Mosquito Ovitrap

by lesterwhitacre in Living > Pest Control

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Mosquito Ovitrap

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Mosquito Ovitrap is simply a container of water which has been laced with "Mosquito Dunk"--a bacterial which kills Mosquito larvae.

It's best to position multiple Mosquito Ovitraps around the yard for maximum effectiveness. The best locations are by trees, in the shade, or near sources of water.

These traps do not kill adult mosquitos, it kills the baby mosquito larvae. It may take 60 days to see considerable improvement in the number of mosquitos in the yard.

Supplies

3" ABS or PVC Pipe 20" to 24" Long

3" Test Plug (End Cap)

Tube of RTV Silicone

5" Hose Clamp

Steel Fence Stake

Package of Mosquito Dunks

Glue the 3" Test Plug Onto One End of the 3" Pipe

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First, you need a 3" ABS or PVC Pipe that is 20" to 24" long. You can buy 24" lengths precut at most hardware stores. Or you can cut a 10 ft pipe with a hacksaw and make six 20" long tubes.

Take your 3" Test Plug (End Cap) and use an RTV Silicone, used for making gaskets, and glue the test plug onto one of the pipe.

Use a board and a heavy rock to apply pressure to the glued pieces for a few hours.

Wait overnight before adding water to the Mosquito Ovitrap.

Hammer Your Fence Stake Into the Ground and Attach the Mosquito Ovitrap

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Attach your Mosquito Ovitrap to the fence stake by using a single 5" or bigger hose clamp around the trap and the fence stake. Simply use a screwdriver or nut driver to tighten the clamp.

One clamp is all that is needed to attach it to a metal fence stake.

Prepare Your Trap Mixture

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Chlorinated tap water can kill the "Mosquito Dunk" bacteria.

To dechlorinate the tap water, simply add a bunch of dried leaves and twigs from the yard to a 5 gallon bucket. Fill with tap water and let it sit for 1 hour.

Remove leaves and twigs from the bucket of water. Don't worry about the small particles of leaves or twigs. A little organic material in the water is fine.

Add the dechlorinated water to the Ovitraps. Fill to about 3/4 full.

Add No More Than 1/4 of a Ring of Mosquito Dunks to Each Mosquito Ovitrap

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Take a single ring of Mosquito Dunk and split the dunk into four pieces using a sharp knife.

Put 1/4 chunk of Mosquito Dunk into the water of your Mosquito Ovitrap.

The mosquito dunk is usually effective for 30 days or longer. On a monthly basis, add a new 1/4 chunk of Mosquito Dunks to your ovitraps.

End Notes

This Mosquito Ovitrap was designed for a dry climate of the Southwest.

In wetter locations, rain my overfill the tube. If that is the case start out with lower amounts of water. A Ovitrap half filled with water will work fine.

If your tube overfills with rain water, you may need to add another chunk of Mosquito Dunk--the material floats on water.

In a dry climate, you may need to top off the Mosquito Ovitrap on a monthly basis. Add only dechlorinated water.

The bacteria doesn't kill them immediately, you will often see the larvae squirming on the surface of the water.

Another variation of the Ovitrap is to float a circular cut screen material on the surface of the water. The screen traps the baby mosquitos in the water not allowing them to fly off as adults.