When humans and animals breathe they release carbon dioxide and a certain amount of body heat, both of which attract mosquitoes.

Mosquito light traps are designed to attract and catch mosquitoes. They are used for surveillance purposes only, not as a device to reduce the mosquito population.

The trap is made up of an esky, light, fan, 6 volt battery and catchment net. On the day that the light trap is set, dry ice is placed into the esky. As the ice melts, it releases carbon dioxide gas, attracting mosquitoes.  They mistake the gas as a potential food source, like people or animals. In addition, the trap has a battery operated light and fan, which also attracts mosquitoes. Once the mosquitoes are trapped inside the net, they are unable to be released.

The light traps are set up over night at specific sites and collected the following morning. Data is recorded for each site, including the number of mosquitoes trapped. Sometimes species identification is carried out, to determine whether the mosquitoes are saltwater or freshwater, which helps in monitoring of nearby breeding sites.

Due to the natural and environmental factors in the Geelong region, the area is not known to be endemic to Ross River Virus.  No viruses have been isolated since mosquito trapping commenced.

 Light Trap Results 07-08 Season