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Chemical-Free DIY Mosquito Catcher
If mosquitoes won’t leave you alone, a homemade trap can provide relief. All you need is a box fan, a window screen, and a way to attach the two. Best of all, this trap is simple to take apart and works without harsh chemicals or expensive supplies.
First, find a piece of window screen large enough to cover the
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Chemical-Free DIY Mosquito Catcher
If mosquitoes won’t leave you alone, a homemade trap can provide relief. All you need is a box fan, a window screen, and a way to attach the two. Best of all, this trap is simple to take apart and works without harsh chemicals or expensive supplies.
First, find a piece of window screen large enough to cover the fan’s face. Any type is acceptable, but aluminum might last longer outdoors than plastic or fiberglass. Position the fan so the air blows directly onto the screen. Attach the screen to the fan’s grate by pressing the two firmly together. Duct tape or zip ties can help keep it in place. Sometimes, an inexpensive furnace filter is used instead of the screen, and small binder clips can keep it attached to the fan.
The trap is ready to use as soon as you turn on the fan. Mosquitoes are attracted to movement and will be drawn into the screen. Since mosquitoes are weak flyers, they get caught in the fan’s gusts. That’s why leaving a fan on overnight can help prevent bug bites. While some DIY enthusiasts add bug zappers or other light sources to their traps, they don’t serve a real purpose because the insects aren’t attracted to light.
Mosquitoes will start collecting on the screen immediately. An eco-friendly way to kill them is by spraying a mist of rubbing alcohol diluted to 50%. Brush the dead mosquitoes off the screen, then leave them outside for nature to handle.
A portable battery and power inverter make it possible to use the trap off-grid. DIY enthusiast NightHawkInLight brought his homemade mosquito trap on a Northern Michigan camping trip and detailed the process on Autodesk Instructables (www.instructables.com/How-to-Get-Rid-Of-Mosquitoes-with-a-Fan-Window-Scr/).
He powered the fan using a 12V marine battery and a power inverter in his truck. While the first night at the camping site was so buggy that it was hard to breathe without inhaling bugs, he was down to swatting only a few per hour by the end of the second day of running the trap. His fan was 2 ft. by 2 ft., but any size can work as long as it moves enough air to trap mosquitoes.
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