Thanks to unusual weather patterns across the nation, mosquitoes are attacking Americans in swarms—literally. Here in Alaska, I can’t open my door without 30+ little blood suckers sneaking in to bite me in my sleep. As a result, mosquito control efforts are a hot topic, and one image in particular has gone viral: a DIY mosquito trap.
In the photo (seen below) a few simple household items are used to create a two-liter bottle trap that is so coated in dead bugs it appears black. When considering in most instructions these little DIY homemade mosquito traps only require yeast, water, sugar (often brown), and a two-liter bottle, these crafty contraptions seem brilliant. Being that mosquito trap machines such as the Mosquito Magnet cost hundreds of dollars, my first question as was, “does it work?” I’m not the only one either, but when I attempted to find out all I found was others asking and no one answering, so I’ll answer.
DIY homemade Mosquito Trap instructions: (quoted via the viral mosquito trap’s photo description)
“HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP:
Items needed:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
1 2-liter bottle
HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix the brown sugar with hot water. Let it cool. When cold, pour mixture into the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)
Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.”
On my traps, I upped the ante by using black cloth rather than paper. Before applying it, I rubbed it on my skin for my ultra-attractive body oil application and then sprayed it with flowery perfume. I made three traps and placed them in three well-skeetered locations. There were so many even if the bottles didn’t attract them, they’d fly in from sheer numbers. One bottle had brown sugar, one white, and one vinegar and baking soda as this was an alternate recipe found on a few photos.
Did the DIY Homemade mosquito trap work?
It didn’t not work, but the photo showing hundreds of dead skeeters must have been from months of use as my bottles caught about ten mosquitoes give or take every 24 hours which isn’t even a tiny dent in our yards infestation. Worse, they attracted ants. The baking soda/vinegar bottle only caught one mosquito. Brown sugar was the most effective bottle.
Verdict? Waste of yeast, this viral DIY homemade mosquito trap photo is false hope-and advertising.
I did find some other ways to get rid of mosquitoes though, and shared them here.