A DIY eco-friendly solution to mosquito annoyances

We can all agree that mosquitoes are the worst thing ever. Not only are they incredibly irritating, but they’re also dangerous. In fact, mosquitoes kill more humans than any other creature, because they spread so much disease. But despite our collective best efforts, the little insects persist. If you’re ready to get rid of your local mosquitoes, check out Gal Ofel’s DIY chemical-free solution.

You’ve probably noticed that stagnant water results in higher mosquito populations. That’s because mosquitoes lay their eggs on the surface of still water. Those eggs hatch and then you get more mosquitoes. 

A typical prevention strategy is eliminating stagnant water altogether. The problem is that you don’t have control over stagnant water outside of your own property, so the mosquitoes will just breed nearby.

This solution is a honeytrap. It entices mosquitoes into laying their eggs in stagnant water that you do control. Then it flushes that water, along with the unhatched eggs.

The setup is simple and only requires a nearby water source, a drain, and some affordable electronic hardware. An Arduino Nano Every board controls the process. It fills water into a reservoir, like a bird bath, where it stagnates and attracts mosquitoes. Then it waits 96 hours, giving the mosquitoes time to lay eggs. After that time elapses, it pumps the water and eggs out, down a drain.

The only tricky part, which will depend on your utility arrangement, is filling and draining the water. If you have pressurized water, such as from a garden hose, you can fill the reservoir with just a float valve. Then you can drain the water using a basic pump. The Arduino will control the valve and pump operation, making the entire system automatic.