Mosquito Magnet Project

The Mosquito Magnet products, when working, do a very creditable job controlling mosquitoes where they are a problem. The units work by creating a small stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) and combining that stream with an attractant to simulate human respiration, which attracts female biting mosquitoes. The mosquitoes fly to the source of the attractant, and, not finding a suitable host to bite, slowly drift upward into a vortex created by a fan which sucks them into the trap. After a while, they die of dehydration in the trap. The trap attracts and captures only small insects looking for a blood meal. The trap begins capturing hundreds of mosquitoes a day when first used, but even so, it takes a few breeding cycles or several (3-6) weeks to reduce the population to the point where you can go outside at dusk and not get bitten. Still, it is satisfying to empty bags of mosquitoes when first starting, and the population reduction is noticeable within a few days.

The system uses liquid propane in a tank plus electricity to run a fan, power the gas valve and controller, and initially ignite the propane. The simpler models use a low voltage power supply with a long cord to power the unit from household AC power. Other models use thermoelectric modules to generate the necessary electricity from the combustion heat, plus a rechargeable battery for starting.

The propane is consumed to produce the CO2 and heat. A 20 pound tank lasts about 3 weeks, or about $1/day. The attractant lure costs about half of that. Cleaning the system periodically costs about $12 every 12 weeks or so. The total cost is under $2 per day per 1/2 to 1 acre. Additional coverage requires additional traps. We believe the cost to be well worth it.

One huge problem is that the traps, especially if not properly maintained, become hard to start, eventually requiring repair. Repair charges are daunting and transportation to and from so expensive and slow, that a hobbyist community has formed to attempt DIY repairs.