How to catch a mosquito at night. How to get rid of mosquitoes in an apartment: from folk remedies to advanced technologies. Fighting mosquitoes in natural conditions
Summer is not only the season of vacations and holidays, picnics and barbecues, but also the annoying squeaking of which interferes with proper rest and sleep. The bites of annoying insects bring no less suffering. They are often accompanied by severe itching. Moreover, it often happens that while in the same company, not all of its participants suffer from the attack of bloodsuckers. Therefore, in order to avoid becoming a victim of insatiable bloodsuckers, it is not superfluous to know what mosquitoes fly to or what attracts their attention.
How mosquitoes find humans
The activity of unpleasant bloodsuckers and their ability to find victims surprises many. Even in complete darkness, mosquitoes do not stop their activity. Therefore, the question of how mosquitoes see is one of the most frequently asked questions.
On a note!
Insects “see in the dark” thanks to the thermal and chemical analyzers that nature has endowed them with. With their help, mosquitoes smell the lactic acid contained in sweat and the presence of carbon dioxide that a person exhales.
A lamp burning in the room also attracts the attention of insects. However, only female mosquitoes fly into the light. Their attention is drawn to the warmth emanating from the light source. This is what the mosquito focuses on during flight, whether it is light or dark.
Using a thermal receptor, mosquitoes also look for bare areas of the human body, trying to get as close as possible to the food source. However, bloodsuckers are often deceived by clinging to warm objects in anticipation of a meal (a photo of how mosquitoes see is presented below).
What Attracts Insects
After conducting numerous studies, experts were able to determine that the attention of mosquitoes is attracted by the presence of the following factors.
The smell of blood
For many this will seem absurd, but bloodsuckers find victims by the smell of blood, which is genetically determined, which makes you think. It is assumed that they give preference exclusively to people with blood type 1. They are more indifferent to a person with blood group 3 or 4. Vampires do not like type 2 blood at all.
On a note!
Hunting for people is carried out exclusively by female mosquitoes. For breeding, as it contains proteins and enzymes. Males are absolutely indifferent to blood. They feed exclusively on plant foods, using nectar and plant juice. Females can also be vegetarians, but they will not be able to lay eggs during this period.
Thermal radiation
Special very sensitive sensors located on the antennae help the female blood-sucking mosquito find a suitable victim. They are very responsive to thermal radiation that comes from a person or other warm-blooded creature. Moreover, bloodsuckers especially feel bare areas of the body.
Carbon dioxide concentration
Carbon dioxide also attracts the attention of bloodsuckers. Insects can sense it from human breath at a distance of several tens of meters.
On a note!
Moreover, the higher the concentration of carbon dioxide, the greater the appetite of the insect that produces it. The largest amount of it is produced by people who are overweight.
The smell of sweat
Another factor that attracts the attention of blood-sucking insects is sweat. Therefore, they often choose an actively working person as a victim. To be more precise, bloodsuckers fly to the smell of ammonia, lactic and uric acid, which are part of human sweat.
Perfume will not help in this case, especially if it contains musk. After all, this aroma is very attractive to insects. Therefore, it is not the best option to use cosmetics with a strong smell, be it perfume, deodorant or hairspray. But a person who has just taken a shower will not arouse any interest among bloodsuckers.
Bacteria on the skin
Mosquitoes are also interested in specific types of bacteria present on the surface of the skin. Places where there are excessive numbers of them (usually the ankles and wrists) are attacked by insects much more often. Therefore, to avoid it, you need to regularly shower with antibacterial soap.
The smell of beer
Scientists managed to find out another one. The smell of beer, or rather the people who drink it, attracts mosquitoes no less. This addiction is explained by ethanol released through the skin and increased body temperature, which is usually observed among alcohol drinkers.
Gender
Most often, children and girls become victims of mosquitoes. This fact is explained by the presence of thinner skin, which is much easier for insects to bite through than the skin of a male.
On a note!
According to a number of studies, experts were able to discover that mosquitoes are of particular interest to women during pregnancy. It turned out that the volume of carbon dioxide they exhaled was almost 20% greater. In addition, pregnant women have a slightly elevated body temperature.
Women during the period of ovulation also attract no less attention from bloodsuckers. The reason for this is the smell of cholesterol, the level of which increases in women during hormonal changes. This is exactly what mosquitoes react to.
Color of things
The color of clothing can also attract the attention of insects. According to statistics, bloodsuckers are especially not indifferent to black and blue tones, and red also attracts insects. They are neutral to gray. Less attractive colors include yellow, green and khaki.
Interesting!
Those people who have had a special bloodsucker-repellent repellent present in their bodies since birth are not attacked by annoying insects.
Mosquito attractants
Quite a lot has been created
Many craftsmen make it using plastic bottles or paper soaked in a mixture of rosin, linseed oil and honey. Safety and accessibility are the main advantages of such devices.
With the arrival of warm days and nights, a problem arises that not only creates inconvenience, but also causes insomnia and terrible bites on the body. In the apartment, no matter how carefully you insulate it on hot evenings, pests make their way and with the onset of darkness their buzzing fills all the rooms without exception. It’s not possible to quickly get rid of such a problem, but the itching at the site of the bites and the terrible squeaking prevent you from falling asleep? This is a common thing, both in urban areas and in populated areas, where among the riot of beautiful nature there are particularly large insects that can torment residents of houses all night long. How to kill a mosquito? Did we kill the mosquito or not? How to build traps for them at home? You and your loved ones have thought about all these questions many times. So, what to do with the onset of heat, how not to spoil the long-awaited summer vacation? We hasten to please you, there are a lot of ways to fight mosquitoes and one of them will be to your liking.
Mosquito bites can ruin the most wonderful summer
Insect mosquito problem
Problems associated with the increasing number of insects in summer have existed since time immemorial. Our ancestors fought mosquitoes in the apartment in their own way, mainly using improvised means and folk recipes. Fragrant herbs, decoctions and dried leaves of wormwood served as some kind of amulets against annoying pests. With the development of technology, opportunities have increased, and mosquito control at home has become a little easier. But distrustful buyers to this day prefer to resort to the advice of grandmothers, destroying the bloodsucker “the old fashioned way.” The time-consuming method, although it clearly demonstrates the results, is ineffective and leaves much to be desired. There are a couple of significant factors that you can consider to significantly reduce your mosquito problem. First, check if there is stagnant water or high moisture in the basement, because moisture-loving insects will breed there. Protection on the windows would not hurt, as a precaution - mosquito nets, screens on the doors. Recent studies have shown that mosquitoes are attracted to the smell of sweat, and therefore personal hygiene in the summer is of particular strategic importance.
Mosquito net minimizes the entry of mosquitoes into your home
Desperate fight against mosquitoes
If we killed the mosquito, there was only one less bloodsucker in the room. Despite the prevalence of this method of fighting insects, the result is temporary, and also takes a lot of time and effort. Using a vacuum cleaner is another way to pump up the muscles in your arms and get tired faster than even one mosquito gets caught in the trap. A noisy electrical appliance will only scare away insects for a while, allowing them to hide in a secluded place, and then return at the most inopportune time for you. An effective and popular mosquito killer in an apartment is an electric fumigator.
In hardware stores, starting in spring, you can find an electric fumigator of any convenient type, color and filling method (plates, liquid).
Small electric fumigators cope with the task of “killing a mosquito” quickly, and they are easy to buy, so an inexpensive, useful product is on the list of prudent housewives. An alternative to this type of protection against insects are aerosols (directly affecting mosquitoes), special aromolists (when burned, they release odors unpleasant for mosquitoes) and essential oils (mainly coniferous, eucalyptus oil). Then the “we killed the mosquito” method will not be needed.
The mosquito coil burns, releasing odors harmful to insects
Folk remedies for killing mosquitoes
Not in all cases there is a reliable assistant at hand, and even if we killed a mosquito, there is no guarantee that its relatives will not disturb your sleep. Therefore, it is worth resorting to advice collected by experienced ancestors.
Proven remedies made quickly:
- bird cherry leaves laid out on the windows and at the door (exclusively in the house);
- the smell of tomato seedlings on the windowsill;
- aroma lamps with the addition of essential oils (tea tree, which can be used as a compress on the skin affected by the bite);
- a bouquet of fragrant lilacs;
- branches of live geranium (in winter the plant can be pleasing to the eye in an apartment);
- homemade ribbons (paper strips coated with gelatin glue, dipped in chopped basil).
If we managed to eliminate mosquitoes in the house, put lilacs and geraniums on the windows, cunning mosquitoes can still get into the house. In this case, a mosquito lamp will help, attracting the attention of bloodsuckers, but not letting them into the house.
It is also recommended that when using a fumigator with plates, add a couple of drops of essential oils to enhance the effect. At home, prepared mixtures will help you sleep soundly at night and not worry about insects during the day. When using a chemical-based insect killer, it is worth ensuring sufficient ventilation of the entire room.
The aroma of bird cherry will repel mosquitoes
Fighting mosquitoes in natural conditions
When you get out into nature from home, the last thing you think about is the bites of pestering mosquitoes. Forewarned, forearmed, and therefore, it’s worth thinking about fighting mosquitoes thoroughly and in advance. The means at hand that can protect you are juniper thrown into the fire; its aroma repels mosquitoes and creates a pleasant atmosphere around. Heated camphor will also contribute to the fight against mosquitoes, the smoke of which is absolutely harmless to humans. A decoction of wormwood or a commercial anti-bite cream is yours, but in the case of children, it is recommended to opt for natural helpers. The smell of tobacco has long been a known mosquito killer; insects cannot tolerate tobacco smoke. Among the more modern ones, it is worth mentioning the ultrasonic repeller and coils that burn at night. Their main advantage is their range. The area you choose for your vacation plays a significant role, so think about this moment in advance so that you don’t have to play the “we killed the mosquito” game. Avoid swamps and adjacent areas.
Artillery in the fight against open areas (not in an apartment) are compact systems that lure mosquitoes and then destroy them without a trace. When the system functions correctly, mosquitoes do not react to people, do not bite them or bother them.
Basic principles of insect warfare
Allergic reactions to bites are a common reaction of a weak body to an external irritant. Proper treatment of bites and sting wounds is important. Popular among people is a lotion made from vinegar or chamomile tincture.
You can find an analogue of such products in a pharmacy, but you should find out about the composition of ointments and lotions. Remember, it is easier to prevent danger than to deal with its consequences later. An invasion of mosquitoes in an apartment cannot be prevented, but you can fight them off. Among the many means and methods of struggle, choose the one that suits you, taking into account all the features of the apartment and family members. Folk recipes or proven electric ones, for home or outdoor walks - protect yourself and your loved ones.
Mosquitoes are quite insidious and agile creatures, capable in some cases of breaking through all obstacles! Even if you have protective nets on your windows, and you use others, as practice shows, several mosquitoes still manage to sneak into the house and cause nightly tyranny with their buzzing and bites. In this article we will look at how to catch a mosquito in a room and kill it with improvised means.
Attracting with light
Mosquitoes, like many other insects, are attracted to light, so if you hear a buzzing noise at night, there is no point in operating in the dark. Turn on a flashlight or lamp, so a spot of light will appear in your room, which will help you quickly find a mosquito in the room, and you can swat it.
To successfully and correctly kill a mosquito, you need to know that they do not fly to sodium lamps or LED lights, as well as special yellow insect lamps. They are best used as protective night lighting.
Vacuum cleaner
How to kill mosquitoes at home if they are in a hard-to-reach place? A fairly original method, which is nevertheless very effective. If you notice a mosquito in the room, it is much more convenient to try to kill it simply by sucking it into the vacuum cleaner. The main thing is to sharply point the vacuum cleaner hose at its victim so that the mosquito does not have time to fly away. By the way, this method will perfectly help destroy mosquitoes that have settled on the ceiling or at the top of the walls, where you cannot reach with your hand.
Be the bait!
How to kill a mosquito at night in the dark? If a mosquito makes its attack at night, when you have already gone to bed, and you do not feel strong enough to wage a full-fledged fight, you will have to take a risk. Roll over on your side and cover your entire body with a blanket so that only one half of your face remains unprotected. The main thing is to place your hand in a comfortable position so that at the right moment you can quickly take it out of cover and strike.
Then you just need to listen carefully for a while. The mosquito will fly around and its itching will tell you how far away it is. After flying a little above you, the mosquito will understand that it is not in danger and will land on the open half of your face, most likely on your cheek. Focus will help you feel its bite. Wait another second and strike sharply and confidently. Enough to kill the insect, but not enough to injure you.
Trap in a glass
If you do not want to destroy mosquitoes, but still do not intend to tolerate their company, try this, the most humane method. Mosquitoes most often sit on walls. Find the location of the mosquito. If you can't find the mosquito on the wall, lean one side of your face against the wall so you can see it in a different plane. This way you can better spot the bloodsucker.
Take the glass and slowly approach it. With a sharp wave of your hand, cover the mosquito with a glass and slide a piece of paper under it so that the trap can be moved. And then decide the fate of the prisoner at your own discretion, you can simply release him onto the street.
There are many ways to help you quickly catch a mosquito in an apartment, but most of them come down to simply swatting with improvised means; we tried to tell you more interesting and original options. Catching a mosquito at night is not difficult if you use your imagination.
How to kill mosquitoes at home, at night, when you are almost falling asleep and don’t want to disturb your household? The situation is very unpleasant, because the mosquito has disturbed your sleep, bitten you painfully, and even the site of the bite itches. And if there are small children in the house, then night bites can be a serious problem, because the child cannot sleep, cries, and in the morning all exposed parts of the body are swollen and red. This is the best case scenario if the child does not have allergies. We hope you find our tips on how to properly kill a mosquito helpful.
How to get rid of an annoying mosquito?
Those who did not manage to fall asleep in the evening before the buzzing bloodsucker appeared will agree that mosquitoes have now become much smarter. Previously, it was enough to turn on the light sharply and slam him while he was drinking blood. Now, in the light, the insect quickly disappears, rushes chaotically around the room, and it becomes impossible to quickly catch a mosquito.
Today's mosquitoes enter the room in the dark and fly to the source of increased temperature, not only through the windows, but also with the help of ventilation. Some “victims” claim that these creatures even “climb” to the ninth floor in the elevator!
There are such ways to find a mosquito in a dark room:
- attract him with light;
- remove with a vacuum cleaner;
- attract with a flashlight;
- become bait for him;
- kill on the wall;
- catch in a glass.
Each of the options is worthy of attention.
Into the light
When it's dark outside, mosquitoes love to fly into the light, so you can suddenly turn on the lamp, see and kill the mosquito at night before it has time to react. You should use a regular lamp, not an LED or sodium lamp. Act with lightning speed, if there are 1-2 of them in the room, then you can handle them quite well.
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner is also useful in such cases. It’s one thing that you won’t be able to quickly get it out of the pantry at night. But, if you are not yet sleeping, then simply turn on the vacuum cleaner and pull the insect inside, in this way you can easily quickly catch a mosquito on the ceiling, high on the wall or behind a closet.
Flashlight
A flashlight near your bed will also come in handy in the summer. To do this, you need to leave some part of the body open and point a flashlight at it. One hand must be free to strike. We sharply turn on the flashlight, point it at the part of the body that serves as bait, when the bloodsucker sits down, we kill it with a sharp movement. Perhaps this method of catching a mosquito at night is more effective than with the light on.
Bait
You can also become the bait yourself. Release one hand to clap, wait until the mosquito lands on you, and swat.
Cup
For the proboscis
Some craftsmen claim that if you sharply stretch the skin in the place where a mosquito is gnawing, it will be “caught by the nose”, will not be able to escape and will burst from the pressure of drinking the blood. This method requires great dexterity and experience.
We hope that our tips on how to catch a mosquito in a room will be useful to you.
Are clouds of blood-sucking insects preventing you from opening the window and enjoying the coolness? Do you want to sit outside longer, but don't want to get bitten? A DIY mosquito trap is the safest way to protect yourself. Unlike chemical ointments, sprays and fumigators, it does not harm health and can be used without interruption.
Method 1. Bottle trap
A mosquito bait made from a plastic bottle will not cost you anything. Everything you need to prepare it is available in literally every home. The process itself takes about 10 minutes. But the effectiveness of such a trap has been experimentally proven more than once!
You will need:
- Plastic bottle 1.5 l – 1 pc.;
- Sugar – 50 grams;
- Yeast – 5 grams;
- Cardboard or dark fabric;
- Scotch tape or stapler;
- Water – 200 ml;
- Scissors or stationery knife.
The process of making a mosquito trap is very simple, the main thing is to have the necessary parts and a little skill
Manufacturing process:
- Carefully cut off the neck of the bottle.
- Pour sugar into the lower container and add dry baker's yeast.
- Add water and mix well - the mass should foam. The temperature of the liquid should not exceed 40 degrees, otherwise the yeast will die without even starting to ferment.
- Now insert the neck - you get a funnel.
- Wrap the finished trap in a dark cloth and secure it with tape or a stapler. In the dark, the fermentation process will be much more active.
- Place the trap on a windowsill or on a nightstand near your bed. If possible, hang it indoors using twine. Attracted by a specific aroma, insects will fly into the funnel and immediately drown in it.
This bait works for about a week, then it needs to be changed. To extend the validity period, the dose of yeast and sugar can be increased.
Advice! You cannot keep such a mosquito trap with your own hands in the open rays of the sun, otherwise it will deteriorate and will not have the desired effect. After about two weeks, you can remove the paper and evaluate the result.
For more details, watch the video:
Method 2. Trap with vegetable oil
Perhaps this is the simplest homemade trap - an option for those who have absolutely no time, but really want to get rid of mosquitoes.
You will need:
- Plastic bottles - 3-4 pieces;
- Vegetable oil – 4 tbsp. spoons;
- Scissors.
Manufacturing process:
- Cut off the tops of the bottles just below the neck.
- Lubricate large parts inside generously with sunflower oil.
- Place baits in places where mosquitoes accumulate or make holes in the sides, thread ropes through them and hang them indoors.
Method 3. Electronic trap
Making electronic baits is a rather complex process that requires certain skill and at least minimal knowledge of physics. This detailed step-by-step instruction will help you complete this task without any problems.
You will need:
- Paper packaging for juice or dairy products;
- Wire (thick);
- A piece of gauze;
- Glue;
- A small fan that runs on batteries (portable or from a car will do);
- A small light bulb or mini flashlight.
Manufacturing process:
- Make a body for the future bait. To do this, cut off the top and bottom of the juice bag.
- Using thick wire, secure a small fan inside. The blades should be positioned so that the air stream flows downwards.
- Cut a round piece of gauze (diameter – 50-70 cm).
- Glue it to the bottom edge of the box. It should look like a bag.
- Move to the top and make two holes on the sides.
- Insert wire into them to create a bow like a bucket.
- Attach a light bulb to this handle. The same wire is suitable for fixing.
- All that remains is to make a loop and secure it to the handle. This part will allow you to hang the trap in any suitable place.
- Turn on a light bulb and fan and place the bait near a door or window.
This device works very simply - attracted by the light of the light bulb, mosquitoes fly closer and immediately fall under the influence of the fan. It sucks the insects into a gauze bag, in which they die.
Method 4. Glue trap
Duct tape is an excellent insect killer available for homemade use. A safe trap impregnated with a certain composition will quickly attract mosquitoes.
You will need:
- Cardboard sleeve - a roll of toilet paper or paper napkins will do;
- Thick paper - thin paper will soften quickly;
- Threads;
- Adhesive mixture.
Manufacturing process:
1. Take the largest sheet of paper possible (you can use wallpaper) and cut a not too wide ribbon from it.
2. Wrap it around a cardboard sleeve.
3. Prepare the adhesive mixture. The following ingredients are suitable for this:
- Rosin (200 grams), castor oil (100 ml), sweet syrup (50 ml), turpentine (50 grams);
- Pine resin (300 grams), wax (10 grams), honey (50 grams), flax oil (150 ml);
- Glycerin (40 ml), rosin (400 grams), honey (100 grams), Vaseline (200 grams).
4. Mix any of these compositions well and heat over steam.
5. Unscrew a small piece of paper from the sleeve and coat it with the sticky mixture.
6. Hang the trap in the place where mosquitoes appear most often. Once the sticky area is filled with insects, tear it off and apply a new one.
This bait will help cope not only with mosquitoes, but also with flies.
Important! If you decide to make such a trap yourself, be very careful and try not to get dirty. The sticky mixture is difficult to wash off hands and leaves stains on clothes. Another disadvantage of Velcro is its fragility - unfortunately, natural ingredients do not last as long as chemical ones.
There is another option for making sticky traps. To do this, a sheet of paper cut into strips must be lubricated with any of these products:
- rosin;
- jam;
- sugar;
- turpentine
- castor oil.
You can also prepare a mixture of alcohol, milk, sugar, water, potassium dichromate and black pepper. It acts on mosquitoes no worse than an insecticide.
Several of these traps are hung with clothespins from a clothesline.
Now you know how to make a mosquito trap. It remains only to clarify a couple of important points.
Tip 1. If there are too many insects, use several traps at once.
Tip 2. Combine different devices - this will enhance the effect.
Tip 3. If one bait stops working, don’t give up, but replace it with another. After some time, you can return to the first one.
What else helps against mosquitoes?
To enhance the effect of traps, use the following components:
- Bouquets of wormwood and tansy - hang them near windows and doors, change them as they dry;
- Bird cherry leaves, fresh cloves, black elderberry leaves and flowers, sprigs of lavender, lemon balm and mint, fresh tomato tops, lemon catnip - scatter them around the house;
- Valerian - spray the room with it;
- Camphor oil - lubricate the head of the bed with it;
- Thyme or basil juice, as well as anise, wormwood, clove, cedar or eucalyptus essential oil - lubricate exposed areas of the body with them or drop a couple of drops on a light bulb;
- Blooming pelargonium or rosemary - place flowerpots on windowsills;
- Vanilla – dilute 2 tsp. in a small dose of water and apply to the skin before going outside;
- Cologne “Carnation”;
- Homemade lotion – alcohol (25 parts), cologne (5 parts) and clove oil (1 part);
- Wheatgrass root decoction - pour a handful of crushed roots into 1.5 liters of water, boil, cool and lubricate exposed areas of the body;
- To fumigate the room, set fire to chamomile, pine or spruce cones, juniper needles, black elderberry leaves, a willow twig with leaves, or lavender shoots. They can also be thrown into the fire;
- Stinging nettle juice - use it to rub the skin;
- Dry horse manure. A very interesting and original method of getting rid of mosquitoes, which came to us from the inhabitants of the Urals. Light dry horse manure in a tin, let it burn and put it out. Fumigate the rooms with this smoke, closing all windows and doors. After 15 minutes, everything needs to be well ventilated. For 3 days, even the hungriest mosquitoes won’t get in there! As for the smell, eyewitnesses claim that it is not that strong and dissipates quickly;
- Charcoal. If you are relaxing by a river or in the forest, apply charcoal war paint to exposed areas of your body.
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