If you're like me you love cool contraptions, and there's probably nothing cooler than something that will electrocute or suffocated a mosquito automatically, and all you have to do is sit there and watch.
The first mosquito zapper was actually developed in 1934. The idea behind the mosquito zapper is to attract and insect, preferably a mosquito into a mesh of high-voltage screen. First there is a light source, usually a black light bulb which actually attracts insects by the droves. Within the device, there's an electrical transformer which takes standard 120 Volts, and transforms this to 2000 Volts. The unsuspecting insect, which is attracted to the light, flies into the electrified mesh which surrounds the light and gets zapped. The one drawback to zappers, is quite obvious, they attract a lot of bugs. If you want to attract mosquitoes to your yard, that's a good way to do it. They may zap mosquitoes, but if you check the carcasses in the bottom of the zapper your fine probably 10 to 1 ratio of unintended targets.
The LP gas and CO2 generating mosquito catchers, there's a 100 different names for this product, is another option for potentially reducing the mosquito population on your property. The concept is quite simple, the machine is intended to mimic the warm-blooded host, and here's how it's done. The machine emits carbon dioxide, justice human beings do when they exhale. It also adds lures to the airstream that attract mosquitoes. The mosquito was then, vacuumed, somewhat into a retaining bag and dried out by dehydration, which kills the mosquito. In theory, these types of devices, should work very well to control the mosquito population. There is however, one drawback to mosquito attracting machines. They attract mosquitoes and other flying biting, bloodsucking pests. So, with this type of device, you will not only attract the mosquitoes in your yard, but you'll attract the mosquitoes from your neighbor's yard and possibly beyond. In this case, you may create more of an insect problem, by the fact that you have actually attracted more bugs to your location than the machine is capable of swallowing. In addition to that end, if you're in the flight path of those mosquitoes coming to the machine, you may become dinner on the way to the trap.
Just a note, I've had the privilege of being in the mosquito control business for over 10 years. I can attest to the fact that many of these devices work. I've also witnessed the fact that many of them don't work well enough and have too many maintenance issues to be effective on a long-term basis. Over 75% of my customers, traded in these devices for our better alternative.
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