You can easily reduce the number of mosquitoes in your property area by using plastic bottle traps that will attract and kill mosquitoes. The fluid in each trap will last up to about two weeks, and can be easily replaced. To increase effectiveness, place several mosquito traps around your home or property.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Traps
Step 1. Gather your materials
You will need all the materials below to make a mosquito trap out of a plastic bottle. Each ingredient is easy to find at the grocery and hardware store in your area.
- Empty plastic bottle measuring 2L
- Marker or pen
- Cutter
- Meter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1-1 1/3 cup hot water
- 1 gram yeast
- Measuring cup
- Insulation (you can use duct tape, scotch, or electrical insulation)
Step 2. Mark the center of the plastic bottle
About 10 cm from the 2L bottle cap is the center area of the bottle. You can use a ruler or tape measure to determine the center area of the bottle.
- Pull the tape measure 10 cm long.
- Hold the tip of the tape measure up to the end of the bottle cap.
- Use a pen to mark the area on the tip of the tape measure; 10 cm.
Step 3. Draw a circle around the bottle at a point 10 cm from the cap
You will cut the plastic bottle in half. These measurements don't need to be precise, but drawing a guide line will help you. Using the mark you drew earlier as a guide, draw a circle around the bottle at a point 10 cm from the cap. This line will guide you through cutting the bottle in half.
Step 4. Cut the plastic bottle into half
Cut carefully following the guide lines you marked earlier until the bottle is cut into two halves. Save both halves of the bottle; You will use both to create traps.
- Be careful with the sharp edges of the plastic when you cut.
- The edges don't have to be perfect, so you don't have to worry if your cut doesn't fit within the guide lines.
Step 5. Measure out 1/4 cup brown sugar
Use a measuring cup to measure out 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Leave the sugar in the measuring cup; You will pour it into the bottle in the next step.
Step 6. Heat 1-1 1/3 cups of hot water
You can heat the water on the stove or in the microwave, whichever is easier. When the water begins to evaporate, it is hot enough to use in the trap.
Part 2 of 3: Assembling the Mosquito Traps
Step 1. Pour the brown sugar into the bottom of the bottle
Carefully pour the brown sugar from the measuring cup into the bottom of the bottle. Try not to spill the sugar over the edges of the bottle. Set the measuring cup aside after you have emptied it.
Step 2. Pour hot water into the bottom of the bottle
Pour the water slowly; because the water is hot, try not to splash the water as it can injure you.
Step 3. Allow the mixture to cool
Set the bottle aside for a while until the water mixture cools down. Twenty minutes is enough time.
Step 4. Add 1 gram of yeast to a plastic bottle
You don't need to stir the mixture. The yeast will consume the sugar and produce carbon dioxide, which will attract mosquitoes.
Step 5. Hold the top half of the bottle upside down
At this point, the bottle cap will be facing downwards. When you're holding the top half of the bottle upside down, hold the bottom half of the bottle with your other hand.
Step 6. Place the top bottle upside down into the bottom bottle
Gently press the top of the bottle inwards until the edges are aligned. Make sure the top of the bottle is above the water line.
- An adult mosquito will have enough room to fly into the bottle and under the cap.
- If there is not enough room for mosquitoes to fly in the bottle, remove a small amount of the solution that was in the bottle.
- Now, the insects can fly into the trap and die of suffocation or starvation.
Step 7. Reinforce the edges with insulation
Use insulation to keep the edges aligned. A few pieces of insulation placed around the bottle will be enough to keep the edges in place.
Part 3 of 3: Using Mosquito Traps
Step 1. Place the trap on a firm surface near the mosquito
If there is a mosquito-infested room or area, place a trap there. A solid surface works best, such as a desk, counter, or floor. Do not place traps in areas where people pass to prevent traps from being kicked in.
Step 2. Watch when the bottle is full of dead or ineffective insects
In the end, many mosquitoes will die in the bottle, and you will need to clean the trap so that it can be used effectively again. Even if there are not many mosquitoes, eventually the liquid in the trap will lose its effectiveness because all the yeast has used up the sugar and can no longer attract mosquitoes; many sources state the fluid will last up to two weeks.
- Use a calendar to keep track of when you need to change fluids.
- Change the fluid when the bottle is full of bugs, even if it hasn't been for two weeks.
Step 3. Replace the yeast and sugar solution if needed
Luckily, these mosquito traps can be used over and over again! Disassemble the trap by removing the insulation. Then, wash both halves of the trap bottle by rinsing it with water. Then, refill it with mosquito trap liquid.
