Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This trap does not use CO2 --- a proven attractant -- to lure mosquitoes. It instead uses an ultra-violet bulb reflecting off a foil surface.
A very appealing idea, because you dispense with the expense and hassle of setting up gas canisters.
Alas, it is way too good to be true. Desparate for a solution and lacking a local source of propane, I was ready to believe the carefully crafted Internet marketing material that appears everywhere in connection with this trap. Don't make the same mistake.
Mosquitoes are *not* attracted to light (although a few species will look for a lighted surface to land on for the first day or two after the larval stage, when they are not biting anyway). After weeks of searching, the only source I could find claiming that light attracts adult female mosquitoes -- the ones that bite -- is the "independent" scientist Megacatch quotes on its site to sell these traps. That person has ignored by emails.
We carefully tested this trap over four weeks in a subtropical forest in Hong Kong, which has a climate and mosquito complement similar to that found in Florida or Alabama. We have at least seven distinct species in our yard, including varieties of Aedes and Bengalensus and Sinensis. There are probably a dozen more species I've yet to trap and analyze. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of mosquitoes swarm the property every evening, with Culex coming out during the day.
Without the octenol lure, the adult mosquito catch was ZERO (although the moth haul was huge). There was a marginal haul of five or six mosquitoes per day with the octenol lure, fewer than I can kill with my bare hands in just a minute or two. All the mosquitoes trapped so far have been Culex --- large striped, very aggressive day biters.
After a month, I am ready to face the obvious.
The company's politely worded response to my findings is that the trap has been "proven" effective, but our particular assortment of mosquitoes are resistant to it somehow.
Rubbish. The literature shows clearly that all mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and a variety of biochemical scents given off by mammals, not circus lights.
An internet search on this trap will lead you to a couple of very well placed articles lauding its utility. Many of the reviews on the site also rave about how good it is. Wishful thinking? Outright marketing plants? A hiterto unknown species of mosquito? I can only guess.
But I can say without hesitation that the Megacatch Premier, placed in a subtropical setting with an enormous variety of mosquitoes at its disposal, failed absolutely. Perhaps the more expensive version, which uses CO2 gas directly, might be useful, but I am unwilling to reward this company with my further business.
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Mega-Catch Premier Mosquito Trap (MCP800)Product Description: Get rid of unwanted guests at your backyard party with the Mega-Catch Mosquito Trap! SAVE BIG! Stop the buzz, buzz, slap, slap... at your next outdoor gathering and you'll be a happier camper. Not only are the little sharp-snouted hellions a bother, they're also carriers of diseases such as West Nile Virus. The Mega-Catch uses sophisticated technology to fake out the sensory signals of the tiny winged critters including no-see-ums and flies. The whopping cash savings due to a terrific Close-Out buy won't bite your budget. Tidbits: Unlike other traps, it uses no flammable liquids like propane; Plugs into any main outlet with its 60' extension cord; Programmable timer; Durable all-weather casing locks for child safety; Liquid catch container; Standard catch bag; 1 octenol lure; External skirt; 110 / 12V transformer; 40" stand; Effective up to 1 1/2 acres; U.S.D.A. tested; As featured on The Early Show on CBS! Unit measures 10 1/2 x 12 x 15", weighs 10 1/2 lbs. Rid your yard of the wee biting buzzards today! Mega-Catch Mosquito Trap
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