mosquito magnet but they are pricey and it's not in our budget.
it says to wrap the black paper around the bottle the bottle because they like to go to dark places..
Mama2CamKat its used so that the mosquitoes will be more attracted to it because its darker. :)
They forgot the rest of the steps. You wrap the bottle with the black paper because mosquitoes like the dark. Place it in a dark, humid spot in the room. In about two weeks you should have a lot of dead mosquitoes. Replace the mixture every two weeks.
source: www.flickr.com/
It states to put it in a dark room. My mosquito problem is outside. Maybe a shady spot in my yard?
Or you could just get one of several mosquito repelling plants. Here is a link to tell you about some. Hope it helps! mosquitorepellentplants.net/
Could you use some kind of dark tape to wrap the bottle ns tea of black pepper or does the BP serve another purpose?
Ok I'm lost if you tape the two parts of the bottle together, how do the mosquitoes get in the lower part?
take the lid off
I am living in the Hills of Dominica and we do have mosquitoes; [Mosquitoes season/rain season] to keep you area clean is the first rule. we do for example have one Barrel of water outside, rainwater, to wash clothes, feed the animals, clean up, etc.... we cover it, and we use to add 1 spoon Chlorine powder by 500 l water! I tried the mosquito trap, unfortunately, the trap collected a lot of fly's, but no Mosquitoes.
I live in Michigan, the mosquito capital of the united states, and I will be trying this for sure. I have also found that another good all natural way to detour mosquitos is to use garlic. Fresh minced works the best but fresh ground garlic powder will work as well. I sprinkle it around the deck and it works great.
Yes yeast will produce CO2 after a day or so and continue to brew for a few days. Has anyone tried this alternative? The old vinegar and baking-soda trick. That produces CO2 too. And it is instant. If you're looking to sit outdoors, this mixture could be effective on a moment's notice.
I have tried this and is does not work. I have managed to trap a fly and two or three gnats in a week. The mosquitos are still here, avoiding the trap like the plague.
7/7/13 tried yesterday, there isn't a single mosquito in the trap - was out for the prime mosquito times, they didn't have any trouble finding me, but they didn't find the trap
Would rain water fill up the trap? Would it attract honey bees with the sugar solution? Does the amount of yeast need to be adjusted for the weather/temperature? Thanks!
I am forward to trying this. Our "canal" out back is stagnant, standing water - a mosquito breeder for sure. We have a few citronella plants but not much luck with them. I'm also involving the kids in this... science project. Thanks for sharing!
The best options for stagnation water...like ponds swamps and canals are nematodes, they are sold in dried cakes about the size of a donuts, usually in a six pack. Just toss them in the water and they rehydrate and eat the mosquitoes larvae. They are harmless to humans and animals and work quite well as long as you put enough cakes out in the water for the volume of water. They also sell a chemical the comes in little grey missile shapes that you do the same with that also works but is usually more expensive. I know old timers sedan to pour diesel oil into the swamps as it prevents the critters from getting oxygen and kills the larvae, but the isn't environmentally friendly, though I suspect any natural oil would work too. Still for our place we go with the nematodes. You can usually find them at the local feed store, but they are online too.
I tried this last summer, sans the black paper, and I didn't catch a single mosquito. Several times I walked out to where it was sitting in a shady area, no mosquitos in the bottle, but my legs and arms were literally covered with them.
In answer to the question about taping the two parts back together, you invert the top down into the bottom part like a funnel, then tape them together.
I have made two of these. My wife made one and my father-in-law made one, all using the same directions. This simply does not work. Maybe the mosquitos in Texas are too big or too smart for this! :) If you Google this idea, you'll find hundreds of others that had no success with this either. The dry ice idea does work!
I think I'll try the garlic or inscence. Much easier! It sound as like this was a waste of time for the people that made it. Thanks for extra time to let everyone know not to waste their time
mosquitos drink fruit juices and nectar when not biting take a 2 liter plastic soda bottle insert an old sock toe downward into the bottle and fold the other end down over the outside of the neck of the bottle then fill the bottle with a mixture of orange juice and insecticide sit it in a dark area where mosquitos hide they die after landing on the sock and drinking juice
Thank you. We just finished a children's booth at the Master Gardener Spring Expo and looking forward to next year. you have just taken me from blank to idea for next year. Perfect!
The water sugar mixture should be 120 -130 degrees to activate the yeast Also 1 cup water with a quarter cup brown sugar is enough or bottle will be too full.
I plan to try this ASAP!
Please let us know how it turns out.
Publishers Clearinghouse recently sold some plastic tops that have hooks for hanging and holes for the bugs to enter. I paste art paper to water bottles and coat with Mod Podge from the craft store. You screw the hanger tops on and add sugar water. They are really pretty and somewhat effective. Hadnt thought about adding yeast for the co2 and now plan to add it to my recipe. This is much cheaper than a commercial mosquito catcher and much more attractive in my yard!
just curious, which is it 1Tsp of yeast or 1 tsp of yeast
Use a black tube sock from the dollar store or thrift shop! Make 2 traps with a pair....
Why boil the water ? Sugar will quickly dissolve in cold water.
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