So Celia finds an advertisement for this seemingly-magical device, the "Mosquito Catcher," in an advertising circular, and asks me: "Do these work?"
Naturally, I fire up Al Gore's Global Interwebs, and exercise a little Google-Fu, and readily find the device for sale and described, and the "How It Works" section could not be clearer:
State-of-the-art technology, combined with electronic controls, engineered to specifically attract mosquitos.
Glad we got that settled.
Then, I found a link to the Owner's Use and Care Manual, which is found at:
http://www.allpest.com/labels/mosquito_catcher_manual.pdf
That cleared things up nicely.
Still, I am a little vague as to whether, and how, these mystical, magical devices actually operate.
Are they just a box with a fan that sucks in skeeters who have the poor, yet random, luck of flying within 1.75" of the intake, plastering them against a small screen to buzz their wings until they finally expire from physical exertion and the hopelessness that comes from incarceration?
Or, are they exquisitely-engineered and cleverly-designed to take meritorious advantage of specific factors in mosquito physiology and (dare I say it?) psychology, to lure them from great distance to fly, happily and without the slightest compunction, to their mass death?
Something like this: http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/bug-off/229044/
So any ideas, suggestions, experience on this? As always, I like to submit ideas and inquiries to an extended network of educated, savvy and well-read professionals, but I decided instead to put it here.
Naturally, I fire up Al Gore's Global Interwebs, and exercise a little Google-Fu, and readily find the device for sale and described, and the "How It Works" section could not be clearer:
State-of-the-art technology, combined with electronic controls, engineered to specifically attract mosquitos.
Glad we got that settled.
Then, I found a link to the Owner's Use and Care Manual, which is found at:
http://www.allpest.com/labels/mosquito_catcher_manual.pdf
That cleared things up nicely.
Still, I am a little vague as to whether, and how, these mystical, magical devices actually operate.
Are they just a box with a fan that sucks in skeeters who have the poor, yet random, luck of flying within 1.75" of the intake, plastering them against a small screen to buzz their wings until they finally expire from physical exertion and the hopelessness that comes from incarceration?
Or, are they exquisitely-engineered and cleverly-designed to take meritorious advantage of specific factors in mosquito physiology and (dare I say it?) psychology, to lure them from great distance to fly, happily and without the slightest compunction, to their mass death?
Something like this: http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/bug-off/229044/
So any ideas, suggestions, experience on this? As always, I like to submit ideas and inquiries to an extended network of educated, savvy and well-read professionals, but I decided instead to put it here.
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