Mosquito magnets have been introduced as a new and clean method of reducing and controlling these prolific insect pests without the need for harmful insecticides or poisons that are every bit as dangerous for humans as they are for their intended targets.

Mosquitoes are a problem in certain areas that cause much irritation from the annoying whining sound they make when they fly around your bedroom in the dead of night to the even more irritating and itching bites they inflict upon their victims in their seemingly insatiable search for fresh human blood. Incidentally, they will bite your pets as well, although they generally aim for the easiest targets, which as us humans, mainly because we're larger and have less or no fur to inhibit the mosquito's proboscis in its travel.

If the thought of using pesticides doesn't sit well with you, then I'll provide you with some helpful insights into what these mosquito magnets are and how they work.

What are Mosquito Magnets?

Mosquito magnets are essentially devices that attract mosquitoes so that they can be dealt with. For that to happen, it helps to know how to attract mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are incredibly able when it comes to seeking out a nice hot meal. It is the females that bit because they need fresh blood in order to reproduce, which is why you find that some mosquitoes are far more aggressive than others. The most aggressive ones will be the females. They locate their prey with a combination of sensors that can detect carbon dioxide, warmth and moisture as well as some plant chemicals that are secreted in sweat. To a female mosquito, a combination of those three attractions means its time to zero in because lunch is served!

So to build an effective mosquito magnet, you need those three attributes in order to attract the female mosquitoes. Then you need a device to deal with them when they show up. The best way to do that is to use a modified vacuum cleaner to literally vacuum them up into a chamber where they can be eliminated.

How do Mosquito Magnets Work?

Mosquito magnets work by combining the lure of carbon dioxide, warms, moisture and plant chemicals with an efficient vacuuming device. Several manufacturers have managed to create precisely such a machine. One of them is branded as the "Mosquito Magnet" and this and similar devices work in a quite ingenious way.

The source of carbon dioxide is propane, which contains hydrogen and carbon. When propane is burned, it gives off carbon dioxide and water vapor. In this process there is no actual flame, as would be seen in a domestic barbecue that burns propane. The gas is actually burned the same way as is done in a car's catylitic converter, by passing the heated gas over a platinum coated ceramic grid which acts as the catylist to produce the carbon dioxide and water vapor. By using this method, the propane can be converted in small amounts over a long period of time and there is no fire risk because there is no flame.

To complete the chemical lure the addition of cartridge containing substances that simulate plant chemica­ls and sweat chemicals. These act as very strong attractants for several different mosquito types. Once the mosquitoes have been invited to the party, the last phase of the plan swings into action.

The chemical attractant is mixed with carbon dioxide and moisture from the propane and then blown out into the surrounding air. The mosquito magnet creates a plume of gas that is simply irresistible to mosquitoes, which will fly upwind in order to follow the plume all the way to its source.The last phase of the plan then swings into action.

The mosquitoes get close to the mosquito trap where they encounter a simple vacuum which is created by a fan. This vacuum sucks in air along with the mosquitoes, which are trapped in a net bag. There they dehydrate and eventually die.

When used correctly, this type of mosquito trap is highly effective. It does however take time to really work its magic and often needs to be in place for four to six weeks by which time it will have had a significant effect on the local mosquito population. This is because it takes that amount of time for existing mosquito eggs to hatch and grow into adults which are captured. As they are been trapped, the local mosquito population begins to decline until it collapses.