How to Make a Homemade Mosquito Trap?

Damp and wet places serve as the best breeding ground for mosquitoes. These pesky insects love to suck human blood. As soon as summer arrives, these insects start hovering above your head, waiting for the perfect moment to bite you.

While they are mostly found outdoors, they can easily enter your home if you leave the window open for a few minutes. But do you know mosquitoes also have an important role to play? The chocolate that you love to eat cannot be produced if there are no mosquitoes. These insects are the main cocoa plant pollinators.

Even though mosquitoes contribute to the ecosystem, it can’t be denied that they are a nuisance for us. If you are delaying organizing a small party on your deck because of mosquitoes, you are at the right place. Read on to find out how you can make a mosquito trap at home.

Also, mosquitoes carry diseases like Malaria and Dengue and you are exposing yourself to the risk of contracting a life-threatening disease. It is, therefore, quite important to search for ways through which you can get rid of these dangerous tiny insects.

How Does a DIY Mosquito Trap Work?

The trap is made from plastic bottles. You will have to put sugar and yeast bait inside it to attract mosquitoes. You may be wondering how a bunch of plastic bottles with sugar inside can help you reduce the number of mosquitoes. It is important to understand how a mosquito finds you in the first place. These blood-sucking insects track us through the carbon dioxide trails we produce while exhaling.

Many commercial traps use propane to produce carbon dioxide to lure mosquitoes into the trap. In the homemade trap, you will use sugar and yeast to produce carbon dioxide that will attract the mosquitoes.

In search of food, mosquitoes will follow the trail and go into the bottle. Once they are inside the bottle, they will realize that there is no food for them. They will try to fly over the surface of the mixture to reach to the bottle’s side. But the only exit point is blocked. They are now trapped.

Tired and exhausted with all the flying, mosquitoes finally give in and fall in the mixture to drown. While some mosquitoes may find an opening to exit the trap, most of them will remain trapped and gradually drown in the mixture.

Will this trap clean off your entire house? The answer is probably no. If you are facing the problem of what can be called a mosquito infestation, consider placing three or more traps depending on the size of your home.

5 Steps to Make a Homemade Mosquito Trap (with Plastic Bottle)

Follow the steps below to construct a mosquito trap that will reduce the number of mosquitoes on your property. The method is simple, and the items that you need for constructing a mosquito trap are easily available at any store.

The easy-to-make trap is organic and safe for your children and pets. Let’s have a look at what you’ll need to prepare a mosquito trap.

Items That You’ll Need for a Trap

You’ll need the following items for making a mosquito trap:

  • An empty two-liter plastic bottle or a similar-sized container
  • A razor knife
  • Spray paint
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 pack dry active yeast
  • Duct Tape

Now follow the below steps to prepare a trap.DIY Mosquito Trap Steps

1. Cut the Plastic Bottle

Use a sharp razor knife to cut the top section of the bottle. Don’t cut from the middle. Mark the area from where the narrow neck of the bottle widens to meet the main body of the bottle. Cut the top section carefully without damaging the plastic of the rest of the bottle. If you are unable to mark the correct spot, mark the area at least four inches from the lid.

2. Prepare the Mixture

Now that you have built your container, now is the time to prepare the mixture or the mosquito bait. Follow the following steps to prepare the bait.

  1. Use a measuring cup to pour 1/4 brown sugar
  2. Heat the water and bring it to a boil
  3. Add the sugar into the hot water and wait for it to be completely dissolved.
  4. Allow the mixture to cool down. Dip your finger to check the temperature. It should ideally be between 120 and 130 degrees F. If you add the yeast in the hot mixture, the high temperature will kill it. However, if the temperature falls below the recommended range, the yeast will lose its effectiveness.
  5. When the sugar mixture reaches desirable temperature, add yeast. Pour the mixture into the bottle (the bottom part of the bottle).

3. Assemble the Trap

Once you have cut the top section, you are left with the two parts of the bottle the bottleneck and the bottom cylinders. These two parts are then rearranged to make the trap. The cut out can be used as a funnel. The top section, when inverted, resembles a funnel and can be used to offer a passage to mosquitoes.

But don’t push the funnel all the way to the bottom of the bottle. There has to be airspace between the funnel’s lowest point and the liquid’s surface. You have to leave some space between the two to add around a cup of liquid.

4. Block the Escape Route

To seal the edges of the funnel, wrap duct tape around the bottle to secure the funnel in one place. In order to keep the life of the mixture longer, cover the bottle with spray paint. This way the sunlight will not enter the bottle and your mixture will remain active for a longer period.

5. Place the Mosquito Trap at the Designated Places

Place the trap in your backyard, your window sills, or at any place where mosquitoes are higher in number. Be careful and do not put the trap in an area that you use the most. The main purpose of the trap is to lure mosquitoes and bring them inside the bottle. If you place in your sitting area, for example, the mosquitoes will not fall for the trap and will, instead, attack you.

As the sun sets, mosquitoes will come out of their hiding places to search for food. The carbon dioxide produced by the mixture will lead the mosquitoes to your death trap. For even more effective results, keep changing the mixture every two weeks.

Here are a couple of videos that we’ve found are helpful to you –

DIY Mosquito Trap with Vinegar

Instead of using brown sugar to make the trap, you can use vinegar and baking soda to prepare the solution that can be used to lure mosquitoes to their doom. Unlike the brown sugar mixture, the vinegar and baking soda mixture do not require any cooking. To prepare the mixture, follow the following steps.

  1. Put 1/4 cup of baking soda at the bottom of the bottle.
  2. Attach the cut out (the bottleneck) in an upside down position.
  3. Pour vinegar into the bottle.DIY Mosquito Trap with Vinegar

As soon as the vinegar comes in contact with the baking soda, it will release carbon dioxide. The mosquitoes will follow this carbon dioxide to enter the plastic bottle.

For better results, keep changing the mixture every two weeks.

Homemade Mosquito Trap Advantages

Commercial traps are costlier mostly because they use expensive propane to produce carbon dioxide that can lure attract mosquitoes into the trap. Homemade traps are preferable mostly because they use organic products which are less dangerous for both the environment and you and your family, including your pets.

The homemade trap is easier to make and install. You don’t need electricity to operate it. It runs 24/7 and is quite effective when it comes to trapping the mosquitoes. There is literally no maintenance cost of these traps. You only need a plastic bottle and a few products to prepare the bait.

8 Tips for Using a Mosquito Trap

While you can always make a trap to get rid of the mosquitoes, it is also essential to have complete protection against these insects. You can follow the following guidelines to save yourself from mosquitoes’ attack.

  1. Use mosquito netting if you live in an area that is densely populated with mosquitoes.
  2. Don’t wear perfume as these insects are attracted to the scent of the perfume mixed with body sweat.
  3. Avoid wearing dark colors, especially black. These colors keep your body warm and mosquitoes will get attracted to you and will probably bite you.
  4. Have limited skin exposure. Wear clothing from head to toe.
  5. Looks a bit odd to practice but eat more garlic. If you would eat more garlic, your body sweat will also have its scent. Mosquitoes hate garlic’s scent and they will keep away from you.
  6. You can protect your home’s entry by using weather-stripping products. Through this, you will bar mosquitoes’ entry into your house.
  7. You can also use screen patches or silicon caulk to stop the mosquitoes’ entry into your house. The screens should be smooth, with no tears or holes. Keep your fans on as they can throw mosquitoes off the course and can reduce carbon dioxide.
  8. Use essential oil as an insect repellant. Combine the essential oil with the base of olive oil or alcohol. If you are mixing the oil with the alcohol base, be sure to use the product that is safe to your skin.

Itching and Redness Caused by Mosquito Bites

Sometimes, you can even sense a mosquito sitting on any part of your skin and sucking your blood. You can kill the mosquito instantly, right there and then, however, chances are that they have already bitten you. If a mosquito stays on your skin, it means that it has a well-fed stomach and will need some extra time to gather the energy to fly away.

Mosquito bites are small and leave a minute bump on your skin. But they can be itchy and leave a rash. This can last for days and can disturb you to a great deal. If you want to reduce itching or redness, you can do any of the several things to get some relief. While it is difficult to do so, refrain from scratching the area as it will more redness.

  1. You can use alcohol to treat the area. Dab a cotton ball in alcohol or take an alcohol wipe and place it on the affected area.
  2. For natural remedies, apply baking soda on the wound. Mix the powder with the warm water to create the paste and then apply it on the area. Leave the paste on the area for a few minutes before washing it off.
  3. You can also use apple cider vinegar to treat the affected area. Soak a cotton boll into apple cider. Put the saturated ball on the wound and secure it by using a band-aid or tape. Keep the cotton on the wound until the pain reduces.
  4. Apply a small quantity of aloe vera paste to reduce redness. Aloe vera is the perfect remedy to address the heat that comes with an insect bite.
  5. Another natural way to reduce redness is through using honey. Apply it in the area where the swelling is and rub it on the skin. Honey’s anti-inflammatory properties make it perfect for all kinds of insect bites.

In conclusion

Mosquitoes are a nuisance who carry dangerous diseases. It’s always better to keep yourself safe from this blood-sucking insect. Follow the steps mentioned above to combat the mosquito infestation.

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