You know that annoying buzzing sound that’s always in the background of summer evenings? That’s mosquitoes.
You may have noticed how they seem to be getting worse and worse every year, despite all the mosquito sprays and repellents out there.
Well, get ready for some good news: Biogents (BG) has created a mosquito trap system. The trap system has three different traps that are used outdoors and indoors.
BG Mosquito Traps were engineered in Germany and have become known worldwide as one of the most effective mosquito traps for every mosquito species.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about this product. You’ll find out what makes these traps so much better than traditional methods.
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Controlling Mosquitoes
When trying to control mosquitoes, using a trap outside may help to reduce the mosquito population.
Still, to be more successful, it’s better to attack the mosquitoes at different stages of their life or to stop them from breeding entirely. This is known as integrated mosquito control, and if possible, you will be more successful if you can encourage your neighbors to take the same measures.
The first step is to eliminate the mosquito breeding sites. In your garden, mosquitoes will breed in natural or man-made containers.
Typical breeding grounds around your garden could be birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, rain barrels, plastic sheets, gutters, or even a swing with a tire.
Cleaning up your garden and discarding or emptying the containers is the first line of defense. Change water in birdbaths or animal drinking troughs at least once a week or more often.
Containers that it isn’t possible to empty, such as rain barrels, should be covered or treated with a larvicide. Ponds should also be treated with a larvicide. Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) is a larvicide that targets mosquitoes and has low toxicity for non-target species. It is widely available in garden centers or online as Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito Bits.
If you still have adult mosquitoes in your yard, you can spray an insecticide, but unfortunately, that will kill many beneficial insects. Better install some traps! This is where the Biogents traps system can be helpful.
Biogents Traps
The Biogents traps are designed to catch the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti).
These are both day-biting mosquitoes that are aggressive biters; they may also follow you into the house through open doors or windows. As well as being renowned biters, they can also transmit several dangerous diseases – yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika.
The BG traps result from 16 years of research into the behavior of these mosquitoes and their olfactory senses. The traps were developed originally for researchers to monitor mosquito species. The effectiveness of the traps has been tested in numerous scientific studies all over the world.
Biogents traps are used by the “US, German and French military, numerous mosquito control districts, and public health organizations worldwide, including WHO and CDC”.
In tests, BG traps have been shown to be more successful than other traps in catching the Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes. The success of the Biogents traps is due to the combination of visual signals, air plumes, and the mosquito attractant BG-Sweetscent, which mimics the scent of human skin.
The Mosquitaire trap can attract the Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes looking for a blood meal with just an electricity supply and a special lure.
You can increase the capture rate of the tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes and trap different species of mosquitoes by adding CO2 to the trap.
Most trap manufacturers are happy to kill adult mosquitoes. Biogents wanted to go a little further and disrupt the mosquitoes’ breeding cycle.
To achieve this, they produced another trap, the BG-GAT, that catches Tiger mosquitoes and yellow fever mosquitoes that have already had a blood meal and are looking for a place to lay their eggs.
Each female can lay from 50 -100 eggs and repeat this feat 1 – 4 times over her lifetime.
By eliminating the future generations of mosquitoes, you can limit population expansion.
What is the Biogents Trap System?
The BG trap system is three traps that can catch different mosquito species with attractants and CO2 or concentrate on the Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by using only the Sweetscent attractant.
As mentioned above, the two traps used outside aim to catch mosquitoes at different periods of their adult life – when they are looking for a blood meal and when they are searching for somewhere to lay their eggs. The third trap is for use inside your home.
If correctly used and placed, they should significantly reduce the mosquito population in your yard.
Although these traps are very successful when used together, you can purchase just one of the traps and have good results.
You can see and purchase the Biogents trap system directly from their US shop. The video below shows how the traps work together.
How Does the Biogents Mosquito Trap System Work?
The BG traps system works in 3 distinct ways, with 3 different traps.
- The BG-Mosquitaire trap to catch mosquitoes looking for a blood meal
- A different trap, the BG-GAT trap targets tiger mosquitoes that have had a blood meal and are looking for a place to lay their eggs
- An indoor trap, the BG-Home targets flying pests inside your house
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BG-Mosquitaire
The BG-Mosquitaire is designed to catch Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes. Unlike many other traps, it is unnecessary to use carbon dioxide with the Mosquitaire.
Without CO2, the Biogents mosquito trap will attract Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. With CO2, the trap will attract all mosquito species and other biting insects. The CO2 will also increase catch rates for the Aedes mosquitoes mentioned above.
How Does The Trap Attract Mosquitoes?
The BG-Mosquitaire attracts mosquitoes in 3 ways:
- visual cues – the contrast between the dark center and the white surface of the trap is attractive to mosquitoes
- suction – a fan sucks mosquitoes attracted to the trap into a catch bag, where they will dehydrate and die. The air is sucked into the trap and then exits the trap by the white fabric on the trap’s surface.
- scent (BG-Sweetscent)- a sachet that mimics the odor of humans is used in the trap. The air stream from the fan passes over the sachet, creating an ascending scent plume similar to the convection currents of a human body.
The BG-Mosquitaire can capture Asian tiger or yellow fever mosquitoes without CO2. Mosquitoes will recognize the artificial human odor created when air passes over the Sweetcent sachet, and the visual cues will attract these day-biting mosquitoes.
Carbon dioxide can be added to the trap to increase catch rates. CO2 is the most important attractant for female mosquitoes looking for a blood meal and for other biting insects.
With CO2 added to the trap, you can catch different species of mosquitoes and other insects that feed on human blood.
Placement
The position of your trap is important; it will significantly affect the success of catching mosquitoes. An ideal location is where the mosquitoes rest during the day. This will be a shaded, wind-protected area, often near shrubs, hedges, and breeding sites.
The trap should be visible to mosquitoes, so don’t completely hide it under bushes; there should be a clear distance above the trap of at least one foot to allow the air currents with the lure to be effective.
Don’t put your trap under the table on your terrace, although in the shade, you want to catch the mosquitoes before they get near you. If they are attracted to the trap and you are nearby, they will probably bite you.
To find the best position, you will need to try a few different places. High humidity areas, such as basements, are also good hiding places for mosquitoes. Last year I found Asian tiger mosquitoes in two places I didn’t expect, a stacked pile of wood and a pile of large stones. So don’t hesitate to try different positions.
Check the trap after a few days to see what you’ve caught. If you’re not trapping many mosquitoes, adjust the placement.
Maintenance
The main task to keep your trap running well is emptying the catch bag when necessary – about half full or when you change the Sweetscent sachet, which needs to be done about every 8 weeks. At the same time, the catch bag can be cleaned with warm water if required – it can become clogged up with dust, which will affect the catch rate. The rest of the trap should be kept dust-free, which can be done by wiping with a damp cloth.
When Should You Use Your Trap?
The trap should be deployed when mosquitoes first become active, i.e., when the temperatures are above 60°f. You want to trap the skeeters before they have the chance to lay any eggs. Keeping the trap running 24 hours a day will give the best results. However, if you are using CO2 to keep costs down, you can use the carbon dioxide for a few hours in the evening when the mosquitoes are most active.
If there is heavy rainfall, it should not damage the trap, but it might block some of the pores of the cover, affecting performance. Therefore it’s best to protect the trap if heavy rain is forecast; you could even make a simple shelter.
See my full Biogents BG Mosquitaire review.
BG-GAT (Gravid Aedes Trap)
The BG-Gat is an ovitrap trap that targets Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes that have already had a blood meal and are searching for a place to lay their eggs. These mosquitoes lay their eggs in both natural and artificial containers.
The BG-GAT mimics the artificial containers, having water in a dark, humid container. To the mosquitoes, the trap seems like an ideal breeding site. The water has a few leaves, grass, and alfalfa pellets added to it. The odors from the decaying organic matter will help attract the mosquitoes. For the trap to be most effective, you should eliminate other breeding sites; otherwise, they will compete with your trap.
How the BG-GAT Trap Works
The mosquitoes enter the trap through the black funnel. The mosquitoes are then in the transparent chamber, trying to lay their eggs. Netting provides a barrier between the female mosquitoes and the water, so they can’t lay their eggs. The mosquitoes then try to leave the trap through the translucid plastic. Flying around inside the trap, they will sooner or later get stuck on the sticky card.
Placement
The trap needs to be placed in an area that is attractive to mosquitoes – a shady, humid, sheltered place. But at the same time, the trap’s design is attractive to mosquitoes, so it shouldn’t be hidden under bushes.
A shady, humid location that is visible is ideal. As the placement can affect your capture rates, you may have to test different places for the best results.
Maintenance
The trap doesn’t need any electricity, attractant, or other chemicals. The only maintenance required is surveying the trap regularly to check that everything is correctly in place and that debris doesn’t block the funnel.
The water will need changing if there are mosquito larvae present. An alternative is to add a larvicide (Bti) to the water; then, you can change the water less frequently, about once a month. In hot, dry weather, the water in the trap will need topping up regularly. The sticky card will need replacing when it is full or doesn’t stick anymore due to dust.
BG-Home
The last member of the trap system is the BG-Home, a trap for inside your home. This trap is particularly attractive to Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes and also other flying pests you might find in your home. The trap uses several ways to lure the insects to the trap.
How the BG-Home Works
Unlike most other indoor traps that rely on UV light to attract mosquitoes and other insects, the BG-Home uses several ways to attract mosquitoes.
- the black design of the trap is visually attractive to mosquitoes
- there is an artificial human scent, the BG-Homescent, that is diffused by the fan to resemble the convection currents created by a human
- the trap has a surface heated to body temperature
- ultraviolet light will attract other flying pests
Mosquitoes are attracted to the trap by the different lures. As they are flying over the trap, they are sucked in by the fan and dumped into the base of the trap, where they die.
Placement
As with the other traps, you may have to experiment with different positions to find the most successful. In general, it’s best to place the trap near places you think mosquitoes might be hiding. This could be near plants, in dark corners, or in somber rooms. The trap shouldn’t be placed more than 3 feet from the floor.
It is recommended to leave the trap running 24 hours a day.
Maintenance
There is not a lot of maintenance for this trap. Wipe occasionally with a damp cloth to make sure the mesh on the outside of the trap is not blocked by dust, which could affect the air currents. Don’t use any cleaning products, as they will leave an odor that may repel the insects. Change the scented sachet every month to keep the trap attractive to mosquitoes.
What Do Users of Biogents Mosquito Traps Say?
As usual with mosquito traps, some report great success, and some say these traps don’t work.
However, as the Biogents mosquito traps are principally designed for trapping Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes perhaps some buyers are disappointed because the mosquitoes they have in their yard are different species.
Another point stressed by several reviewers is that the placement makes a huge difference. Does everyone persevere to find the best location?
On the other hand, the people who reviewed the Mosquitaire trap used with CO2 were very happy with over 90% of 4 or 5-star reviews.
Biogents Trap System Summary
The Biogents mosquito trap system is an easy and cost-effective solution to reduce the number of Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes in your yard. Before buying the trap system, it’s best to be certain that the mosquitoes in your yard are these species.
If you are sure the Biogents trap system is right for you, check out the Biogents site, where they have an attractive price for the bundle.
If you have other species of mosquitoes in your area, then it would be better to only purchase the Mosquitiare trap with CO2. It can be used against all types of mosquitoes with the addition of carbon dioxide.
The BG-Mosquitaire, used with just the BG-Sweetscent, targets tiger mosquitoes seeking a blood meal, while the BG-GAT traps tiger mosquitoes looking for a place to lay their eggs. With these two strategies, you can reduce biting pressure and the next generation of tiger mosquitoes. The BG-Home also targets tiger mosquitoes but will trap other flying pests.
There’s no need to worry about catching beneficial insects too because mainly mosquitoes will be attracted! While these traps might require a little time investment upfront to find the best location, they are environmentally friendly and use no harmful chemicals.
Suppose you already have another mosquito trap that uses ultraviolet light and perhaps CO2 to attract mosquitoes. In that case, you can increase the catch rate of Aedes mosquitoes by adding the BG-Sweetscent lure to the trap. You will just have to know which mosquito species is a problem in your area. Although, it is easy to identify the Aedes mosquitoes by the black and white markings on the legs and thorax.
Reduce Mosquito Bites
Removing breeding sites and installing traps may help to reduce mosquito numbers but probably will not eliminate every single mosquito. So, to avoid bites, you will still need to put a repellent on your bare skin and wear loose-fitting long sleeves and trousers. The CDC has some recommendations here.
