Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

So I wanted to do a project similar to the one found here:
http://www.all-science-fair-projects.co ... ct_1423_38

anyway, I’m committed to doing this project now. but now I need to know— how do I catch/obtain mosquitos? I need 40 of them. there are a lot of them by my house but I don’t know how I’ll catch them without killing them.

Hi there,

Since mosquitoes need sugar as their food source, I am thinking we can use use sugar/honey as a trap. I saw an article about how to make a trap for flies, so you might attempt to do the same for mosquitoes: https://www.wikihow.com/Catch-Flies

Best,
Elise

Here is a similar one specifically for mosquitos. https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Plastic- ... quito-Trap
If you get impatient, I bet just a butterfly net or fish net could catch a couple, which you could, with some care, get into container like butterfly cage or a jar with holes in the lid.
Good Luck!

If necessary, you can purchase mosquito larva. Be careful not to get stung as the larva develops into adults within about one week. Here is a possible source --- http://www.aquaculturestore.com/Mosquito-Larvae.html

Once you have adult mosquitos either by catching or buying, how are you planning to judge the effectiveness of the various repellents?

Good luck with your project.