In article , snipped-for-privacy@aol.com says... :) Consumer's reports said they do work. Reviews on the Internet say they work :) or don't work. A co-worker's friend has a Mosquito Magnet Pro and says it :) works great. The reviews I've seen on television say those devices do not :) work. :) :) If anyone has direct experience with the mosquito traps, could you post a :) response here if they work, or do not work? :) I have a posting from another forum by a Renee Anderson who is with Cornell University who basically states that the machines should attract mosquitos, which is the way they have been collecting mosquitos for years in the field for research. The question is do they attract enough mosquitos in a given area to ever be an effective way of mosquito control, in which there hasn't been a true study on that aspect. My personal experiences is that of all my customers that I know who have bought the various "traps" none have been satisfied, but I will come across just as many people who say they have a neighbor or relative that has them and they work great. If you want the whole posting of Ms Anderson let me know and I'll email it out...it is very long.
Here is a bit of her post.
To: Extension Educators with Horticulture responsibilities Date: Mon, 07 Jul 2003 09:26:48 -0400 From: Renee Anderson Subject: Mosquito traps
My name is Renee Anderson. I have joined Laura Harrington's lab as an extension associate in medical entomology. A number of people have been asking our lab and the insect diagnostic lab about mosquito traps. ... ............ There are a number of traps currently marketed for the consumer to "control" mosquitoes although in some of the advertisements the word "trap" is used instead of "control." The commercial traps marketed for use by the public utilize a combination of CO2, heat, moisture, octenol, and/or linalool just to name a few of the attractants or inhibitors currently on the market. The traps work by attracting mosquitoes to the devices and are then drawn into the traps through the use of a fan into a collecting net, a killing device, or are trapped on boards that are coated with sticky material. Based on the available scientific literature that is currently available, these traps do indeed do what the manufacturers claim, if placed properly and maintained, the traps do collect mosquitoes. To collect adult female mosquitoes, mosquito biologists have used these very same attractants for decades and for good reason because they work so well! So ....................... ......................Based on the scientific literature to date, the term "control" seems to be too strong of a statement. There is nothing in the peer reviewed scientific literature to support the "control" statement. Whether these devices will reduce the potential for bites or disease transmission still has not been published............. ................Basically, the potential for controlling mosquitoes is there but studies need to be designed that actually addresses this research question. It also may require additional design modifications on the propane traps. A few hundred to several thousands females trapped in a single night is impressive, but whether that actually puts a dent in the millions that are present in a given area remains to be verified ................................. ............................there highs and lows in the population. Some species only produce one, maybe two generations per year. In warmer climates, there may be several generations per year. It would not be unreasonable to expect that various mosquito species follow a 3-6 week population cycle depending on environmental conditions and climate. I have yet to see a peer reviewed scientific research paper that shows a reduction in mosquito population due to the trap and not due to the natural population fluctuation over time.
The bottom line: The traps do indeed collect mosquitoes, scientific peer reviewed literature has demonstrated that propane- powered traps collect host seeking female mosquitoes. Currently, the scientific peer reviewed literature to support the claims that propane- powered traps control mosquito populations or reduce/prevent bites is lacking.
If you have any other questions/concerns please feel free to contact me.
Renee
Renee R. Anderson Medical Entomology Extension Associate
Department of Entomology
3136 Comstock Hall Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853
Telephone: (607) 255-7153 Fax: (607) 255-0939 E-mail: snipped-for-privacy@cornell.edu