3 DIY Mosquito Traps That Work

Mosquitoes buzzing around your property are not just minor inconveniences; they can mean big trouble! Their capability to spread diseases and kill people is well-documented. You should definitely do something about the mosquitoes around your home. It’s good to know that there are DIY solutions to your mosquito problem – such as DIY mosquito traps – that will get rid of the pests in no time.

Why mosquitoes thrive near your home

Mosquitoes thrive near your home because there are a lot of potential breeding grounds around your property. Mosquitoes have a heavy preference for stagnant water, so it’s the number one thing you should avoid.

Here are the most common sources of stagnant water around your property:

• Standing water from birdbaths, fountains, ponds, and swimming pools
• Stock water from drainage problems like clogged drains and gutters
• Stock water from flower pots, rainwater barrels, tires, and vases
• Leftover water from pet bowls

Using DIY mosquito traps will be useless if you have these stagnant water sources around your property. Sure, you will be able to effectively get rid of a batch of mosquitoes with the traps. But you are also attracting new batches with these stagnant water sources.

If you want to get rid of mosquitoes for good, get rid of these potential breeding grounds.

Effective DIY mosquito traps

Here are 3 effective DIY mosquito traps you should try. The materials you will need to make these traps are easily accessible. And you can make the traps in a few minutes.

1. Soda bottle with carbon dioxide trap

The idea behind this trap is simple. Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide. So, you will attract the mosquitoes using the compound and trap them in a plastic bottle.

To make this trap, you will need the following materials:

• Soda bottle
• Cutter
• Tape (any kind will do)
• Hot water (about 1 cup)
• Brown sugar (about 1/4 cup)
• Yeast (about a gram)

Here are the simple steps you should follow to make this trap:

1. Using the cutter, cut the upper 1/3 portion of the soda bottle horizontally. Put the portion aside.
2. Pour the hot water and add the brown sugar into the remaining 2/3 of the soda bottle. Wait for about 20 minutes for the mixture to cool down.
3. Add the yeast to the mixture to create carbon dioxide. You should see the mixture bubble up a bit.
4. Get the 1/3 portion of the soda bottle you put aside. Invert it and put it on top of the remaining 2/3 of the soda bottle to create a funnel.
5. Use the tape at the edges of the funnel to hold the funnel in place.
6. Place the trap around your property.

2. Container with black sock trap

The idea behind this trap is to prevent mosquitoes from breeding effectively. The color black and the dampness of the container will attract them and compel them to lay their eggs on the metal mesh at the top of the container. But their offspring will go through the mesh, fall to the bottom of the container, and die.

To make this trap, you will need the following materials:

• Plastic container (small enough to be wrapped by a sock)
• Black sock
• Metal mesh
• Gauge wire
• Glue
• Drill
• Wire cutter

Here are the simple steps you should follow to make this trap:

1. Drill two holes on the upper portion of the plastic container. These will serve as slots for your wires, so you will be able to hang your trap. Drill two more holes below these holes. These holes will serve as drains for your stagnant water.
2. Glue the toe part of the black sock to the inside bottom of your plastic container. Once the glue has dried, stretch the sock outside of the container and wrap it up to the outside bottom of your container. Use the glue to hold it in place.
3. Cut the metal mesh to make it fit the top of the plastic container. Make sure to place it above the drain holes.
4. Insert wires inside their respective slots so you will be able to hang your trap.
5. Pour old or musky water into the container.
6. Hang your trap around your property.

3. Box fan with mosquito net trap

The idea behind this trap is to suck mosquitoes using a box fan and trap them in a mosquito net at the back of the fan. They will dry out and die. If they survive, you can always spray them with insecticide. They will be helpless in the mosquito net.

To make this trap, you will need the following materials:

• Box fan
• Mosquito net
• Glue

Here are the simple steps you should follow to make this trap:

1. Glue the mosquito net at the back of the box fan.
2. Place the box fan around your property.

That’s it. This trap is a lot simpler than the other 2 traps in this list. But still, it’s not as popular because not all people have box fans lying around. But soda bottles and black socks are very accessible.

If you want to have a sturdier trap, you can ditch the mosquito net and use a metal mesh instead.

How to prevent mosquitoes from thriving near your property

Preventing a mosquito infestation is better than getting rid of one. If there are no mosquitoes around your property, you and your loved ones will not be at risk of the diseases they may bring, such as dengue and Zika.

To avoid relying on mosquito solutions like DIY mosquito traps, here are some things you can do:

• Make sure that water is not stagnant. This is an especially useful piece of advice for those with birdbaths, fountains, and swimming pools. Turn them on from time to time and let the water run.
• Fix your drainage problems. Give particular attention to clogged drains and gutters. This is because they are outside your home and are more accessible to wandering mosquitoes.
• Replace the water from your containers. Regularly replace the water in your flower pots and vases.
• Throw away leftover water. The water from pet bowls, rainwater barrels, and tires should be removed regularly.

A stagnant water-free property is a mosquito-free property.