Mosquito Magnet
In the fall of 2000, I got tired of the mosquitos that are a part of living in a wooded section of Maryland, and decided to do something about it. So I looked around, and bought a Mosquito Magnet from American BioPhysics corp. Since then I have been quite interested in the magnet, and how mosquitos work.
First, let me say that a standard bug zapper will do ZIP for your mosquito population. In fact, I think they attract more mosquitos than they kill; thereby making the problem worse for you. By contrast, the Mosquito magnet WORKS. WORKS WORKS WORKS!!!
How does it work?
Well, basically it takes propane, burns it, and converts it to CO2, water vapor, heat and electricity. The electricity runs a pair of fans, one which blows the CO2 out, and another that sucks in mosquitos that come looking for food (mosquitos are attracted to CO2, especially warm moist CO2 like what we breathe). They come in, get sucked into a net, and die.
A few pictures
The Mosquito magnet.
Note that the picture has a bug zapper in it. Those mosquitos were caught with the bug zapper running. This proves two things:
Note: (November 2004) Without the UV light, the catch on these things is minimal. If you put a UV light under your Mosquito magnet it will work so well you will cry. Seriously. A lot. It's that great. I have literally not been bitten in all of 2003 or 2004 with the light under it. The bug zapper is broken; the only thing that works is the UV light and it's enough to fill the bag.
If you have a mosquito problem, I *strongly* recommend you give American Biophysics a call. For $700, it makes a serious difference; I can be out in my yard at night with no problem...
Another thought: If you have a classic MM and it doesn't work, don't chuck it. Send me an email since I know how to fix them. Basically the burner nozzle/carburator gets clogged with impurities in the propane and needs to be cleaned. Easy job; just take it apart and do it. Hint: The burner is on the bottom and you remove that one screw then pull it out of the chamber. Like a piston in an engine. Take off the gas line first, then remove it. Then squirt some carb cleaner in there and blow it out.