Mosquito Traps: The Safe, Effective Method of Mosquito Control
Thousands of species of mosquitoes exist, but did you know that only about 174 species live within the United States? Even with this small percentage, it’s important to protect yourself and your family from these buzzing little nuisances that can carry a host of diseases. Mosquito-borne diseases are not only a threat to humans, but also to pets and livestock. Effective mosquito control helps keep your family and your animals safe.
Understanding how mosquito-borne diseases can affect your family and pets helps you see why mosquito control on your property is so important. Let’s take a look at some common nuisances caused by mosquitoes and investigate the diseases they carry.
Mosquitoes Ruin Outdoor Activities
Whether these pests are buzzing around people’s ears or landing on them to suck blood, they’re annoying. Even a few uninvited mosquitoes can ruin an outdoor activity.
You can take precautions, like wearing bug spray or long sleeves, but these methods can also ruin your outdoor fun. Who wants to smell like bug spray, or wear long sleeves during warm, muggy summer evenings? The nuisance factor alone is reason enough to get rid of mosquitoes, but the health risks make mosquito control a necessity.
Mosquito Diseases Affect Humans
All it takes is one bite from an infected mosquito to transmit a virus. While most people can fully recover from mosquito-borne illnesses, the very young, the elderly, and those with poor immune function may develop complications, making the virus potentially deadly.
West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus causes mild flu-like symptoms such as the following:
- Muscle aches
In those with compromised immune systems, symptoms are more severe and can lead to meningitis or encephalitis. Some possible types of encephalitis caused by mosquitoes include St. Louis encephalitis and LaCrosse Encephalitis. Both can cause flu-like symptoms similar to West Nile Virus, but severe symptoms can include the following:
- Ongoing neurological problems
Squelae is a possible complication from encephalitis due to mosquito-borne viruses. People with squelae experience ongoing neurological complications for the rest of their lives, such as the following:
- Memory loss
- Mental retardation
- Speech impediments
Mosquito Diseases Affect Animals
Your pets and livestock can become sick due to a bite from an infected mosquito. Heartworm is carried from one pet to another via mosquitoes, and it can affect both dogs and cats.
Heartworms are parasites that live in the heart and pulmonary arteries of animals. They travel through your pet’s bloodstream, damaging its vital organs. Hundreds of heartworms can live inside an animal, and the disease can be fatal.
You should watch for signs of heartworm in your pet. The symptoms differ in cats and dogs. In dogs, be watchful for these symptoms:
- Persistent cough
- Decreased activity
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
As the disease worsens, dogs develop a swollen abdomen and heart failure.
In cats, watch for these symptoms:
- Asthma-like attacks
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Walking difficulty
Cats also develop a swollen belly as the disease progresses.
You can prevent heartworm disease in your pet. Your vet can prescribe pills to help prevent the disease. You can also reduce your pet’s risk by controlling mosquitoes in and around your yard.
Livestock are not immune to mosquito-borne illnesses. Mosquitoes can transmit diseases to pigs, horses, birds, and other animals. Such diseases include the following:
- Avian smallpox
- Hog cholera
- Swine fever
Long-Term Solutions Are Best
You have numerous options when it comes to mosquito control, but to keep these pests away from your family all spring and summer, you need a long-term mosquito control solution. One good choice is a natural mosquito trap.
Short-terms solutions may work, but they don’t provide ongoing relief from mosquitoes and only protect a small portion of your outdoor area. Here are a few examples:
- Repellents are effective but only protect those wearing it.
- Citronella candles can help, but the scent can only travel so far, usually just a few feet.
- Bug zappers kill bugs, but it’s unclear if they actually attract mosquitoes.
- Mosquito nets only protect the covered area.
Short-term solutions require you to use a combination approach to keep pests away. There isn’t a single solution that can offer the same protection as long-term systems, like mosquito traps and misting systems.
Combination approaches include setting up nets, spraying everyone with repellent before going outdoors, and lighting candles in an attempt to have a mosquito-free evening. It’s also necessary to reapply repellents to ensure they continue protecting you and your family. This can be time consuming and can take away from your outdoor fun or relaxation.
To get the most out of your outdoor living space, consider investing in an effective, long-term solution.
Mosquito traps are scientifically proven to be a long-term, safe, and effective solution to mosquito problems. They protect up to an acre and work continuously to keep mosquito populations down.
Other long-term solutions are available, but a natural mosquito trap does not harm people or beneficial insects.
Misting systems were once popular mosquito control solutions. They work by releasing insecticides into the area where they’re placed. While this provides effective mosquito control, there are problems concerning the safety of misting devices, such as the following:
- Misting systems cannot evaluate their surroundings, so they intermittingly release insecticides using a timed sprayer, which may release unnecessary amounts of insecticide.
- No hard evidence exists proving that misting systems are an effective method in controlling large mosquito populations.
- Continuously releasing the same insecticides, misting systems can lead to insecticide-resistant mosquitoes.
- Misting systems put people and animals at risk with insecticide exposure.
- Misting systems are not compatible with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, which recommend using the safest and least harmful pest control methods first.
While insecticides used in misting systems don’t linger in the environment, there is the risk of people and pets being exposed to insecticides by touching plants near the misting station or inhaling the insecticides, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Each state also has its own regulations on the use of mosquito misting systems. It’s important to know which, if any, pesticides are illegal in your state’s residential areas. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency if you are considering installing a misting system on your property.
All natural mosquito traps pose no hazards to humans or pets on your property. And because they don’t use pesticides, mosquito traps do not kill beneficial insects.
How do mosquito traps do the job? They use a revolutionary technology backed by over 18 years of research and 15 patents.
How Do Mosquito Traps Work?
Mosquito Magnet® traps work by converting propane into to carbon dioxide (CO2) and then emitting a precise combination of heat, moisture, and a secondary attractant to draw mosquitoes into a vacuum.
This patented Counter Flow™ Technology mimics the exhaled air of humans and other warm-blooded animals that mosquitoes rely on to find their host. Female mosquitoes are sucked into the trap and into a net, where they quickly dehydrate and die – usually within 24 hours.
Most traps require electricity to run, limiting their placement in the yard, but there are cordless options that are battery-powered. Traps are proven to greatly reduce mosquito populations. Once set, you can expect to notice a reduction in mosquitoes within seven days and a significant reduction in about four weeks.
Mosquito Magnet® offers options to effectively trap mosquitoes that vary by price and features. You can compare these different options on our mosquito trap page. All models protect up to an acre of outdoor space, are easy to assemble, and come with a one-year warranty.
Commander Mosquito Trap
Commander traps are the most expensive, but offer the most features. Some beneficial features include the following:
- Wireless technology. Commander has a wireless module that communicates with an access point that allows you to maintain and monitor your system from your computer, smart phone or tablet. This allows the unit to transmit information to you, such as real-time status updates via email or text message.
- Fuel saving. Commander offers four fuel-saving mode settings, which use an LCD panel. These settings allow you to save on propane use by powering down the trap and restarting it at preset times. This means you can make good use of the unit during peak mosquito activity.
Executive Mosquito Trap
Executive traps are not quite as pricy as Commander and still offer the beneficial features, such as cordless design and fuel-saving settings. Consider the following benefits:
- Smart technology. Executive traps offer smart technology that allows the trap to adjust to certain outdoor conditions. Mosquitoes become active when outdoor temperatures reach at least 50° Fahrenheit. This means your trap must start working at that temperature to ensure optimal mosquito control.
- Mosquito Morgue™ net. Both Commander and Executive mosquito traps come with a self-contained rigid net that helps maximize air flow and prevent blockages. You can also easily dispose of dead mosquitoes in the trap without coming into contact with them. Mosquito Morgue™ nets increase capacity, which also extends the life of the net.
Independence Mosquito Trap
Independence trap models cost less than the Commander and Executive and offer cordless design, but they don’t offer the same features. These are the benefits:
- Cordless design. Independence traps aren't powered on a rechargeable battery; instead they use four C batteries. This means you can place the trap wherever you want without worrying about cords getting in the way of lawn mowing.
- Drawstring net. Both Commander and Executive mosquito traps come with a self-contained rigid net that helps maximize air flow and prevent blockages. The drawstring net allows for maximum airflow and easy disposal and replacement. You'll need to replace the net every three weeks to keep the trap working properly.
Patriot Mosquito Trap
The Patriot trap is the least expensive and also offers different features, while still being an effective long-term mosquito control solution. The Patriot offers the following features:
- Extra-long power cord. The Patriot is powered by a 12-volt, 50-foot-long power cord. The cord is long enough to allow you to set your trap in the ideal location for mosquito control, but away from your outdoor play and living areas. Lawn clips are included to help avoid hazards when mowing.
- Self-contained rigid net. Like the nets on other models, the Patriot's net allows for good airflow while being easy to remove and dispose of pests. You need to change the net every 21 days to ensure your trap works properly.
Mosquito traps require maintenance for optimal performance. If your mosquito trap runs 24/7, you'll need to replace the propane tank, attractant, and net every 21 days. Replacing these items in a timely manner helps optimize your catch rate and break the mosquito breeding cycle.
Mosquito Trap Placement
To successfully trap pesky mosquitoes, you need to know where to place your trap. Here are a few guidelines to help you when deciding on mosquito trap placement.
First determine the mosquito breeding site, like near water or bushes. Place the trap between the breeding area and your outdoor living areas, like the patio or deck. Keep the following tips in mind when it’s time to position your trap:
- Shade. Mosquitoes don’t like hot sun; that’s why they come out in the evening hours, so you need to place the trap in a shaded area.
- Open spaces. CO2 is heavier than air, so it sinks and can get lost in high grass areas. Place the trap where grass won’t affect the CO2 plume, so mosquitoes can easily find it.
- Away from people. CO2 is heavier than air, so it sinks and can get lost in high grass areas. Place the trap where grass won’t affect the CO2 plume, so mosquitoes can easily find it.
- Upwind. Place traps upwind from the breeding area. Mosquitoes fly upwind when looking for a host and downwind when they’re heavy from a filling blood meal.
Enjoy Your Outdor Living Space
After spending a long winter indoors away from the cold, snow and blustery winds, it’s nice to get outside and enjoy fresh air, sunshine and outdoor activities. Don’t let mosquitoes spoil your chance to break free and venture out of the house.
Check out the options available, and consider investing in the best mosquito trap for your needs and budget. Enjoy having a control method that provides long-term, scientifically proven mosquito control.
Mosquito Magnet® traps are a wise investment. Check out our traps and mosquito control advice, and don’t spend another summer slapping, shooing, and itching due to large populations of mosquitoes in your outdoor living space.