May 20, 2024 - Things to Do

Bust out the box fan to ward off mosquitos

Heads up to mosquito magnets like myself: It's time to try a new eco-friendly experiment to ward off the pests.

Why it matters: Mosquitos carry disease, sting when they bite and are distracting. They are the quintessential pest.

However, some methods to combat the bugs are linked to harming wildlife, like birds and bees.

Flashback: Two years ago, I told y'all about my homemade bucket mosquito traps. They seemed to work well but required a lot of maintenance.

This year, I'm testing the effectiveness of an idea I saw online that uses a simple box fan and screen.

Step one: Find a big fan. (One of the 2-by-2 classics will do, apparently.)

Step two: Secure a screen to the side of the fan that sucks in air.
Step three: Run the fan outside in the yard, deck, porch or wherever the mosquitos are bugging you.
Step four: Wait.

How it works: In theory, the wind stream from the fan pulls in flying insects, which stick to the screen and eventually die.

Intrigue: Some people have made the method a business model and are selling kits.

Caveat: We're doing this one together. Please show me some grace if it bombs.

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