Mosquitoes love me, and I have the bites to prove it. Whenever I venture into the backyard, I have to cover myself with a thick layer of repellent that drives away both bugs and people with its terrible odor. So this weekend, I'm going to try to build a bug trap, thanks to some advice from Roxanne Connelly, an entomologist at the University of Florida, and Ty Ashcraft, an exterminator at Holistic Pet Solutions in Charlotte, North Carolina.
According to Popular Science: "Not all mosquitoes are attracted to the same bait. Connelly suggests a low-tech “ovitrap,” which uses standing water to lure Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, two common breeds. First, cut off the top of a two-liter plastic bottle, and spray-paint the outside a solid black. Then drill two 3/8-inch overflow holes below the brim. Cover them, and the top, with fine mesh. Secure a wet cloth around the brim (soak it once a day) and fill the trap with water. Eggs, laid on the fabric, will hatch, fall through the mesh, and grow too large to escape."
To learn more, read "Three DIY Bug Traps That Actually Work" from Popular Science.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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