Relieving Mosquito Bite Itch

Have you ever been in a situation where your child was suffering from an annoying insect bite and you didn't have a store-bought remedy readily available? Did you know that you could make a remedy yourself?

The simplest anti-itching compound is a simple paste that is easily made from ingredients commonly found in most households. The paste can be using only baking soda and water. To make, pour some baking soda into a small bowl and mix it with just enough water to make a sticky paste. Then, spread the mixture on the irritated bite(s) to induce instant relief. Calamine lotion works in a similar way (though the effect usually lasts longer).

A Comprehensive Mosquito Control Program

It is not wise to put too much faith in electronic mosquito killers. These traps represent an evolving technology that is a most welcome addition to our mosquito control armamentarium. Their potential is great, but shouldn't be overestimated. It's highly unlikely that these devices, whatever their improvements, will ever fully supplant organized community-wide mosquito control programs, for there is no single silver bullet that will prove to be the ultimate answer to mosquito problems. In other words, explore all of your mosquito control options.

How Mosquitoes Find their Prey

Female mosquitoes of blood-sucking species locate their victims primarily through scent (they are extremely sensitive to the carbon dioxide in exhaled breath, as well as several substances found in sweat).

Female mosquitoes also use extremely sensitive thermal receptors located on the top of their antennae to sense blood near the surface of the skin (they are only capable of this when they are 10 feet or less away).

Some people seem to attract mosquitoes more than others. Being male, being overweight and having type 'O' blood may increase the risk of being bitten. Mosquitoes can detect heat, so they can find warm-blooded mammals and birds very easily once they get close enough.

Carbon Dioxide and Mosquito Killers

Some electronic mosquito killer devices use carbon dioxide similar to the Skeeter Vac. However, instead of using propane to generate the carbon dioxide, a carbon dioxide tank is used.

Tanks are easily available from soft drink distributors or welding shop suppliers. Some suppliers will even let you use a tank for free (as long as you pay for refills). Others will rent tanks out for a small fee.

How Mosquito Traps Disrupt Feeding Females

The process of a mosquito questing for her blood meal involves a complex, interconnected cascade of behaviors, each probably having its own cues (be they visual, thermal, or olfactory). The complexity of these questing behaviors may account for the bewildering variations in mosquito trap efficiency noted for certain species of mosquitoes at different times, seasons and places. In other words, variations are so great that no one trap will work universally. The best way to find a mosquito trap that will work for you is to assess your specific needs and test various options available on the market until you find one that works for you.

Effectiveness of Mosquito Zappers

* That mosquito zapper hanging in your yard does not catch very many mosquitoes because it does not necessarily target them.

Female mosquitoes (the ones that bite) are attracted to mammals, not lights. When they are far distances away from potential prey, mosquitoes are drawn to carbon dioxide (because that generally means that a breathing mammal is nearby). As they get closer to the potential prey, they begin to sense body heat (more specifically blood near a skin surface) and they are lured to the source. Bug zappers emit neither carbon dioxide nor body heat. More modern devices for killing mosquitoes lure them by mimicking the cues female mosquitoes look for when searching for a blood meal--these are wiser purchases.

Advantages of Mosquito Killers Over Bug Zappers

Besides their proven effectiveness, the modern electronic mosquito killer devices currently available are a lot more pleasant than older bug zappers. For one thing, they are usually very quiet and produce no discernable odor (at least to humans). Additionally, they are much safer for children and won't scatter fragments of blasted bugs all over when a mosquito meets her demise.

Placement of Mosquito Killers

How far away should you situate your electronic mosquito killer?

The answer is not cut-and-dry. A common rule of thumb is that these devices will be killing mosquitoes within a 100 ft radius (about one acre). However, if people are on the edge of the circle, they will attract mosquitoes that are outside the 100 foot radius. Factors such as wind and physical properties (walls, fences, and buildings) will also interfere (positively and negatively) with the device's ability to attract mosquitoes.

How Mosquito Traps Work

Do you want to get rid of mosquitoes without using harsh chemicals or noisy zappers? Some mosquito traps are designed to mimic a mammal (horse, cattle, man, domestic pets, etc.) by emitting a plume of carbon dioxide, heat and moisture which is often combined with an additional attractant (i.e. octenol) to lure pests (mosquitoes, no-see-ums, biting midges, black flies, etc.).

After drawing the insects to the CO2 mosquito trap, a vacuum device sucks the insects into a net or cylinder where they dehydrate and die. No electric killing grid or pesticides are used.

Factors in mosquito trap effectiveness

CO2 Mosquito Traps will trap and kill measurable numbers of mosquitoes. Whether this will produce a noticeable reduction in the mosquito population in each case will depend upon a number of factors including:

• individual tolerance level
• absolute mosquito population size
• proximity
• size
• type of breeding habitat producing re-infestation
• wind velocity and direction
• species of mosquito present

Thus, the homeowner must still use repellents and practice source reduction methods as adjuncts to achieve truly effective control.