Mosquito Magnet®
Low catch or no catch
The following are tips to help you get a better
catch
Check Placement
Having proper placement is essential to having a good catch. The Mosquito Magnet® must be placed in a spot in the yard away from the area you want
to protect. It must also be placed in the yard where the prevailing winds
come from.
The recommended distance is 30 to 40 feet away from people areas.
For
example if the prevailing winds are moving from east to west, you need
to place the Mosquito Magnet® in the eastern part of the
yard. The reason for this is the prevailing winds will take the CO2
and the attractant up wind towards the area you want to protect. The mosquitoes
will fly into the wind toward what they think is a blood meal. When they
get close to the trap, they realize there is no blood meal and their instincts
tell them to kick their legs back and fly upwards. It is at this point
they will hit the trumpet shaped part under the unit and the vacuum draws
them into the net where they will dehydrate within 24 to 48 hours.
You should begin noticing results within 7-10 days. After 4-6 weeks of
continuous use, the female mosquitoes that live in and around your yard
will be captured, thereby reducing the mosquito population. After this
happens you will begin to see a reduction in your mosquito catch.
For additional assistance click here for the Interactive
Placement Assistant.
lf there is not sufficient vacuum, the trap will not be able to draw the
mosquitoes into the net. Here is a list of some of the possible causes of
a low vacuum.
-
Low temperature - If the temperature is
not in the operating zone then the
fan will not spin as fast, causing a
low
vacuum.
- Something clogging the air passages - If something is
clogging the air passages then there will be a reduced vacuum. Check the opening
of the trumpet, the large fan and heat sink. Make sure these areas are free
of small animals, cobwebs and other debris.
- Large Fan running slow or not spinning - As mentioned before
if there is low temperature the large fan may not spin as fast. Also if the
large fan is damaged or the Thermoelectric Generator are damaged, there
will be insufficient power to run the fan.
- Vacuum leak - If there is a vacuum leak it will cause a
reduction in vacuum. The following describes where the gaskets are located.
This does not apply to all traps
- Commercial Pro - Check to see if the door is closed and that the gasket
around the door is not damaged. Also check the upper housing for cracks and
the housing gasket that is under the power pack. Make sure there are no cracks,
rips or tears that may cause a reduction in vacuum. The Gasket is
- Clogged net- Examine the net for rips and clogs. They are
re-usable to a point. If you have large catches and you are emptying the net
2 to 3 times a month, then you may need to change the net more frequently.
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Is there any/enough CO2
being emitted from the trap?
Inside of
power pack there is a small
fan, if that is spinning
slow or not spinning will reduce the amount of
CO2
that is being emitted from the
trap.
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Is the CO2
being emitted from the trap the correct temperature?
The CO2 the Mosquito Magnet®
is outputting is approximately the temperature of human breath. To check
if it is running around the correct temperature, hold your hand under
the plume tube to see if it is the same as if you were to breath heavily
into your hand.
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I was getting a good
catch and now I am not?
The first thing you should ask yourself when troubleshooting a catch rate
problem is, "Am I getting bitten by mosquitoes?". If you have been
getting a good catch and the amount of mosquitoes being caught has reduced,
it might be that the mosquito breeding cycle has been interrupted.
Only female mosquitoes are attracted to the Mosquito Magnet®.
Over the course of time, the population declines and the breeding cycle
is interrupted.
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Should I be using
the octenol?
To determine which attractant you should be using, click here to view our Attractants 101 section.
Other important information.
For best results, use the following guidelines for proper
placement:
-
Determine where the mosquitoes are breeding - The
Mosquito Magnet
® must be located between the
breeding areas (standing water,
bushes) and the 'people areas' (patio, deck) in order to capture the mosquitoes
at their source, BEFORE they get to you.
- Place the trap away from people areas - Place the trap
as close to the breeding areas and as far away from the activity as possible.
Placing the trap away from people areas so the biting insects will be attracted
to the trap and not to you.
- Place the trap upwind from the mosquito breeding area - Mosquitoes
fly upwind looking for a blood meal (you). After a female mosquito bites a
human, its weight is doubled; the mosquito will float back downwind to the
resting area.
- Place the trap in an open area, not in high grass or plants - CO2
is heavier than air, therefore it stays close to the ground. The mosquitoes
will follow the CO2 plume to the trap. If its placed in high grass the flow
of the plume will be impeded and the mosquitoes won't find it ...they'll find
you!
- Place trap in the shade - Mosquitoes don't like the heat
of the direct sun. As the sun sets, mosquitoes come out of their resting places.
Although we realize that all yards are not the same, and it may be impossible
for some people to meet all of the above guidelines, we recommend that you
try and meet as many as possible. If you have questions about trap placement,
try our Interactive Placement Assistant or contact
Customer Service.
Interactive Placement
Assistant
For interactive assistance with placement
click
here for help.
