As summer approaches, mosquito problems also follow, and people have to make choices among various mosquito prevention and control products. Besides mosquito nets, mosquito coils and mosquito killer lamps are commonly used. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Consumers are concerned about the effectiveness and potential harm of mosquito killer lamps. So how to choose the right one? NSDIA Joint Laboratory for Mosquito Control will answer these questions for you.
According to the Song Dynasty book *Simple Discourses on the Investigation of Things*, "During the Dragon Boat Festival, collect duckweed, dry it in the shade, add realgar, wrap it in paper and burn it to repel mosquitoes." This should be an early example of "mosquito incense," and it also indicates the raw materials used in making mosquito incense. Realgar is an arsenic sulfide ore and was also a widely used insecticide in ancient times.
There are many types of mosquito repellent incense on the market now, including mosquito coils, electric mosquito repellent mat, and electric mosquito repellent liquid.
Mosquito Coils:
Advantages: 1. The insecticide formula of mosquito coils is easy to adjust, making it difficult for mosquitoes to adapt and develop resistance, resulting in good mosquito-repelling and killing effects; 2. No power supply is required, making them convenient to carry; 3. They are relatively cheap.
Disadvantages: 1. Unable to guarantee a fixed usage time; 2. Mosquito coil smoke contains ultrafine particles—smoke dust (particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbonyl compounds (such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde), and benzene. In addition, adhesives, combustion aids, and other additives are added during the production of mosquito coils, which are harmful to the human body and pollute the environment. Pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and people with respiratory diseases should not use them; 3. It requires an open flame to ignite, thus posing a potential fire hazard; 4. When lit, the insecticide inside the mosquito coil does not have time to evaporate (especially in traditionally produced mosquito coils), and about 30-40% of the insecticide decomposes upon heating, losing its mosquito-repelling and killing effect; 5. If not stored properly, children or pets may accidentally eat it, cause poisoning.
Electric Mosquito Repellent Mat
Advantages: 1. Smokeless, odorless, ashless, and pollution-free; 2. PTC heating source, safe and clean; 3. Easy to transport.
Disadvantages: 1. The mosquito-repelling effect is unstable, with better results in the first two hours after heating, and the effectiveness gradually decreases thereafter; 2. The single insecticide formula makes it easy for mosquitoes to adapt; 3. The paper is under constant heating for a long time, resulting in a high decomposition rate of the insecticide; 4. 20-30% insecticide residue remains in the paper base after use, rendering it ineffective in repelling mosquitoes, causing waste and environmental pollution.
Electric Mosquito Repellent Liquid：
Advantages: 1. Smokeless, dustless, odorless, and pollution-free; 2. Safe PTC heating source; 3. Flexible usage time, power on when needed and off when not needed, convenient to use; 4. Convenient for production and formula adjustment.
Disadvantages: 1. Due to the inconsistent boiling points and vapor pressures of the various components in the pesticide, they cannot evaporate synchronously during heating, causing blockage of the wick. Therefore, the amount of pesticide evaporation gradually decreases with the increase of usage time, and the effectiveness in repelling mosquitoes also decreases. 2. The pesticide formula cannot be adjusted arbitrarily, and mosquitoes easily adapt to a single formula. 3. During use, the insecticide decomposition rate is approximately 30-35%, and after use, 5%-10% insecticide residue remains on the wick. These factors greatly reduce the utilization rate of the insecticide, resulting in waste and environmental pollution. 4. High power consumption. 5. The solvent is deodorized kerosene, making the bottle difficult to seal and prone to leakage. Kerosene is a hazardous material and inconvenient to transport.
In addition, mosquito repellers that emit ultrasonic waves have emerged in recent years, but the effectiveness of ultrasonic mosquito repellers is still controversial.
Mosquito killer lamps utilize mosquitoes' strong phototaxis and thermotaxis, use ultraviolet fluorescent lamps or ultraviolet LED lamps to emit light with a wavelength of 300-400nm, attracting mosquitoes into the lamp. Based on the killing method, they can be divided into: electric shock mosquito killer lamps, suction mosquito killer lamps, and sticky trap mosquito killer lamps. Some products may also include carbon dioxide generators, simulate human body temperature, or place mosquito attractants to enhance the effectiveness. Because mosquito killer lamps physically kill mosquitoes, the process is safe, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly.
Electric Shock Mosquito Killer Lamp:
It uses ultraviolet lamps with wavelengths between 300-400nm to attract mosquitoes. The DC high voltage on the high-voltage grid is usually 800~4000V, and the short-circuit current is less than 1mA, which is not dangerous to normal people. At the same time, the ultraviolet light emitted by the mosquito killer lamp can be used as soft lighting at night. The power consumption of a typical household mosquito killer lamp is 2~8W. It is convenient to use, quiet and energy-efficient, uses physical killing, is non-toxic and odorless, and does not require mosquito repellent.
Suction Mosquito Killer Lamp:
It uses ultraviolet lamps with wavelengths between 300-400nm to attract mosquitoes, and uses the suction generated by a fan to pull the mosquitoes into a trap where they are dried out and killed. Because the fan needs to run continuously, the power consumption is also increased, so it needs to be connected to a 220V power supply. Additionally, a small size will affect its effectiveness, so a diameter of at least 20cm is generally ideal. Compared to electric shock mosquito killer lamps, which can be smaller and have rechargeable batteries, its usability and portability are somewhat limited.
Sticky Trap Mosquito Killer Lamp:
It uses a 365nm wavelength or an additional 395nm wavelength ultraviolet lamp to attract mosquitoes, and then uses strong adhesive to stick the mosquitoes to their death. This physical method of mosquito control is simple and effective. The dead mosquitoes will not fall and cause secondary pollution, and it is also more environmentally friendly. Therefore, it is very suitable for use in places with hygiene requirements such as catering, hotels, and the food industry.
After reading the above, it's obvious that some easily overlooked details can affect the effectiveness of mosquito control. Therefore, consumers need to know some relevant knowledge, be discerning, and choose high-quality, professional mosquito control products to avoid buying counterfeit or substandard products in order to effectively kill mosquitoes.