Does soapy water kill mosquitoes? Does dish soap kill mosquito larvae? Find out.
DIY pest control techniques have increasingly become popular among homeowners.
Now, while some of these mosquito repellent sprays work, others don’t. One mosquito control technique you might have heard of is the dish soap trap. How does it work?
Here, we’ll be discussing how it works and how to put it to good use.
Homemade Mosquito Trap Dish Soap
Mosquitoes aren’t your average pests.
In other words, these are among the most deadly when it comes to the danger of disease transmission to humans. Of course, malaria is one of the well-known diseases.
While this is true, other diseases spread by mosquitoes include the Zika virus, West Nile virus, and dengue just to mention a few.
Do Dish Soap Mosquito Traps Work?
This is a vital question people need to ask first before applying any type of pest treatment. The efficacy of this natural mosquito control measure has widely be supported by many.
Most accounts are about its efficacy arise from or are mostly backed by anecdotal evidence.
However, there are logical reasons as to why dish soap mosquito traps will work when applied. Plus, this pest control method isn’t difficult to try out. You’ll need to follow certain simple steps to get started.
Continue reading through this article to find out.
Steps on Making Liquid Detergent Mosquito Traps
Are you seeking any means necessary to get rid of mosquitoes?
You might want to make your dish soap mosquito trap immediately. It’s also an inexpensive way to deal with a mosquito problem using everyday items always at your disposal.
Now, dish soap traps vary in terms of the items or materials used.
However, one common ingredient used in all is dish soap. The two types of traps we’ll be discussing include the dish soap & light trap, as well as the vinegar & dish soap bottle trap.
Let’s discuss how to make each.
-
Dish Soap & Light Trap
The name alone suggests how this trap is made or designed. Of course, you’ll need some dish soap as well as make provisions for light.
First off, you’ll need to get a container into which water is poured. Once filled, apply some dish soap and mix.
Place a light nearby to serve as an attraction.
So what happens? With your dish soap & light trap, mosquitoes first get attracted to the light which they fly around. With water nearby, these pests won’t hesitate to land on it.
The surface tension on water normally allows insect pests such as mosquitoes to land on it.
However with dish soap applied, this surface tension is eliminated. These unsuspecting pests land on it and get drowned instantly.
The dish soap and light trap are best used or most effective when the lights are turned off. Mosquitoes love to hang around lit areas.
So, the only light source is that provided around the trap draws them to their death. Quite a lot of people have used this with positive results.
However, this isn’t the only dish soap trap method for killing mosquitoes.
Let’s have a look at the vinegar & dish soap bottle trap.
-
Vinegar & Dish Soap Bottle Trap
Like the first method discussed, get a bottle, some vinegar as well as your dish soap.
A soda bottle (2 liters) should serve this purpose. Cut this bottle a little above the middle and invert the upper part by placing it into the cut bottom.
This forms a funnel-like structure.
Now, you’ll need to measure your materials indefinite amounts. With your apple cider vinegar made available, pour in about 3 cups into the cut bottle and add about a teaspoonful of your dish soap.
Note that any dish soap will serve this purpose.
With these items poured in, a mixture is formed. Ensure that these contents are mixed properly. With this done, your dish soap trap is ready!
All you have to do from this point is place your trap around areas with the most mosquito activity.
While you wait, do not expect instant results. All you have to do is place your trap and go about your daily routine. After 24 hours, you should be able to assess the efficacy of this trap.
The apple cider vinegar is meat to attract or lure mosquitoes that get drowned by the water containing dish soap.
You May Be Disappointed with the Results
There’s no real certainty that dish soap mosquito traps will work whenever placed. As a matter of fact, there have been reports of these mosquito traps turning out ineffective. The reasons for that could be two-fold.
First, it may be that the ingredients used may not be sufficient.
Secondly, such traps could be flawed in design. Basically, your efforts could turn out to be unreliable.
Apart from dish soap mosquito traps, there are several other DIY traps where dish soap isn’t included among the ingredients used. So, what are they?
Dish Soap Mosquito Trap Alternatives
If dish soap traps don’t seem to work, you might want to try out other types of mosquito traps. Of course, these do not include dish soap but use other ingredients as bait.
Such traps include brown sugar & yeast bottle trap, fan trap, Amish flying insect trap as well as the vinegar & baking soda trap.
Others include the fan trap, dryer sheets trap, bear trap, citrus traps, and so on. Now, there’s no guarantee that any of these traps will give you desired results. These might turn out either effective or show dismal results.
You’ll have to be open and realistic about your expectations.
The Most Reliable Mosquito Treatments
DIY mosquito treatments such as dish soap traps have many limitations.
However, for more comprehensive results, you’ll want to use mosquito extermination methods that have been proven to work. Any delay in obtained desired results continually exposes you to risks of disease transmission through mosquito bites.
One treatment method that continues to be effective is professional control. Pest management companies offer a variety of pest solutions to homeowners.
These cover a variety of pests including mosquitoes. You might want to have them come around to provide treatment in addition to giving you tips on stopping mosquito breeding.
Dish soap mosquito traps are quite popular.
While this is true, such does not translate to being an effective treatment for mosquito problems.