The best mosquito traps for the home and yard
Two different types of traps define your approach to mosquito control.
While mosquito bites can be benign for many people, nearly everyone can share in the irritation of being bitten by the blood-thirsty insect.
Thankfully, they can be warded off in a variety of ways including repellant sprays, proper food storage, or specially designed mosquito catchers.
ABC News spoke with one mosquito expert about what to look for when shopping for your next mosquito catcher.
Meet the expert
Dr. Sydney Crawley is a principal vector scientist for Terminix, a pest control company. She has a doctorate in urban entomology and spent four years, from 2016-2020, working for a garden care company where she revamped their mosquito products.
"All of the work that I do is centered on improving mosquito and tick management," said Crawley, who now works at the Rentokil Terminix Innovation Center.
2 types of mosquito traps
Crawley noted there are two different ways to go about mitigating mosquitoes' encroachment on your home, and the correct use of each mosquito trap depends on which type of mosquito you are looking to eliminate.
Gravid traps
One kind of trap, a gravid trap, targets female mosquitoes looking to lay eggs. Crawley said these traps are best for consumers looking to cut down on mosquitoes over an extended period of time.
"If you're looking to reduce the mosquito population ... longer term, I think the gravid traps are a great way to go because over time you're going to reduce the amount of larvae they're actually hatching," said Crawley.
Host-seeking traps
The other kind of trap, host-seeking traps, targets mosquitoes looking for a blood meal.
"Those are great for a one time event like you're having a party, you know, and you really want to prevent people from being bitten in real time," said Crawley.
What to look for in your mosquito traps
Crawley said some helpful attributes to look for when searching for a trap that works for you are portability, noise production and type of power source, among other things.
Consumers can also look at the trap's coverage area -- 1/2 to 1 acre is suggested, and anything more than that is likely unrealistic, according to Crawley.
It can also be helpful to know exactly what tools the trap is using to attract mosquitoes -- common options include UV light, heat, glue traps and more.
What to avoid in your next mosquito trap
'''Eliminates mosquitoes' is a bold and unsupported claim," Crawley said, noting that electronic and ultrasonic traps don't have concrete evidence to support their efficacy.
"Chemical free" is another label Crawley said to be wary of.
"Water is a chemical. These sort of claims are often meant to persuade the consumer that a product is somehow 'safer' than a competitor," she said.