13 Homemade Mosquito Trap Ideas To Get Rid Of Mosquitos

A homemade mosquito trap is an inexpensive and easy way to make outdoor summer activities more enjoyable. One of the main issues that keep people indoors during summertime is the abundance of mosquitoes. Not only are the tiny creatures annoying as they buzz around the head and face area, their bites are painful and potentially dangerous.

Several deadly diseases are carried and transmitted by mosquitoes, including several types of encephalitis, west nile virus, zika virus, dengue and yellow fever. Beloved pets are at risk when bitten by a mosquito, heart worms are transmitted to dogs when bitten by a carrier.

A homemade mosquito trap will help protect your health (and the health of your pets) while you and your family enjoy having a BBQ and swimming party in your backyard. Some of the DIY mosquito trap designs are so small that they can be discreetly placed so no one has to be aware that a mosquito catcher is around.

These disease-carrying blood suckers also find their way inside our home, so it’s advisable to build an indoor mosquito trap to work in conjunction with outdoor traps. You will have the best ways to get rid of mosquitoes with these 13 homemade mosquito trap ideas.

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   Soda Bottle Homemade Mosquito Trap

Recycle a soda bottle into an efficient mosquito catcher like this one by askaprepper that will work both outdoors and indoors. The remaining ingredients needed to make this design will cost less than $5.

The water, sugar and yeast in the bottom of the recycled soda bottle create a cloud of carbon dioxide which attracts mosquitoes. Once inside the bottle, the flying pests can’t escape. The black paper around the exterior of the bottle creates an inviting dark environment for the pests while hiding from view the mosquito carcasses inside.

2. Five Gallon Bucket Mosquito Trap

A five gallon bucket has so many uses around the house, including being used as a DIY mosquito trap. Two types of pesticides are used in the making of this best mosquito killer by gardeningchannel for outdoor use. For a few minutes of your time and a few dollars, you can create an effective mosquito killer that will keep your backyard pest free for 90 days. Create one of these at the beginning of summer before the mosquito population become rampant so their numbers will be kept low throughout the warmest time of year.

3. Black Sock Homemade Mosquito Trap

This homemade mosquito killer uses a black sock and bucket to put an end to all those blood sucking pests in your yard. This idea is so easy and inexpensive, yet so very effective. A great homemade mosquito trap by instructables to create for use on large pieces of property. This homemade design is reportedly used on military bases with great success. Military bases located in humid, tropical environments have more than the normal population of mosquitoes plus an increased risk of disease carrying mosquitoes in the area. So if this DIY idea works for the military in overgrown, humid, jungle regions, it will certainly work in your backyard. You will need four of these DIY traps per acre of land, but at less than .50 cents a piece, they are affordable. You may also like to check out plants to repel mosquitoes and flies.

4. Fan and Screen Mosquito Trap

Keep mosquitoes away with this simple solution by instructables that is created from a window fan and screen. Detailed building instructions provide you with a step by step pictorial plan plus a video that will take you through the building process with ease. The fan can be powered by electricity or a battery, so this trap is portable and can go with you on a camping or fishing trip. This design will also reduce the air temperature by keeping the air circulating.

5. DIY Lighted Mosquito Trap

This lighted mosquito trap can be used indoors or outdoors. Easy to follow YouTube instructional video makes building this DIY mosquito trap very easy. Use scrap pieces of wood that you have on hand to save money. The small design makes the trap easy to place in a location where it won’t be visible by house guests. Perfect for recycling small pieces of wood and for use in every room of your home.

6. Coffee Ground Mosquito Repellent

Save your used coffee grounds and watch this instructional video to discover how to transform those used coffee grounds into an effective mosquito repellent by naturallivingworld. Easy to make, very inexpensive and will keep the blood sucking insects away so you can enjoy your outdoor space without being bitten. As an added bonus, coffee ground also repel other flying insects, like wasps and flies. Use this idea at your next summertime outdoor function so guests won’t be exposed to potential health threats caused by mosquito bites.

7. DIY Vinegar Mosquito Trap

This is a great DIY mosquito trap by theindianspot to use inside the home. It’s an effective trap that is small and uses no chemicals. The sweet aroma of vinegar attracts the mosquitoes (and flies) into the trap, then the dish detergent causes them to sink instantly to bottom so their biting career is over.Use recycle water bottles to create this effective and inexpensive trap, place one in every room of the home, then open your windows and enjoy the fresh air without having to swat at mosquitoes. Because the ingredients inside the recycled bottle are natural, this design is safe to use around children. You may also like to check out homemade fruit fly traps.

8. Bag Fan Trap

For under $1, you can get rid of those pesky mosquitoes like this one by thegoodsurvivalist. Great for use indoors since the fan will kill pests and keep cool air circulating. This instructional video will show you how to make this idea come to life with very little effort or expense. Mosquitoes are sucked into the netting and left to dry out by the wind created by the fan. Protect yourself from the west nile virus, malaria, yellow fever, canine heartworms and a host of other diseases carried and spread by mosquitoes.

9. Homemade Tire Mosquito Trap

The very things that often become a breeding ground for mosquitoes can be turned into a death trap for them. Mounds of old used tires hold stagnated rainwater and attract mosquitoes as an ideal place for them to lay their eggs. This idea will show you how to recycle an old tire to create a homemade mosquito trap like this one by smithsonianmag. The chemical scent in the rubber along with the warmth generated by the black rubber when it’s exposed to sunlight is a strong attraction for mosquitoes.

10. Homemade Mosquito Trap in a Bowl

An old plastic bowl and a 9 volt battery can be transformed into an effective mosquito trap. Inside the bowl are two things mosquitoes finds irresistible – yeast and brown sugar. These two ingredients combine to give off carbon dioxide and attract all the mosquitoes that are in the area. This effective co2 mosquito trap on youtube costs less than $5 and is easy to make with this detailed video. The small size makes them good to use in different rooms of the house so your indoor living space will be pest free. You may also like to check out homemade wasp traps.

11. Homemade Solar Mosquito Trap

This is the DIY trap on youtube you need to create when the mosquito population makes going outdoors a miserable experience for you. Catch and kill thousands of tiny blood suckers each night with nothing more than a fan and a screen. No tools are needed for this DIY project, the screen wire is attached to the fan with magnets and the dead pests are removed by simply shaking off the screen wire each morning. Easy, effective and inexpensive. Follow this YouTube video for all the DIY details and start killing the mosquitoes by the thousands tonight.

12. Low Cost Bait

Use this idea to create low cost bait to place in areas around your home where there may be standing water. Rain barrels, rain gardens, ponds and other yard accessories often contain water. We need and want those accessories, but they are prime locations for mosquitoes to use for breeding grounds. This DIY bait by motherearthnews can help reduce the mosquito population and allow you to keep your water features. This bait has been used with success in underground storm drains and cisterns, and the low cost makes it a good choice to try in your backyard near a water feature.

13. Dry Ice Mosquito Trap

Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, and carbon dioxide is irresistible to mosquitoes. Dry ice is the main ingredient in this homemade mosquito trap by doityourself that only takes minutes to makes and is very effective for outdoor use. This is a great way to keep the pests away during an outdoor event like a birthday party or wedding.

Put on a pair of gloves before handling the dry ice, then tie twine around the packs and suspend them from trees. Create one inexpensive trap for each piece of dry ice and place it near the dry ice. Place them away from areas where people will be gathered. As the carbon dioxide is released into the air, multitudes of mosquitoes will flock in and get caught in the DIY traps, leaving you and your guests alone. You may also like to check out homemade tick repellents.

References:

Medicalnewstoday, “Why do mosquito bites itch and swell up?”, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320979#why-do-mosquitoes-bite

Healthline, “Why Are Mosquitos Attracted to Some People More Than Others?”, https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-mosquitoes-bite-some-people-more