What is a Mosquito Magnet ® and does it actually work?
A Mosquito Magnet ® is a commercial biting insect abatement system. The device uses a standard 20-pound tank of propane to emit a warm, moist stream of carbon dioxide, heat, octenol attractant (registered EPA pesticide) and moisture that pests mistake for the exhaled breath of their warm-blooded prey. As the insects approach the source, they are vacuumed into the net where they dehydrate and die. In 4-6 weeks, the breeding cycle is interrupted as egg-laying females are destroyed. Because it only attracts bloodseeking insects such as mosquitoes and noseeums, beneficial insects such as butterflies, bees, and moths are not affected. Octenol (1-octen-3-ol) may also be used to increase the attraction of the mosquitoes and other biting insects to the trap. Octenol is a naturally occurring by-product that comes from plants and some animals, such as oxen and cows, which ingest large amounts of vegetable matter. The octenol is in the form of a packet with a peel-off top that is inserted into th
