DIY mosquito trap - steps 1-3

Cut the bottle thusly. Keep the top part for step 4.

Mix 200ml of hot water with 50g sugar. Then cool the sugar water to 40 degrees.

Put the sugar water in the bottle and add the yeast powder/ granules. You don't have to mix - it will react gradually with the sugar to produce CO2, the magic mozzie attractant. [See steps 4 and 5 on the image next to this one.]

You need:
A 2 litre plastic bottle.
50 g of coarse sugar (like rock sugar etc., not the fine granulated stuff.)
1 g yeast powder/ granules
A thermometer
A measuring cup
A craft Knife
Black paper

DIY mosquito trap - steps 1-3 by Naruwan.

Move your mouse over the picture to see the English translation. This method was devised by Hsu Jia-chang's class at Yong-An elementary school, Taipei, Taiwan. See comments for more details. Steps 4 and 5 are on adjacent image.

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Comments

Naruwan says:

This simple but ingenious method was devised by a class of clever kids at Yong-An elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan (with the help of their teacher, Hsu Jia-chang [徐佳璋]). Their website is here.

I was totally surprised to find that this made it onto the del.icio.us popular page this morning via diyhappy.com. [Update: BoingBoing and Lifehacker also have entries related to the DIYhappy post. Oh no, now the digg sheep will be over here.].

Here's the original email I received (the images were attached). The quoted text is from the online edition of the United Daily News, a newspaper in Taiwan (udn.com). Hope your Chinese isn't too rusty.

環保捕蚊罐
以我多年對抗蚊子的經驗.....看起來它的原理真的有用喔.......蚊子多的地方可以試試看

環保捕蚊罐花2.5元可殺千隻蚊

[聯合新聞網記者薛荷玉／報導] (聯合新聞網 2006-01-15 04:11)

一個在網路流傳的小秘方，激發了小學生實驗靈感，經過不斷嘗試，成為真正的環保(新聞、網站 )良方！台北市永安國小師生從網路偏方得到靈感，利用資源回收(網站)的寶特瓶，以及不到2.5 元的成本，製造出「環保捕蚊罐」，放在地下室，一罐最多竟可抓到超過1427隻蚊子，連環保專家都驚歎不已。

「環保捕蚊罐」的環保之處，不只在利用資源回收的廢寶特瓶，更因這種捕蚊法不需使用化學的殺蚊劑A無毒又安全。學生估計，只要有五分之一的人改用這種環保捕蚊法，每年全球就可省下10億元新台幣的購買殺蟲劑費用。

其實很多人都曾收到過這則網路偏方的電子郵件，指出只要在室內放一小盆水，再加點洗衣粉，蚊子就會全部溺死在盆中。永安國小學生郭家安的媽媽也看到了這則郵件，並付諸實施，雖然效果不佳，但卻激發郭家安動手研究，並在老師徐佳璋指導下，找出真正有效的捕蚊良方。

徐佳璋表示，剛看到這則網路偏方時，就懷疑是什麼東西誘使蚊子前來？是洗衣粉的成分還是香味？結果按網路傳聞操作，三天只抓到11隻蚊子，把洗衣粉濃度調高後，三天只抓到一隻蚊子，效果並不好。

因此，師生動手實驗，希望找出更有效的誘蚊法。蚊子會被熱氣吸引嗎？試試看暖暖包。
蚊子會對不同顏色有反應嗎？試著用不同顏色寶特瓶來誘蚊。
捕蚊罐放置的高度是否有差異？把捕蚊罐吊高到蚊子飛行高度試試看。

學生還試過用蜂蜜、蘆薈、黏鼠板膠來誘蚊或黏蚊。最後發現，蚊子會受到二氧化碳及黑色吸引，即利用發酵糖水會釋出二氧化碳的原理來製造捕蚊罐。

徐佳璋表示，「環保捕蚊罐」研發成功後，曾創下單罐一周內在地下室停車場捕獲1427隻蚊子的紀錄；另一次測試放置九罐捕蚊罐，更共抓到超過五千隻蚊子。徐家安回憶整個實驗過程，最「苦」的就是撈出一坨坨的蚊子屍體，計算到底有幾隻。
"
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

ThatBeeGirl says:

Followed a link from Life Hacker -- pretty neat!
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

xunantunich says:

Sweet stuff.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

Golden Striker says:

How about the instructions in English, and ones we can actually use rather than the ones posted at that delicious popular page? "Cool the sugar water by placing it in water??" what? That's what that instructional page reads like. Sorry, I'm a little behind in my Mandarin as of late.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

Naruwan says:

Look at the notes on the images for the English translation.

"Cool the sugar water by placing it in water"

Are you having trouble viewing the image? Look at the picture for Step 2. It's pretty obvious. There is a beaker of sugar water in a tray of water. Or you could just cool it by leaving it to stand. It's hardly rocket science.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

sisiter2.tw says:

你好~感謝你幫我們寫出這篇環保補蚊罐的英文說明
我會這樣說~是因為這是我們學校小朋友所發明的~
我看了一下英文版~可否請你著名來源出處?
本文 POST 於台北市永安國小自然科教師徐佳璋網頁
tw.class.urlifelinks.com/class/?csid=css00000 0001173&...
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

stendhalismo says:

easy to follow comments in english are at .diyhappy.com/quick-and-dirty-mosquito-trap/
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

Naruwan says:

Easy-to-follow comments in English are also on the images above. Move your mouse over the image to see the notes.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

Kim Guanzon says:

got here via boingboing... awesome...
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

Pauric says:

So, I've built something like this and it does not seem to work for mosquitos found in the US. I was a little suspicious about the statements that moquitos like corners and damp dark areas, neither of those statements are true. I think this is for a completely different insect, I've been to the schools project pages and most of the images show something other than moquitos
tinyurl.com/prj3n
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

Naruwan says:

Apparently it attracts other bugs as well. I think the ones in the pictures at the school's web page may be caddisflies.

Actually, I'd be interested to know whether this attracts ants as well.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

wuziq says:

mosquitos are attracted to carbox dioxide, so this trap should work, in theory.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

snow0069 says:

Hi there.
I am one of those that is constantly under an attack if mosquitoes are around.
I believe mosquitoes are using their antennas to locate the prey. Most likely they sense the body's temp. The antennas seems to be very sensitive and will probably be destroyed by direct sunlight. I used to work in tropical areas, and before going to bed I shot a photo camera flash (old fashion flash, not with bulbs though) into all directions from the middle of the room. Now I am talking about approx 15 sq. meter room. Such strong light seems to spoil the antennas and they can´t locate the pray. After I began to use this method, I was hardly bitten. So it worked for me. Better than use some toxic stuff.
Before I knew about this, I used to locate the flies, by placing a light on the floor facing upwards. This has to be the only light in the room. When the flies started to seek around, the wings lights up, and they were like white spots moving around, and then easy to catch, by smashing them between the palms of your hand. They are not fast fliers and will not escape such smash. Well worth for you to try. Now I am living in a non-mosquito area, so I can´t do any experiments nowadays.
Posted 14 months ago. ( permalink )

chenihan says:

the part of counting mosquitoes sound disgusting....

And what if you have ant problem afterward....
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

Naruwan says:

@chenihan that would be my biggest concern too - goodbye mozzies, hello ants !
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

brujabu says:

Hola , quien me pude decir las cantidades de azucar y levadura?y en que lugar de la casa tiene que estar? gracias espero sus comentarios ya que en estos momentos esta bastante preocupante en todo el pais , gracia saludos argentinos susana
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

Naruwan says:

@brujabu See step 2. Use mouse over. 200 ml hot water, 50 g sugar. The best place in the house to place these is in dark corners where mosquitos like to hide.
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

cacatua2 says:

really good trap, i would like to know how long does the trap last.
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

Naruwan says:

I'm not really sure. My guess would be a couple of weeks.
Posted 7 months ago. ( permalink )

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DIY mosquito trap - steps 1-3

Comments

Naruwan says:

ThatBeeGirl says:

xunantunich says:

Golden Striker says:

Naruwan says:

sisiter2.tw says:

stendhalismo says:

Naruwan says:

Kim Guanzon says:

Pauric says:

Naruwan says:

wuziq says:

snow0069 says:

chenihan says:

Naruwan says:

brujabu says:

Naruwan says:

cacatua2 says:

Naruwan says:

Would you like to comment?

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