Mosquito Traps 101

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” Benjamin Franklin

Male mosquitoes do not bite. The real risk is from female mosquitoes who bite when in search of blood to provide protein for their eggs. Scientific research over the past 50 years has shown that female mosquitoes find their prey using a combination of sensory cues including light, shape, color, heat, vibration, sweat and other by-products of human activity. Using that research and with the benefit of extensive field testing (including tests by the United States Department of Agriculture in Gainesville, Florida EnviroSafe Technologies NZ Ltd has developed one of the world’s most advanced mosquito traps: the Mega-Catch™ ULTRA mosquito trap While traps won’t permanently eliminate mosquitoes in the area, and no responsible manufacturer should claim otherwise, they are an effective tool, known to interrupt the breeding cycle thereby significantly decreasing mosquito numbers.

America’s Most Unwanted Species
Asian tiger mosquitoes, or Aedes albopictus , are very aggressive daytime biters and feed on a number of hosts, preferably human!   The female, when out looking for a blood meal will also target birds, domestic and wild animals.  With their ability to transmit debilitating, even deadly diseases with a single bite it’s no wonder they are considered such a health threat and regarded as the most significant nuisance mosquito worldwide.  Asian tiger mosquitoes are known disease-carriers or ‘vectors’ of Chikungunya, Dengue, West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever and Yellow fever to name a few – no wonder they’re  viewed as “America’s Most Unwanted” species.  Read more…

Ants at a picnic? They just want everything on the menu. For mosquitoes, you are the menu.  And if skeeters have a favorite time of the year, it’s summer break, all those bare arms and legs slowly marinating in suntan oil. Let the ants have the potato salad; the mosquitoes want sushi!

Mosquitoes use their antenna to seek out hot targets putting out carbon dioxide (CO²) the stuff we exhale.  If you’re huffing and puffing around the back yard, playing with the kids or flipping burgers on the grill, you’re especially appealing.  So if you want off the mosquito radar, hold your breath or find them a meal replacement – more on that later!

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