Propane mosquito traps are not cheap, but they work!
If you have ever sat outside on a humid summer night, you know what it feels like to be "eaten alive." Mosquitoes are the worst party crashers, and it's not just that their bites itch; they are also known carriers of diseases like malaria and West Nile virus. Most of us will try anything to get rid of them -- from cheap solutions like citronella candles and bug spray to more expensive options like propane mosquito traps. But do propane traps really do the trick? Does this Spark an idea?
How They Work
Mosquitoes' sense of smell is something like 10,000 times more powerful than ours, according to the Mosquito Barrier website. Luckily for us, we know use their powerful sense against them. Since mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide that results from burning propane, they cannot help but be drawn to the trap's receptacle tube. Secondary attractants contained within the receptacle, like octenol and proprietary formulas, make the trap irresistible. Once the little buggers fly too near, they are sucked deep inside the trap with no way to escape.
Give Them Time
Propane mosquito traps are not designed to quickly eliminate all mosquitoes in your yard, so don't expect to crank on the mosquito trap a few minutes before you have a barbecue and be successful. The traps' great strength lies in the prevention of future generations. A female mosquito can hatch about ten offspring over the course of her one-month lifespan. A single trapped female means thousands fewer mosquitoes in the coming months.
Trap Placement
Trap manufacturers advise that you place a trap in an open area, 30 to 40 feet away from human activity. It might seem counterintuitive to set a trap so far away, but the key is not to zap the bugs as they harass you; it's to zap them in their breeding territory. When it comes to preventing bites in the short term, you may still need to keep bug spray or other killers or repellants close.
Limitations
Use propane traps in combination with other bug killers and repellants.
Faithful users of propane mosquito traps do report seeing fewer mosquitoes over time, but the products do have some limitations. In addition to taking weeks to produce results, the traps work via propane cartridges that need to be replaced and can be costly. Each trap itself will set you back at least $300, with $50 or more per month in ongoing expenses. Since cheaper options are available, propane traps are advisable only for people in particularly swampy infested areas.
Tags: mosquito traps, propane traps, fewer mosquitoes, killers repellants, other killers, other killers repellants