Making my Local Mosquito Trap with Yeast

Hello guys, I'll be talking about constructing a local mosquito trap in this post. I'll talk about how and why the trap works after the visual explanations on how I constructed mine. But before that, why did I need it.. I could have used an insecticide, right?

Recently, I've been having several experiences with these anopheles(female mosquitoes), causing I and my family to visit the hospital more often. With the price of malaria drugs rising, one doesn't need to think twice before he devices cheaper means of getting rid of the problem. After all, they say Prevention is better than Cure right?

After buying Insecticides to get rid of these mosquitoes, I notice they just keep coming back no matter how often I fumigate the toilet -which is where I see they most- and other parts of the house. So I decided to construct a local mosquito trap to help in my fight against malaria and mosquitoes.

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What did I need?
For my small portable mosquito trap, I just needed a little amount of the essentials.

•Yeast(I gram)

•White Sugar or Brown(Molasses) Sugar(1/4 cup)

• A Measuring Device(If available)

• A Plastic Bottle about 1 litre

•A Cup of Hot Water

With these, I was set for the construction.

Step 1:

I began by cutting the plastic bottle into two equal halves while heating the water with an electric heater.

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Step 2:

I poured the sugar into the bottom half of the bottle and then poured the heated water in

Care should be taken here as heated water may disfigure the bottle. Hence, it is advisable to mix the heated water and and sugar in a container that has high resistance to heat(but it should NOT be a metal). It shouldn't be a metal because there might be a reaction between the metal and the heated sugar solution which may induce a slow down of the required end product or alter it totally. The heat is needed to dissolve the solute -sugar- very well.

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Step 3:

I allowed the mixture(sugar solution) to cool down for some time

This cooling is needed because introducing yeast into hot water will kill the yeast instantly. Now, it is pertinent we note here that yeast is a fungus, thus a living organism.

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Step 4:

I measured out one gram of yeast on the measuring device.

If a measuring device isn't available, all that is needed in the next step would be to pour enough yeast to cover the surface area of the sugar solution.

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Step 5:

I poured the yeast into the sugar solution

Here, one doesn't need to stir, because the yeast gradually circulates and takes over the solution after few minutes, as seen below

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Step 6:

I turned the upper half of the plastic bottle and inserted it into the bottom half now containing the solution

It is also pertinent to note that, the opening tip of the upper half must not touch the solution as to prevent mosquitoes from being able to fly out when they are trapped in the water.

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Step 7:

I placed it in the toilet where I see the mosquitoes most. I placed it in a position that will be hard to be knocked over by somebody or a child.

How does this trap work?

The yeast being a fungus eats or feeds on the sugar in the solution. Yeasts feed on sugars and starches. They turn this food(sugar) into energy and release carbon dioxide gas as a result. This process is known as fermentation.
This process releases carbon dioxide which attracts mosquitoes.

Why does it attract mosquitoes?
When active (live) yeast has both sugar and oxygen available to it, it 'breathes' by a process called aerobic respiration. In this reaction, yeast cells use glucose (sugar) and oxygen (from the air) to produce energy. They also produce water and carbon dioxide (a gas). This is the same chemical process used by humans.
Mosquitoes usually use the carbon dioxide we produce through respiration to locate us. Thus, when the yeast feeds on the sugar and produces carbon dioxide, they'll be attracted to it.

With the shape of the trap, when the mosquitoes go down into the trap to see the source of gas, they'll be trapped. Mosquitoes don't employ much reasoning in their decision making and they don't fly vertically upwards, so they'll hardly escape, eventually they'll die of starvation or drowning.

Is the carbon dioxide dangerous to health?

No. The air we breath contains more carbon and other inert gases than the amount the trap produces.

How long can it last?

As long as it takes to be ineffective. Normally, it becomes when there are a lot of mosquitoes trapped inside. But basically, the liquid should be changed after two weeks.

Why I love this trap?

I know this trap wouldn't be enough to battle all the mosquitoes alone but it is more health friendly and cheaper than insecticides. Also, it is renewable and can be used for a long time. Moreover, some insecticides don't kill all mosquitoes but this piece of innovation does.
Lastly, if combined, they will surely exterminate mosquitoes completely.

Thank you for reading this post on my blog.

Do you have anything you might want to say about this trap?

You can drop it in the comment box -I'd appreciate.

Merci!

References

•Wikipedia -Yeast
•Scientific American -Proving Yeast is a Fungus
•PestWiki -Mosquitoes Traps Reviews