With more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes, these ubiquitous annoyances can ruin a picnic--or cause death and destruction. Does this Spark an idea?
Ancient Mosquitos
Mosquitoes have been around for more than 170 million years and it's likely that the first mosquito killers were the slapping hands of prehistoric man. Draining wetlands or filling ponds with mosquito-eating fish was also, and remains, an early and effective way of getting rid of mosquitoes.
Zappers
In 1905, Kansan Dr. Samuel Crumbine invented the first fly swatter during a call to eliminate disease-carrying flies. A 1911 issue of Popular Mechanics discussed a prototype bug zapper, presented by two men from Denver, but concluded the device would be too expensive to make. The first patent granted for a bug zapper was in 1934, by William F. Folmer and Harrison L. Chapin.
In 1927 the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station invented the New Jersey mosquito light trap. Its goal was not to kill, but to establish how big a mosquito problem a particular area had.
Poison
In 1867, a farmer accidentally knocked kerosene into a water trough and noticed that the mosquitoes died. In 1892 the USDA rated kerosene as a mosquito killer. Continuing on the fossil fuels theme, the USDA also recommended oil-soaked sawdust in 1920.
Also in 1920, paris green gained credence as a mosquito poison and was used to control mosquitoes in Louisiana swamps.
In 1945 scientists discovered that pyrethrins were toxic to the malaria mosquito. Meanwhile, they discovered that some species were resistant to DDT.
Traps
In general, bug zappers do not work because the mosquitoes are attracted first by carbon dioxide and then by the heat of blood, and most zappers use heat or light. Traps using carbon dioxide first appeared in 1989 and quickly became popular thanks to the growing threat of West Nile Disease.
The Skeeter Vac is one device that converts propane into CO2 and then sucks the biting bugs up into a vacuum trap. Judging by its consumer reviews, the Mosquito Magnet is also considered highly effective.
Innovation
In the early 21st century, Herb Nyberg and his son Michael started marketing the Larvasonic. Michael had discovered the effect of sound on mosquitoes during a school science fair project. The Larvasonic emits a high-pitched sound that essentially vibrates the larvae to death. It is currently only available for large-scale operations, but a home unit is planned.
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