Why UV-A insect traps do not work against mosquitoes

Unlike humans, most flying insects can see ultraviolet light, thanks to the complex composition of their eyes. However, there are exceptions!

Insects, such as the house fly, are attracted to light. This behaviour is called positive phototactic. Ultraviolet light mainly attracts flies, beetles and moths. They navigate using the UV light from the sun and the moon. The UV light, which comes from the light trap, confuses them.

Mosquitoes, at least the females, who are the only ones to bite humans, are attracted by heat and carbon dioxide in particular. The male lives off nectar and will never bite. This insect species do not or hardly react to light sources and are therefore not positively phototactic.

Female mosquitoes search the environment for blood:

Warmth

A warm body to take a blood meal from. These warm-blooded people and animals do not emit ultraviolet light, but infrared radiation.

Carbon dioxide

Whether humans, dogs, horses, or birds: all living blood sources give off carbon dioxide.

Female mosquitoes, like most biting insects, can concentrate on the smell of carbon dioxide in the air.

Research shows that a bloodthirsty mosquito can detect carbon dioxide up to 35 meters away from its source. At the slightest scent of CO₂, the mosquito will fly in a zigzag motion, using trial and error to locate the person or animal nearby. Carbon dioxide is the most powerful attractant for female mosquitoes.

sents and water vapor

But water vapor in your breath also attracts them. Female mosquitoes also use other scent trails to find people they can bite. Perfume, sweat, and even body odor can also attract mosquitoes.

Therefore, traps specially designed to attract female mosquitoes use heat and carbon dioxide to attract them.

To sum up:

Female mosquitoes are drawn to the carbon dioxide in the breath of humans and animals and to their body heat, not to ultraviolet light.

There is no doubt that your insect trap catches a lot of insects and that many of the insects you find in your trap look like mosquitoes. However, these are usually not mosquitoes, but midges.

Research shows that non-biting midges, which are very similar to their mosquito cousins, are strongly attracted to UV-A light and can be caught in large numbers in your insect trap. For most people, it is difficult to distinguish between midges and mosquitoes, which is why there is some confusion.

And some manufacturers cleverly use (read: abuse) this to recommend their equipment for mosquito control.

If you are bothered by biting mosquitoes, a UV-A light trap is no solution!

Links: .

image : https://www.hibetta.com/key-differences-between-midges-and-mosquitoes/

info: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1997/07/970730060806.htm

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