The Best Mosquito Trap

Our Top Pick for 2019: Viatek Mosquito Patio Trap
Amazon

Have you ever looked down at your wrist and discovered a particularly contented-looking mosquito chowing down on your hard earned blood supply? With the advent of the Zika virus, a new layer of danger has been incorporated into the bite of these annoying insects. This isn’t to say that the virus that causes microcephaly is the only danger that mosquito bites can cause us; as a matter of fact, the mosquito roundly defeats all other animals in the most amount of human deaths caused each year. Known as carriers for malaria and West Nile virus, over one million people annually are killed by mosquito bites.

As you see, it’s important for us to defend ourselves and our loved ones from the dangers posed by mosquito bites. To help reduce the amounts of bites, several devices have been invented. We’ve pored through many on the market today and come up with three great products that will trap the hemavorous female mosquito. We’ve also found a budget pick that will provide some of the same protection, but at a lower cost.

Let’s Have a Quick Look of Our Top 4 Picks:

Amazon

A growing world leader in marketing great products, Viatek has offices in Chattanooga, Orlando, Hong Kong, and China. With a growing catalog of pest control products, Viatek’s mosquito trap is one of the most effective on our list. As with any Gold Pick product, the mosquito patio trap released by this company is beloved by both critics and consumers and has an intuitive functionality that makes it perfect for those who want an elegant insect-stopping solution that works very well in the great outdoors.

Firstly, when looking at this product, you’ll notice that it’s vaguely mushroom-shaped. It has a large base, topped by an even larger half-dome; each section colored a vivid lime green. The top of the machine’s base is white and the primary mosquito containment area is positioned underneath it. Its overall measurements are almost fully balanced, with a height of 7.4 inches and a diameter of 7.4 inches. Overall, it weighs about 1.2 pounds; in other words, the device isn’t too heavy to carry from point to point or hang safely from a hook or a nail.

To invite mosquitoes to their final party, this mosquito trap utilizes three separate systems for attraction. None of these systems are harmful to humans at the doses that the device uses, so you won’t have to deal with propane, chemical lures, or pesticide refills. The first attractant that this trap uses is light. Housed under the mushroom cap of this device, you’ll find a blue LED light. These types of lights have proven to be very effective in attracting mosquitoes, as they, like other insects, are drawn to light in the UV spectrum.

Another attractant that the Viatek mosquito trap employs to draw in the annoying insects is through the emission of carbon dioxide. This trap has a titanium dioxide coating that emits small amounts of the gas; such a small amount that it’s barely noticeable. Fortunately, the antennae of a mosquito are designed to pick up the carbon dioxide emitted during respiration and this coating mimics that process perfectly.

The final method of attraction that is utilized against mosquitoes by this trap is heat. Mosquitoes have a unique structure on their heads called the maxillary palpus. This unique organ allows them to better sense differences in temperature that might indicate where a warm blooded animal might be. By generating the right level of heat under the mushroom cap, this trap effectively fools the maxillary palpus into thinking there is a warm blooded animal to feed on nearby.

Once attracted, the mosquito flies under the cap where it is drawn down into the capture area by a fan. The fan will gradually dehydrate the small insects; eventually killing them. The housing itself is comprised of plastic and the trap is designed to be very weather resistant; a great feature, as damp environments that feature frequent rain are the perfect breeding areas for swarms of these pesky buggers. This simple killing system is advantageous to you because you can avoid the annoying zapper-style traps that have bugs exploding at odd intervals, and since the mosquitoes die from dehydration, you don’t have to worry about high levels of insect residue collecting on the trap itself; you simply remove the catch basin, dump the insects, wipe it off, and reuse.

Unfortunately, the system is not absolutely perfect. The catch bin utilizes the fans to dehydrate and kill the annoying insects, so while this is a wholly adequate system of killing; it does take some time. A problem that has arisen from this is that the owners of this Viatek trap have turned off the containment system too early, resulting in the trapped mosquitoes escaping to bit another day. To avoid this outcome, it’s recommended that you keep the trap running for a few extra hours after you utilize it to kill any remaining mosquitoes caught in the capture bin.

On Amazon, this trap system has had some great reviews and currently enjoys a positivity ratio, when it comes to ratings, of 75 percent. This number represents reviews that have garnered a four or five star rating level. Here is one five star review:

“We live in the San Gabriel Valley and have been invaded by the Asian Tiger Mosquitoes. Blood thirsty little devils. We were being eaten alive, so I was on a mission. This product is a real slaughter house for mosquitoes, it’s quite and can alternate as as night light. I bought two and I am using them in the house.”

Designed by Seoul, Korea-based Viosys, our Silver Pick trap has a lot going for it. Usable in either the indoors or outdoors, this is one of the most technologically advanced devices of the traps featured in our guide. As a matter of fact, the LEDs that power this unit’s bug capture features are actually deployed in NASA space stations to clean and sterilize space-borne surfaces.

The first thing that you’ll notice about this mosquito trap is that it has a very lantern-like design. At the top is a flat pan style hood that is situated above the main body of the trap. At the very top of this is an iron eyelet that will allow this mosquito trap to be placed on a hook or on another hanging structure. The capture area is very large in comparison to the section of the trap that houses the attractants; this is because this mosquito trap is very good at holding the pesky insects and dehydrating them. With this trap, you’ll have over 1,000 feet of coverage. Designed specifically to combat the growth of the Zika, Dengue, and Yellow Fever virus carrying Aedes aegypti, this relatively cheap trap gives you a very professional level of protection.

Similarly to our Gold Pick product, this Mosclean trap utilizes LEDs to attract biting insects. The chief difference is the type of LED that is utilized. To ensure a powerful level of attraction, Viosys scientists utilized the violed system of LEDs. Violeds have a larger range of LED ultraviolet emission; and since insect’s eyes are hardwired to pick up this type of radiation, these types of lights are almost irresistible to mosquitoes as it so closely mimics the visible light of the sun. Also, there are no harmful effects from violeds, so pregnant women, children, seniors, and pets can all be around this type of trap without worrying about detrimental health effects.

The second of this two system trap uses carbon dioxide as an attractant. Positioned around the violeds is a coating of titanium dioxide. When this material is exposed to light, a photocatalytic reaction occurs that causes CO2 to be emitted. As we mentioned in our Gold Pick review, mosquitoes rely on their prey’s emission of this gas to locate and feed on them. Once their antennae detect this chemical, they’ll be drawn into the trap.

Once attracted, the powerful yet slow fan pulls the mosquito into the large catch basin where it is dried and eventually expires. This simple operation is aided by the fact that the fan makes almost no noise at all. You can even set this trap on a surface; it has a large enough base to allow for easy placement on any surface. Simply plug it in via the 12 volt power cord and it will start pulling in mosquitoes.

Of the 55 reviews on Amazon, 90 percent of these are rated at a four or five star quality level. The general consensus is that this is a great trap to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes and it tends to provide great coverage and is easy to move from place to place. Here is one testimonial that really summarizes the general sentiment on Amazon:

“I was able to suspend it at the approx height it states in the instructions and every morning since I have received it, I go out and check the basket and am shocked. I didn’t even know we had that many mosquitoes around!
This makes me feel so much better with the Zika Virus now moving slowing to our area. I feel like I am taking steps to make my family, our dogs and I safer.”

Repelling the mosquito has been a method that many have used to avoid the bites of these pesky insects altogether. While this doesn’t actively reduce the numbers of mosquitoes in your direct area, it can spare you from the stress of itchy bites and the risk of mosquito-borne illness. Many people are aware of the styles of repellant offered by brands like Deet and Off!, but did you know that you can also purchase a physical unit that will repel these insects without the need to slather chemicals on your skin? Our Bronze Pick, which is a device created by Thermacell, a company whose pest management systems have been called “game changers”.

The first thing that you might notice about this device is how personal and portable it is. It can neatly fit inside of a pocket or purse (when not in use), and it’s only ten inches in length, six in width, and two inches in thickness. It is also very light at only two pounds; as a matter of fact, the whole thing kind of feels like a slightly overlarge, old-style television remote. For ease of use, there are grips along the back of the handle and you can purchase a trusty holster directly from Thermacell for carrying purposes.

As a purely chemical repellent system, this device has to be loaded up a chemical deterrent that will drive away pesky skeeters. Positioned along the side of the unit, you’ll find a think slot. Simply place a repellent mat into this slot and it’ll emit a chemical combination that will send mosquitoes packing for four hours. The vapors this pad creates will flow outward through the device’s front grill, so be careful as this area can get hot. The coverage area is about 15 feet by 15 feet and you’ll know when the mat expires as the insects will start to gradually encroach on your “barrier”.

To heat this pad (heat unlocks the vapors), you’ll need a butane cartridge that loads into the handle of the device. Simply turn the knob from off to on, and press the ‘start’ button a few times to light the chemical pad. The butane will last around 12 hours per bottle, so you can expect about a 3:1 ratio between pad and butane when you use this product. Fortunately, Thermacell sells one butane cartridge with three mats for about $6.99.

Over on Amazon, this product has a healthy 833 reviews, and of these reviews 80 percent are of at least a four star rating level. For the most part, people really appreciate how this device keeps these insects away, though a few have expressed trepidation about how hot the front of the device can get. Here is an example of a five star review:

“Anything I do not have to apply to my skin and keeps away the bugs makes me a happy camper! It even repelled meat bees and flies while we ate lunch in Yellowstone.”

Mosquito protection doesn’t need to cost you a whole lot of cash. If you are currently ballin’ on a budget, Dynatrap has produced an excellent LED-style trap that will protect you from the pesky insects while ensuring that you won’t break the bank. With this relatively cheap solution, you’ll get all the protection you need to keep you and your family safe from mosquito-borne diseases and the nasty bites that cause them.

As the smallest device of all the mosquito solutions that we’ve featured in this guide, you’ll have no problem placing this trap almost anywhere. It’s only about five inches in diameter at its widest point and is about seven inches in height. Unlike the other LED-based solutions that we’ve covered, this device has no hood, so if you are planning to use this device, be sure that it is well protected from the elements. Fortunately, there is a large loop that you can hang from nearly any hook or nail in the area that you want to protect, and insofar as protection, you’ll get about 300 feet of coverage around the mosquito trap.

This budget pick uses a similar system to the other two LED mosquito traps that we’ve highlighted; a standard LED is used to generate natural levels of attractive UV light. This LED also produces small amount of heat that will also help to fool the insect’s maxillary palpus. The LED is blue and does a great job of pulling in curious skeeters.

The third system that’s used as an attractant is the layer of photocatalytic titanium dioxide that produces carbon dioxide to fool the insect’s antennae. Unlike the other traps we’ve mentioned, this coating is present in the inside of the device and the light from the LED causes the reaction. Once the insects are checking out the trap, they are drawn in by a small, slow-moving fan and are dehydrated.

Of the 161 reviews on Amazon, 60 percent were deemed to be worthy of a four or five star rating. Here is a five star review that attests to this device’s ability:

“First week: I caught 114 mosquitoes and 1 moth! Enough said!
Hung it up in my 1 car garage, about 4 feet off the ground, it probably caught 50 in the first day or two.”

Pre-purchase considerations

How does your mosquito trap work?

To understand this, you’ll have to truly understand how and why mosquitoes gather blood. Many don’t know that mosquitoes are primarily herbivorous and their hunt for fresh blood stems from the need for a certain protein that’s needed for the creation of eggs. As a matter of fact, mosquitoes, especially males, need to derive sustenance from plant nectar.

This being said, mosquitoes need to seek out blood, and in this regard, they are uniquely well-suited. They incorporate several physical structures to find blood and modern mosquito traps are designed to fool these structures in order to capture or kill the female, blood collecting mosquito. Here are the structures and how they are fooled:

Compound Eyes – This is a day-hunting mosquito’s primary tool. With such a large amount of lenses making up their visual structures, it’s no surprise that a mosquito’s visual acuity is so strong and well-suited to finding live prey. Mosquito traps that fool a mosquito’s eyes use light and movement to emulate what a mosquito might think are the natural movements of prey animals. Once the mosquito comes in to draw blood, it gets caught and dies.

Antennae – Carbon dioxide emission is one of the key hunting parameters that a mosquito will use in order to find prey in the dark. All animals emit this gas, so where this poisonous gas is being emitted in relatively small amounts, it’s a safe bet that there is an animal nearby. The mosquito uses its antennae to detect carbon dioxide and will home in on its source and proceed to bite the target. To use this against the mosquito, some trap brands will emit natural amounts of carbon dioxide that will fool the insect’s antennae; when the mosquito comes in for a bite, she’ll be quickly trapped and eventually will die.

Maxillary Palpus -The final structure that mosquitoes use to find blood is their maxillary palpus, an organ located on the tops of their heads, which allows them to sense differences in heat. This is a near-perfect system for locating warm-blooded prey. Some mosquito traps fool this organ by generating a natural level of heat that draws the mosquito into containers where they will die.

Types of Traps

There are a plethora of bait systems utilized by mosquito traps that make them very hard to resist for blood-hunting mosquitoes. Here are a few of the types that are currently available on the market:

CO2 emitting models – This type produces small amounts of CO2 that will reach the insect’s antennae in order to lure the insect into a catch basin.

Light emitting models – These types use both visible and invisible lighting; typically generated by LEDs to appeal to the senses of mosquitoes.

Heat emitting models – These types of traps emit a heat signature that is picked up by the animal’s aforementioned maxillary palpus. The heat production area is typically located very near the containment area.

Fragrance emitting models – This can come in two systems; one uses a simple strip that will draw a mosquito that’s looking to feed into a trap and the other uses an intake fan and a liquid mixture of soda, water, and dish soap to draw the nectar-seeking insects into a watery grave. Both use the animal’s acute sense of smell as a means to pull them in to their eventual doom.

Insect Residue Management

As these types of devices collect and kill many types of annoying insects including sand flies, biting midges (no see ums), and the target insect, the mosquito, over time the residue from these flying annoyances can build up and impair the functionality of the mosquito trap. To ensure this doesn’t occur, a system of cleaning should be present in any mosquito trap that you buy. When purchasing a mosquito trap, be sure that you’ll be able to carefully clean out the container and fragrance strips, so that you’ll be able to use the trap effectively for years to come.

Outdoor vs. Indoor Models

As mentioned, CO2 is a poisonous gas that animals emit during respiration, so it stands to reason that models of mosquito traps that also emit this gas in potentially higher, more concentrated amounts shouldn’t be used in indoor settings. Fortunately, there are also indoor variants that will help you control the local mosquito population. These are the light and fragrance-based types that we’ve mentioned previously, and they can be used to great effect in your home. When choosing a type of mosquito trap, be sure to learn what types of emissions and scents it produces and whether or not the type you are looking at can be safely deployed in your home to capture and repel mosquitoes.

Capture vs. Repellent Types

The majority of the reviewed items in our guide are of the capture type; these traps lure in the mosquito and either drowns or starves the unlucky little creatures. One of the types that we reviewed, on the other hand, is a repellant style of device. This type uses a chemical that can be found in standard repellant systems that, when picked up by the insect’s sensory organs, causes the mosquito to avoid the area. These are much more humane, but can also be a little less reliable than the capture types. In heavy mosquito-laden areas that will quickly see a capture container fill up, this system can be a life, or blood, saver.

Conclusion (Wrapping it up)

With seemingly more and more diseases being transmitted on the backs of nature’s most annoying insect pest, a bit of protection becomes a near necessity. The devices in this guide will hopefully grant you a respite from the constant buzzing and biting and most will also reduce the total number of the biting insects in the immediate environment. Each will protect you for diameters ranging from 15 to 1000 feet, so choose wisely based on the zone that you wish to mosquito-proof. Also, don’t forget to take into account our pre-purchase considerations; they will help you know the enemy and find a device that will take them down on nearly all fronts.