Mosquito trap: buy or make your own at home

Nobody likes insects. If not to anyone, then at least to the majority. They make noise, buzz, get in the way, carry diseases, bite - in general, they are unpleasant. If you don't live in a place with constant cold, then when you forget to close the window at night, in the morning you find the whole room covered in insects.

To combat them, various methods have been invented - dichlorvos, sprays, repellers, fumigators, traps and more. Traps are considered the most effective. Dichlorvos and sprays need to be sprayed yourself, repellers do not always work, fumigators are also unreliable, and they also leak/smell strongly.

If you want to understand how a mosquito trap works, which ones are best to buy, and how to make a mosquito trap with your own hands, then read on.

The best models of mosquito traps

We recommend the following insect traps for use:

1. EcoSniper LS-217 – CO2 trap for 2800 rubles with a compartment for insects. Affordable, high quality, proven, reliable, silent.
   
2. Flowtron Mosquito PowerTrap MT – electric model for 27 thousand rubles. There is also a compartment for insects, it works silently, high build quality, high efficiency, reliable design. To attract insects, the model secretes various substances to which they flock. Disadvantage – the ultraviolet LED glows/blinks brightly.
3. Tefal Mosquito Protect – Tefal has been producing home appliances, electronics and gadgets for a long time. Tefal Mosquito Protect for 4,000 rubles will completely rid you of insects in your home. The model has a control panel and a compartment for insects. The device is environmentally friendly, silent, and the light from the UV lamp is almost invisible. The volume of the “mosquito catcher” is enough for a month, after which it needs to be cleaned.

How to make a mosquito trap yourself

To make a homemade electric insect trap you will need:

• Two plastic jars of different sizes (slight difference)
• Conductive wire (up to 1-2 meters, depending on the size of your trap)
• 6 capacitors
• 5 resistors
• UV LED
• Wires
• Plug for socket
• Tools (soldering iron, glue gun, knife, scissors)

First, prepare the trap body by cutting out half or more of the side of the smaller plastic jar. Next, cut off the bottom and lid from the second jar. Cut 1-3 strips 2 cm thick from the plate. Make holes inside the smaller jar - you can use a soldering iron or drill.

Take out the positive wire, connect it to four resistors and four capacitors. Next, either bend the prepared wire at a distance equal to the height of the hole, or cut off many pieces of the same length from it. If you cut the pieces, then you will need to connect them together with one piece of wire.

Attach the made grid to the hole in the jar. The distance between the railings should not be more than 5 millimeters. Connect a structure of capacitors and resistors to the two ends of one side of the grid.

Glue the grille to the body using a glue gun. Be sure to install a crossbar (cut strip) to prevent the body from falling apart.

Pass the remaining wires through the holes in the housing, and bring the wire there from the other end of the grille. Connect the wires to the resistor and capacitors, and then connect to the UV LED.

Glue the resistor, capacitor, wires and LED to the inside of the case. Glue the bottom and lid of the jar to the structure.

Make sure the trap is assembled correctly and insert the plug into the outlet.

Working principle of mosquito trap

Most insects have an instinct to fly towards the light. An electric mosquito trap works based on this principle.

Electricity from the outlet goes through capacitors, which increase its power. Then it passes through a wire grid, electrifying the air next to it. The energy then goes to the UV LED and powers it. Mosquitoes flock to this LED inside the trap. It emits ultraviolet light, and mosquitoes think it is the sun and mechanically fly towards it. Flying close to the grid, they close the circuit - they are shocked. Insects die instantly.

If a person touches a switched-on electric insect trap, he will not die, but will receive a strong electric shock. Therefore, it is not advisable to place such a trap in a place accessible to children.