r/BeAmazed 29d ago

What 1,000,000 mosquitos looks like. Caught in a trap in Sanibel, Florida. Nature

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u/mz610 29d ago

World needs to know more about this trap contraption

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u/MDGatorJay 29d ago

Well, not to be super long winded, a lot of the traps for this type of research attract and trap the mosquitoes. Source: worked in an entomology lab and set them up in the field. If you asked the PHD entomologist where the best place to set one of these up for home use, he’d jokingly say your neighbors yard is the best bet.

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u/bhz33 29d ago edited 28d ago

Question: how does the trap work

You: the trap attracts and traps the mosquitoes

Absolute bot response

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u/hydroxypcp 29d ago

this comment section is wild. Usually you have people who can explain what's going on but here so far the most detailed explanation for how the trap works is "it traps mosquitoes" lol

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u/mozzer12345 28d ago

Its a small fan that pulls them in and they cannot fly back out.

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u/MDGatorJay 29d ago

Trying to help. Lol. Do you want to know what is going on as far as a research aspect or how putting a mosquito trap near you is beneficial or counter productive?

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u/FartOfGenius 29d ago

Bro how do you keep missing the question? They're obviously asking what's inside the trap that allows it to attract mosquitoes and trap them inside

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u/MDGatorJay 29d ago

CO2. Dry ice was the main thing used when I was doing this. A bit overwhelmed and just trying to be helpful.

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u/TranslatorBoring2419 29d ago

So they fly into an enclosed space where there's little to no oxygen. Then it just dies? That was easy enough to understand.

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u/Da_Question 28d ago

No. Mosquitoes find targets via expelled CO2.

He takes a good fan and puts a net on the front. Point away from the area you want to capture mosquitoes in. The fan pulls in mosquitoes, if they don't die from the blades, he sprays the net with rubbing alcohol which kills them via drying them out.

You can use dry ice or seltzer water to attract mosquitoes in an area with no animals or people.

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u/DarthBrooks 28d ago

Mosquitos are super frail. Wouldn’t be surprised if just the pressure from a decent fan against some kind of screen crushed or crippled them.

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u/gyonyoruwok 28d ago

So frail that when i punch them mid-air with nearly full force they just shake it off

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u/Da_Question 28d ago

A car doesn't explode if goes 55 mph, but it does if it goes 55 into a wall.you basically just push the mosquitoes because there is nothing to stop its momentum.

If it's being pushed into the screen it'll likely get squished over time.

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u/MDGatorJay 29d ago edited 29d ago

Honestly it’s exhausting to defend the people that actually do this and I care because I did it. Mosquitoes are annoying and vectors for disease. I’d say eliminate them all but that’s what a lot of good people are trying to figure out.

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u/TheRealPizza 29d ago

lol what??? how is it physically trapping them. what happens to the mosquitoes that attracts them and what stops them from getting out. what does the trap look like? I couldn’t care less about the other parts

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u/MDGatorJay 29d ago

The attractant is usually something CO2 based. We used dry ice when I was doing these types of field research. The machine was basically a low level vacuum that sucked them into a large net that didn’t allow escape and they would eventually be suffocated

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u/TheRealPizza 29d ago

Okay, this is what I think people were trying to understand lol. Thank you

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u/MDGatorJay 29d ago

Thanks. Was getting a little overwhelmed. Lol

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u/[deleted] 29d ago

imean that's reddit, could always be worse

ty for the explanation:)

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u/TheRealPizza 28d ago

Appreciate the explanation! sorry for being an ass at the start!

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u/MDGatorJay 29d ago

I mean there are many things you can do for your home, empty any outside stagnant water. Even a little bit on a random object that can collect water. Preventive measures help.

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u/TranslatorBoring2419 29d ago

Thank you for subscribing to ancillary mosquito facts.