Home / Mosquito Repellent Lamps: What Effective Alternatives?

Mosquito Repellent Lamps: What Effective Alternatives?

Every year, mosquitoes return to our gardens and houses to disturb us during our summer evenings. A vast range of equipment and products to deter mosquitoes is available but not all of them are effective. Today, let’s consider a fashionable mosquito solution: mosquito lamps! Are you thinking about getting a mosquito lamp? Are they really worth it?
Do mosquito lamps really attract mosquitoes? Do they work on tiger mosquitoes? How do they work exactly? Do they pose a danger to us? Are there more effective mosquito solutions? Are you thinking about getting a mosquito lamp? But are they really worth it? Here are all the answers to your questions.

KNOWING THE VARIOUS TYPES OF MOSQUITO LAMPS

Not all mosquito lamps use the same technology and how they work has an impact on how effective they are.

There are two types of mosquito lamp:

The most common is the ultraviolet or UV light model. Mosquitoes are supposedly attracted to the light of the UV lamp and, when they come into contact with the resistor, are immediately electrocuted.
The second kind of mosquito lamp performs better than the first. Mosquitoes are not actually attracted by light but rather by body odour and the CO2 (carbon dioxide) emanating from our skin and our perspiration. These mosquito lamps will simultaneously emit light and carbon dioxide (or carbonic gas) to attract mosquitoes, catch them and hold them prisoner inside the lamp.

Specifications

Whatever type of mosquito lamp you plan to buy, none of them release chemical or toxic products. There is no risk of direct contact and therefore electrocution either if you, your children or an animal touch the lamp when it’s switched on.
They are designed to work outside, on the patio, on a balcony or in a conservatory because the range of these mosquito lamps generally extends to 4 metres. Finally, they are easy to use and easy to install. Other features are available: storage container for the dead mosquitoes, vacuum, recharging via solar energy….

WHAT ARE THE LIMITS TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MOSQUITO LAMPS?

Overall inefficiency

In 1997, entomology labs in Florida carried out research which proved that, for every 10,000 flying insects killed by mosquito lamps, only 8 were mosquitoes. Moreover, these lamps are completely ineffective against tiger mosquitoes.
Today, the tests carried out on new lamps show that the capture rate is still very low: maximum 2% to 4% capture per lamp.

Did you know? Mosquitoes are not actually attracted to light but body odour and the carbon dioxide emanating from our skin and our perspiration.

Non-selectivity

Research also revealed the worryingly « non-selective » nature of mosquito lamps: they attract, catch and kill many insects and that has a terrible effect on biodiversity because most of them are animals which are useful to our ecosystems.

Ineffective, non-selective, no impact on tiger mosquitoes, a considerable cost…: just some of the arguments leading us to conclude that you should give them a miss! There are other, much more effective solutions!

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO INEFFECTIVE MOSQUITO LAMPS?

Other really effective mosquito solutions do exist. And you can start, very simply, with a completely natural tip: installing a bat box!

Did you know? Bats are mainly insectivores and have an important, if little known, role in the environmental regulation of mosquitoes. On average, a bat eats the equivalent of 3,000 mosquitoes every night, i.e. a third of its body weight.

Installing a bat box is an excellent way of reintroducing bats and beginning to control the invasion of mosquitoes at home in a 100% natural way. Bats are not rodents and do not cause any damage. So you have nothing to fear.

Do you live in an area which is completely infested with mosquitoes? Are localised solutions no longer enough? Do you have large areas to protect? Choose a mosquito control solution which is designed for large areas!

Choose natural and truly effective mosquito control solutions designed for large areas!

But how can you tell if a mosquito solution really is effective? Before rushing in, here are the characteristics you should check with any mosquito solution:

The technology used: choose solutions which use CO₂ emissions and olfactory lures which reproduce human body odour. These are the only things which really attract mosquitoes.
Selectivity: your mosquito solution should only target female mosquitoes (because they are the ones which bite). Other insect species should not be impacted.
Look at effectiveness: as well as being proven, look at the surface area of the zone which can be protected by the solution. Choose large surface areas.
Consider the sustainability of the solution: how long will it last? Avoid short-term solutions.
Find out about the ecological and natural dimension:there should not be any toxicity for you or the environment.
Don’t forget about quality: if it’s made in France, you know it’s reliable.

Here’s an example of a large-scale, environmentally-friendly and truly effective mosquito solution made in France: the Smart BAM by Qista. Every Qista Smart BAM can protect surface areas of up to 10,000m² thanks to its 60m range and it reduces bites by 88% on average (scientifically proven).

Are you interested in this mosquito solution?