Mosquitoes fly to carbon dioxide. How to get rid of mosquitoes in an apartment: from folk remedies to advanced technologies. Lotion from mosquitoes "Taiga"

Mosquitoes are not only a source of unpleasant squeaking in the room and painful itchy bites, but also carriers of dangerous diseases - malaria, yellow fever, dengue and some encephalitis. Malaria alone causes about two million deaths every year.

However, it cannot but arouse interest, and even admiration, as these tiny animals unmistakably find their very large victims. A lot of different assumptions have been put forward on this topic. To date, it is believed that when choosing a victim, the female blood-sucking mosquito (males have underdeveloped jaws and do not bite at all) is guided by carbon dioxide exhaled by a person, to thermal radiation, as well as to the smell of lactic acid contained in sweat. Also, the female mosquito reacts to light, preferring lighted rooms.

However, it cannot be said that this range of features makes it possible to fully describe the behavior of the mosquito. Therefore, American entomologists conducted a comprehensive study of the reaction of mosquitoes to substances released by humans. The results of their research published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They conducted a test on a group of 16 volunteers: men and women of different ages, representing different races and ethnic groups- Europeans, Indians, African Americans, Hispanics and Chinese. Using solid-phase microextraction, the fragrant substances that make up the smell of a person were isolated. Analysis of the resulting mixture showed the presence of hundreds of substances, among which four components predominate: 6-methyl-6-hepten-2-one, nonanal, decanal and geranilacetone.

Scheme of the experiment with a female mosquito//PNAS

After that, the following experiment was carried out with a female mosquito (in the figure). She was fixed on a laboratory pipette so that only her eyes and antennae remained free. Electrodes were connected to them, recording their activity. Then, the reaction of the insect to the fragrant substances emitted by humans was evaluated in turn. To assess the specificity of the reaction and sensitivity to substances, isolated components of the mixture were added in turn at various concentrations.

The experiment showed that nonanal contained in human sweat causes the most active reaction in an insect.

It is he who “sends a message” to the mosquito about the presence of food. The antennae of the insect work in such a way that even the lowest concentrations of nonanal are captured.

The new concept, however, does not disprove the fact that the mosquito reacts to carbon dioxide exhaled by humans. Carbon dioxide and nonanal work together to attract mosquitoes. When conducting an experiment on 2000 individuals, it was shown that, although carbon dioxide attracts mosquitoes, the addition of nonanal to it increases the number of mosquitoes that react to the mixture by one and a half times.

What mosquitoes fly to, experts have studied for many years. During the experiments, they found out what attracts insects infrared light, warmth, natural body odor, specific color. feel the victim, being from it at a distance of several tens of meters. The hunting strategy of mosquitoes consists of 3 stages - they determine the presence of a potential victim by the smell of carbon dioxide at a distance of 5 m, they look visually - they see within 15 m, they point out the exact guidelines by the radiated heat.

How mosquitoes find a person

Insects have a keen sense of smell, infrared vision, and strong sensory abilities. In most cases, females are guided by smells, determining the exact location of the victim at a distance of 50 m. Bloodsuckers are attracted to humans and animals by the natural smell of the body, radiated heat.

Attractive flavors

Insects pick up the most subtle odors. Some attract them, others repel them.

Interesting!
The main organ of vision of insects is the compound eyes. Perceive ultra-violet rays, distinguish some colors. Poor capture small parts, but they see flickering objects with a frequency of 300 Hz well. The human eye tends to pick up flicker at a frequency of only 50 Hz.
Mosquitoes determine the location of the victim from a distance of 15 m. Mosquitoes see in the dark the infrared color emitted by the body of a person, an animal. Initially, they fly into the light, then they choose a victim on a different basis. The photo, as mosquitoes see, can be seen below.
On a note!
Insects are attracted to light, but they avoid bright rays. They prefer shade, twilight. During the day they hide, in the evening they activate their activity.

Warm
The last landmark by which mosquitoes find a person. The body radiates heat, regardless of whether the person is moving or standing still, lying down. However, when moving, blood circulation increases, metabolic processes accelerate, more heat is released. A jumping, running person will attract the attention of bloodsuckers faster than standing still.
Sick people with elevated body temperature, as well as pregnant women, are more attracted to bloodsuckers. Finding them among other potential victims for mosquitoes is not difficult. Bite for open areas body, or where there is thin tissue.
On a note!
A heat trap lures insects with light, heat, destroys them with electric current, or sucks them in with the help of fans. The most popular thermal lamps Terminator. They differ in power, range, shape. The cost is from several hundreds to thousands.
The gas trap imitates the breathing of a person, an animal. Efficiency is enhanced by ultraviolet illumination. A special substance is also used that repeats the smell of sweat. The MT100 trap is designed for 10 acres. Made in the form of a lamp, installed at a distance of 6 m from the place of protection. The cost is 7000 rubles. The MT 200 system operates in a similar way, the range is different - 200 acres. Price within 12,000 rubles. Additionally, a liquid intermission is used to enhance the attractive scent. More compact model – .
attract insects ultraviolet light and then heat. When burning, carbon dioxide is also released, which enhances the effect of the device. Inside is a thin metal grid with current. Mosquitoes die from the discharge on contact. The electric shredder SWI-20, made in Switzerland, is powered by the city network. Used indoors, outdoors. It has the shape of a lamp, performs several functions at once - it destroys mosquitoes, illuminates the area. The cost is about 2000 rubles. Other effective devices are Stinger Indoor Insect Trap, Dinatrap, Pestkiller.

To the question What does a mosquito fly to: light, smell or heat? given by the author Elena the best answer is KOMAR chooses a victim not by taste, but by smell. He also doesn't care what your blood type is. To begin with, he is attracted by the release of carbon dioxide during breathing, this is a signal: there is a “feeder” nearby. Exploratory planning over a peacefully sleeping person allows you to sniff out further important information: to bite him or not to bite. First, the body must be warm. Mosquitoes, you know, like it hot. Particularly attractive to impudent bloodsuckers is the smell of sweat, in particular one of its components - lactic acid, the concentration of which in people is individual. According to some reports, mosquitoes are not indifferent to those who smell like hair balm, certain medicines - for example, heart ones. And also alcohol. However, it is possible that on a drunken body it is simply more convenient for mosquitoes to have a feast: he sleeps with a deck, if you want - itches, if you want - bite, he still does not feel anything. Accordingly, in the morning there is no living place on it from bites. According to S. Chaika, Deputy Head of the Entomology Department of the Biological Faculty of Moscow State University, in people with white sensitive skin, especially in women and children, the reaction to bites is more pronounced, which is why it seems that they are bitten more.
The experiments of foreign scientists, the purpose of which was to find out what mosquitoes, on the contrary, do not like, confirmed what has long been known: it is the smell of anise, cloves, camphor oil, eucalyptus, garlic, incense, lavender, tobacco smoke and smoke in general, for example from a fire. Observations have been questioned and so far without explanation, indicating that mosquitoes do not tolerate yellow. As for the presence of sugar in the blood, and even more so the diagnosis of diabetes by mosquito addictions to individuals, nothing is known about this science at the moment. Mosquitoes really flock to malaria patients more often. And also - for those who have more B vitamins in their blood. But people who take cholesterol-lowering drugs do not want to be bitten by mosquitoes. But they also determine this not by taste, but by smell.

Answer from slip through[master]
And they don't bite me. I read the articles, and now I don’t know whether to be happy or sad ...

Answer from Neurologist[guru]
to the emitted carbon dioxide

Answer from Victoria[guru]
A mosquito flies, hungry to death, no one around: no animals, no people, ..thinks: "Damn, now I'm going to die: -(((".
Then a vampire flies to meet him, his whole face is covered in blood ... a mosquito asks him where you, they say, grabbed so much blood ... I, they say, are also a vampire, share it.
And the ghoul answers him: "Do you see that tower?"
-"Yes".
"...but I didn't notice her..."

Answer from Spikelet[expert]
If towards the light, all the mosquitoes were sitting under light bulbs and lanterns, if towards the smell of blood, then all the mosquitoes were sitting on the trunks of animals or human bodies (for example, a drunk with a broken nose). Remains version - to heat. Mosquitoes appear only with the onset of very warm days.

Answer from Valens[guru]
Mosquitoes detect their victims by infrared radiation, that is, the heat emanating from a person or animal, the concentration of carbon dioxide and the smell of sweat in the summer
Mosquitoes are able to drink from 1 to 1.5 liters of blood from one reindeer, so the animals are forced to move north, where mosquitoes are not so active
Mosquitoes have surprisingly adapted to life in the city: here they are active not only in summer, but also in winter, breeding in warm basements and sewers.

Answer from Evil Bandera[master]
for sperm

Answer from Anatolij Drozd[guru]
for blood

Answer from Pavel Yuminov[guru]
For warmth. If in the evening or at night they fly into the light, then this is also the heat radiated by the light bulb. Mosquitoes do not distinguish smells. They determine the presence of blood, first by a certain temperature of the surrounding objects, then sit down and feel with their trunk.

Answer from Yoakura[expert]
on people and animals

Answer from BLACK RAVEN[guru]
Mother Teresa, why are you confusing people??!! First of all, they fly to the heat, so with the help of reflectors the mosquito finds its "victim"

Mosquitoes fly on sweat. Photo: Gazeta.Ru

To find a "food source" for blood-sucking mosquitoes, carbon dioxide that is not exhaled by humans and birds and not thermal radiation, as previously thought, helps. The neurons of the olfactory receptors of these insects react to a special fragrant substance - the aliphatic aldehyde nonanal.

However, it cannot but arouse interest, and even admiration, as these tiny animals unmistakably find their very large victims. A lot of different assumptions have been put forward on this topic. To date, it is believed that when choosing a victim, a female blood-sucking mosquito (males have underdeveloped jaws and do not bite at all) focuses on carbon dioxide exhaled by a person, on thermal radiation, and also on the smell of lactic acid contained in sweat. Also, the female mosquito reacts to light, preferring lighted rooms.

However, it cannot be said that this range of features makes it possible to fully describe the behavior of the mosquito. Therefore, American entomologists conducted a comprehensive study of the reaction of mosquitoes to substances released by humans. The results of their research are published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They conducted a test on a group of 16 volunteers: men and women of different ages, representing different races and ethnic groups - Europeans, Indians, African Americans, Hispanics and Chinese. Using solid-phase microextraction, the fragrant substances that make up the smell of a person were isolated. Analysis of the resulting mixture showed the presence of hundreds of substances, among which four components predominate: 6-methyl-6-hepten-2-one, nonanal, decanal and geranilacetone.

After that, the following experiment was carried out with a female mosquito. She was fixed on a laboratory pipette so that only her eyes and antennae remained free. Electrodes were connected to them, recording their activity. Then, the reaction of the insect to the fragrant substances emitted by humans was evaluated in turn. To assess the specificity of the reaction and sensitivity to substances, isolated components of the mixture were added in turn at various concentrations.

The experiment showed that nonanal contained in human sweat causes the most active reaction in an insect.

It is he who "sends a message" to the mosquito about the presence of food. The antennae of the insect work in such a way that even the lowest concentrations of nonanal are captured.

Mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, which carry, move away from breeding sites only a couple of hundred meters. Most other mosquitoes, however, are able to cover distances up to 5 km and successfully return home. Giant mosquitoes living in the southwestern United States are found even 7 miles (about 12 km) from the places of "permanent deployment". A legitimate question arises: if mosquitoes of the Aedes family are not able to fly far, how could they settle in such a large area - in almost all the tropics and subtropics of the globe?

The answer is simple: Aedes mosquitoes are great hitchhikers! They travel around the world without tickets and visas in suitcases and containers, on planes and ships.

The life cycle of an unpretentious mosquito can begin in a drop of water accumulated in a secluded place. The secret to their survival lies in the ability of the eggs to survive when completely dry. As soon as the egg is again in the water, it comes to life and a larva hatches from there.

The larvae, in turn, are also able to run into unfavorable conditions.

Aedes albopictus

Both types of mosquitoes are illegal immigrants who came to America from outside. The Asian tiger mosquito has arrived relatively recently. It is believed that the first Asian invader transports landed on the West Coast of North America in 1985, along with a large shipment of worn car tires from Japan bound for processing in Texas. It is well known that mosquitoes and their larvae love used car tires as a refuge and place of reproduction.

The next wave of imports dates back to the mid-2000s, when mosquitoes traveled to the States along with bamboo wood from Southeast Asia.

Aedes aegypti

The immigration of Egyptian mosquitoes, long considered the main carriers of yellow fever, began much earlier. They were brought in in the 16th-17th centuries along with slave ships from equatorial Africa, on the territory of which the source of distribution of Aedes aegypti is located. The climate of the south of the modern United States was to the taste of African settlers.

Mosquitoes Aedes aegypti bite animals and humans mainly at dusk and dawn. Their body is dark with narrow white notches, similar to the scale of a thermometer. Favorite bite sites are bare feet, ankles, and calves.

Asian mosquitoes are called tiger mosquitoes because of the striped color of the body. The black and white stripes are the same width. This is very, they bite in all unprotected places and mostly during the day and can attack the same prey several times.

What should be done to control the number of mosquitoes?

To control the number of insects in your territory means to protect yourself, family members and from unnecessary mosquito bites. Since both of the above species require water to reproduce, having a pond or low-flowing body of water nearby increases the risk of uninvited winged guests visiting your light. Deliver a preemptive strike by doing the following:

1. Always try to clear standing water buildup in tarp folds, pool area, children's toys and baths, dog bowls, clogged drains and downpipes.

2. Install an aerator or fountain in ponds and artificial ponds that will set the water in motion.

3. Plant in the garden and as hedges, such as marigold or citronella.

4. Put a fan on the terrace on a rotating stand. Mosquitoes are afraid of air movement and are not very willing to fly against strong winds.

5. Wear protective clothing and use certified insect repellant sprays.

6. Install a Mosquito Magnet mosquito trap in your country house or on the territory.

How do traps attract mosquitoes?

Pregnant female mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, the smell of sweat, and the heat generated by human body. Insects associate these markers with a source of fresh blood needed for oviposition.

It is these signals that imitate a working trap, in which propane is processed into carbon dioxide and water with the release of heat. The illusion of the smell of sweat is provided by a substance that is actually contained in the secretions of human skin. An additional attractant is presented in the form of a tablet, which is inserted into a special slot in the body of the device and increases the catch by 10 times. Smelling his scent, female mosquitoes lose all caution and rush straight into. They are sucked in by an air pump and die of starvation and dehydration without any use of toxic chemicals within 24 hours.

The mass capture of female mosquitoes ready for oviposition allows disrupting the reproductive cycle of the population and critically reducing its numbers in just one month. How fewer mosquitoes flies around you, the less and the infection of a dangerous disease!

Assortment Mosquito Magnet

Traps are classified according to the type of power supply and mobility. The basic version is powered by the mains using an adapter and a low-voltage cable. This is the most economical option for a private house or cottage.

In places with a large accumulation of insects, a novelty with a mesh of increased volume is useful.

If you need to move equipment from place to place and not depend on power sources, a model on wheels and with a battery is at your service.

Finally, fans of technological innovations should be attracted by a trap equipped with an LCD display showing all the parameters of the device. This unit is also battery operated.

On our website you can find detailed device equipment, principles of its operation and . Traps are guaranteed for 24 months. In case of malfunctions, users can always contact our service center for help.

Share

Categories

Popular