Mosquito Traps 101

Mosquito Bites Increase as Mosquito Populations Multiply
Geography and weather conditions are known to affect mosquito activity, and health experts and entomologists worldwide have warned of the effect global warming and climate change will have on the increase and spread of mosquito populations, and the diseases they carry.

Do mosquitoes bite randomly?
According to Jerry Butler, PHD, professor emiritus at the University of Florida, one in 10 people are highly attractive to mosquitoes and that mosquitoes actually do select their targets.  People with high concentrations of steroids or cholesterol on their skin surface attract more mosquitoes, as do those who produce excess amounts of acids such as uric acid and lactic acid.

Do all mosquitoes bite?
Only female mosquitoes bite because they are after a protein found in blood to develop their eggs.  When not after your blood, they (like their male counterparts) feed off plant nectar.

Will mosquito traps stop mosquito bites?
Mosquito traps are designed to mimic humans and work by emitting substances that biting mosquitoes find attractive — such as carbon dioxide, heat, moisture, and other mosquito-friendly byproducts. They are designed to attract, then trap and kill female mosquitoes. Joseph Conlon of the American Mosquito Control Association told WebMD “When placed strategically near breeding spots, “they have knocked [mosquito] populations down”. source

Can you develop resistance to mosquito bites?
The more times you get bitten by a particular species of mosquito, the less you will react to that species over time.  Unfortunately with over 3,500 species of mosquitoes worldwide that’s a lot of species and a lot of bites! 

Mosquito Bite Tips
Some of the best remedies for treating mosquito bites are closer to home than you might realise.

1. Soap and Water.  Wash the area with soap and water and don’t scratch the bite.  Scratching only irritates the skin further and could lead to infection.
2. Treat with Heat.  The protein that causes the itching is destroyed at around 40.5°C (that’s 105°F).  Boil up a cup of warm coffee or tea and place that cup on your bite for about a minute or so.  Theoretically the heat from the cup “neutralizes” the proteins that are the cause of that itching and swelling.
3. Calamine or Caladryl lotion.  Calamine contains a mixture of zinc oxide and iron oxide and works as a cooling, all-purpose soother.  Caladryl, contains both calamine and an analgesic.
4. Hydrocortisone cream.  Available over the counter, creams contain corticosteroids which help reduce the swelling.   Anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen also help.
5. Antihistamines. Helpful to reduce both swelling and itching after a bite, you can also take an antihistamine before going outside to minimize your allergic reaction.
6. Aloe Vera Gel.   Helpful to reduce swelling and itching, aloe vera also forms a protective layer, to reduce possible infection.

Reduce Mosquito Populations to Reduce Mosquito Bites
While eradicating all the mosquitoes in the world is a popular concept,  it’s probably not a realistic option.  However private individuals can make a difference in their own back yards with a DIY approach to mosquito control.  Daily trapping during the season is aimed at disrupting breeding cycles thereby reducing mosquito populations.  Only female mosquitoes bite and a single female mosquito is capable of laying thousands of eggs during her life time.  Consider trapping as another method of  ‘birth control’ .  Because population control is certainly one of the most effective ways of managing mosquito numbers and reducing biting incidences.