In a divided world, there’s one thing that unites us all: our complete and utter revulsion for mosquitoes.
These bloodsuckers aren’t just annoying. Their bites turn into nasty, irritating welts that can spread disease faster than a cheetah on the prowl.
There’s no doubt that mosquitoes suck (literally). So what’s a prepper to do?
In this article, we’ll walk you through some dirt-cheap DIY mosquito trap and repellent ideas that are sure to get rid of these buggers. Let’s start:
What’s the Deal with You and Mosquitoes?
Ever wondered why mosquitoes seem to be more drawn to one particular person (you, maybe) over others?
There are actually some interesting explanations behind it. Take a look:
Carbon Dioxide
The more you breathe out, the more mosquitoes will gather around you. But it’s not because they can smell the cheeseburger you had for lunch. It has more to do with the carbon dioxide you exhale.
Because CO2 is a mosquito attractant, you’ll be more prone to bites when you’re exerting yourself and breathing more than normal. This happens when you’re exercising, overweight, or pregnant.
Sweat
While we’re on the subject of exertion, sweat is another thing that attracts mosquitoes. These little devils love the ammonia, lactic, and uric acid combination present in your sweat.
This smell will draw them to you the way you’re drawn to your grandma’s peach cobbler.
Clothing
While you can’t exactly change the way you breathe and sweat, you can at least do something about what you wear.
Mosquitoes are partial to dark clothes, so if you wanna avoid being the target of Count Orlok’s more terrifying cousins, don’t wear colors like black, red, and blue during mosquito season.
Now that you know what makes people mosquito magnets, it’s time to do something about it. Read on for DIY mosquito trap projects to try:
What Are Some DIY Mosquito Trap Ideas Worth Trying?
While you can easily buy a propane mosquito trap or any mosquito catcher online, they can be expensive. On top of that, some have harsh chemicals that can do more harm than good.
And, even if there’s a commercially available mosquito attractant that doesn’t use chemicals, getting your hands on it will be difficult once SHTF.
That’s why the best mosquito trap is the DIY kind. It’s safer and cheaper. Plus, you can make one using stuff that you probably already have at home.
That being said, here’s a list of DIY mosquito trap ideas and repellents you can make:
Amish Flying Insect Trap
Insects are attracted to certain scents. Mosquitoes aren’t any different. You can exploit this weakness by making an Amish flying insect trap. Check out how to make it here.
This trap releases a scent—a power combo of banana peels, sugar, and vinegar—that’s irresistible to insects. As soon as they fly into the trap, they descend in the fluid and…bam, they drown.
To get the scent into the air, you need to hang this mosquito catcher in a tree or someplace elevated.
Beer Trap
You’re not the only beer lover around.
Mosquitoes love beer, so it makes for a good bait. Now, before you waste a nice bottle of Guinness trapping these bugs, here’s what you need to remember: any cheap beer does the trick. Just leave out a cup or two somewhere you know mosquitoes will flock to and they’ll likely drown themselves in the beer.
Brown Sugar and Yeast Bottle Trap
Remember how we discussed carbon dioxide and why it makes us so attractive to mosquitoes?
That’s what this mosquito catcher capitalizes on.
You need to get an empty 2-liter plastic bottle and then cut it in half around the middle. Then, mix yeast, sugar, and water and pour it into the bottle’s bottom half.
What about the top of the bottle? Well, you need to take off the cap, flip the bottle upside down, then push it into the bottle’s bottom half to make a funnel. After that, you need to tape the pieces together.
This trap produces carbon dioxide and ropes in the unsuspecting mosquitoes to their demise.
You can hang this DIY mosquito trap out in a shaded part of the yard. Once the bottle’s filled with a lot of pests, empty it and add more mix as needed.
Ovitrap
With black socks, some water, a container, a screen, and other simple materials, you can say goodbye to the bloodsucking insects terrorizing your backyard. This trap is known as the Ovitrap.
The military uses the Ovitrap to annihilate the mosquitoes that surround their bases.
The combination of black socks and water can help attract the mini vampires. This is because mosquitoes are drawn to human odors, especially the smell of feet. The water makes the socks moist and elevates the smell.
It’s gross, but hey, if this mosquito catcher works for the military, then it would definitely work for you.
Coffee Grounds Mosquito Repellent
Think twice before throwing out your used coffee grounds.
Want in on a secret? They make a pretty good mosquito repellent. The EPA even says so.
The best part is that coffee grounds don’t just repel mosquitoes. Other flying insects like flies and wasps won’t be immune to them, too.
Most bugs have a strong sense of smell, and since coffee is known to have a potent scent, it can keep them away. You can burn the grounds to make the repellent even more powerful.
Ovillanta Mosquito Trap
For some reason, mosquitoes are attracted to old tires. If you’ve ever seen abandoned tires, then you know what we’re talking about.
There’s just something about the smell of warm rubber that lures mosquitoes to the tires. Some may see that as a problem. But, you can actually use it to your advantage and turn their attraction to tires against them.
Introducing the ovillanta. The name comes from ovi, which means egg, and llanta, the Spanish word for tire.
It’s essentially a recycled tire fitted with a drainage valve. You’re supposed to fill water into the tire portion and add pieces of paper to float on top. These pieces serve as landing strips.
Now, when mosquitoes come along, they will lay their eggs in the water. You can drain the water once or twice per week, but don’t throw it away.
Instead, use a clean piece of fabric to take out the larvae. This lets the water keep a certain pheromone that tricks mosquitoes into thinking it’s a good place to lay eggs.
Cue evil laughter.
If you’re interested in learning more about this mosquito catcher, you can read this article.
Garlic Repellent
Mosquitoes share many things in common with Dracula, like the urge to suck blood from their victims. But aside from that, mosquitoes can’t stand garlic, too.
It’s bad news for them, but good news for us folks.
While you can munch on a few cloves to ward the suckers off, it’s best not to do this. You may end up repelling your buddies, family members, and innocent people just passing by.
Instead, sprinkle garlic powder or place whole cloves around areas where mosquitoes are known to attack. You can also try this garlic mosquito repellent recipe for size.
Wanna know how you can get rid of mosquitoes inside your house? Keep reading for indoor mosquito trap ideas:
Indoor Mosquito Trap Projects to Test Out
Legend says that mosquitoes become even more annoying when they’re indoors.
That’s why you should protect your house and keep those irritating little skeeters outside where they belong.
Here are a couple of DIY mosquito trap ideas you can try for inside your house:
- Fill a small bowl with water and add crushed camphor tablets. Camphor has a smell that confuses mosquitoes, which can keep them away from a room.
- Make a citronella candle or spray citronella oil around your home. Other essential oils like lavender or tea tree oil work just fine, too.
- Furnish your home with mosquito-repelling herbs like catnip, tulsi, and feverfew.
- Check your door and window screens for holes and gaps. You can either fix the tear or change the screen.
- Make sure the weather seals on your doors don’t have any gaps. Install new seals if they do.
- Examine windows for weathered sealing. Strengthen these openings with caulk.
Final Thoughts
Remember the Zika virus? What about dengue, malaria, or yellow fever?
If you know the impact of these diseases, then you know it’s not an exaggeration to say that mosquitoes are deadly. In fact, they kill more people than sharks, snakes, and other animals hundreds of times their size.
If you wanna avoid becoming their next meal, set up a few mosquito traps inside and outside your home. These can drastically affect the number of mosquitoes flying around and spreading doom.
Of course, it’s impossible to have a DIY mosquito trap that can completely annihilate the little pests. But just keep at it, use the traps regularly, and show those suckers who the boss is.
Have any DIY mosquito trap ideas you want to share? Drop ’em in the comments.
