Mosquitoes are in for trouble this
summer, thanks to a new trap that effectively attracts and kills mosquitoes and
biting flies. The trap was co-developed under a Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement between Agricultural
Research Service and BioSensory,
Inc., of Willimantic, Conn.
The trap, registered under the trade name Dragonfly, was named for the
insect that is a mosquito predator. The trap lures mosquitoes with a blend of
carbon dioxide, heat and octenol, the same chemical cues that attract
mosquitoes and other biting insects in nature. Mosquitoes find their human and
animal blood meals first by sensing carbon dioxide in breath. Mosquitoes can
sense carbon dioxide up to 100 feet away. They also can find their prey using
heat sensors on their antennae.
The trap mimics the human or animal blood system, which helps lure
mosquitoes to the trap. The difference is that when mosquitoes hone in on the
target and stop to dine, they are killed with an electronic pulse and fall into
a removable tray. That’s a big advantage over traditional electrical
bug-zapping type traps that splatter the insect everywhere into tiny bits.
The attractants are registered with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency for controlling mosquitoes and other biting
insects. ARS and BioSensory have a joint patent on the attractants used in the
trap, with one patent pending.
The trap should be commercially available this summer from BioSensory.
Questions regarding the availability and costs should be directed to the
company’s marketing vice president, William A. Gregoricus.
Scientific contact: Daniel L. Kline, ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Fla., phone (352) 374-5933, fax (352) 374-5922, dkline@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu. William A. Gregoricus, BioSensory, Inc., Willimantic, Conn., phone (860) 423-3009, fax (860) 423-3028, biosensory.corp@snet.net
