Tips For Trapping Success
Nothing ruins a peaceful evening quite like mosquitoes and other insects buzzing around your head.
That’s where DynaTrap® comes in.
To maximize your trapping power and reduce your risk of getting bitten, we’ve compiled a list of helpful placement tips, advice for maintaining your trap to keep it working at full power, and information on using attractants to increase your catch rate.
By following these keys to success, you can keep your system running at peak performance and end the battle against mosquitoes and insects in your home and around your yard.
Trap Placement
Proper placement of your DynaTrap® Insect Trap is crucial to its success.
Our helpful tips will help you decide where to place your indoor or outdoor traps for optimal performance.
Outdoor Traps
1. Locate Mosquito Breeding Areas
Place your DynaTrap® between insect breeding areas (standing water, bushes, etc.) and people areas (patio, deck, etc.) in order to capture mosquitoes at their source, before they get to you. Traps should be placed 3-6 feet off the ground for the best chance of mosquito contact.
2. Place Traps Away From People
Since these traps are designed to attract as many mosquitoes and other insects as possible, the last thing you want to do is be anywhere near one when it’s operating at peak power. For the best results, it’s recommended that you place each trap at least 20-40 feet away from where people will be sitting or standing. Also place your trap away from other light sources, so the attractant bulb can do its work.
3. Consider the Size of Your Property
Is your yard large or small? If you have a large yard, place multiple traps across your property to create a ring of defense that insects will have difficulty passing through. Be sure to take notice of the coverage area of each trap and place them within that range of each other. For example, if your traps cover up to ½ acre, you don’t want to place them more than ½ acre away from each other. That would provide an opening for flying insects to invade. Instead, place traps just under the coverage area away from each other to avoid large gaps in protection.
4. Customize Your Placement
Nearly all DynaTrap® Outdoor Insect Traps can be placed on a flat surface, and their lightweight design makes them easy to transport wherever you need them. Many traps come with a chain that allows you to hang them wherever you need. Some DynaTrap® Insect Trap models come with a pole mount which provides even more placement options.
Indoor Traps
1. Locate Insect Activity Areas
Place your indoor insect traps near areas of insect activity for increased catch rates. If you want insects to avoid a certain area, place traps several feet or even a room away from those areas, so insects travel towards the light of the trap and away from the spaces you wish to protect.
2. Place Traps Away From People
Be sure to place the traps several feet away from where you typically sit or stand for longer periods of time as the trap will attract insects toward it. Insects may decide to bite or annoy you on their way to the trap, so it’s best to minimize the likelihood of that happening.
3. Maximize Protection
The more coverage you have throughout your home, the less likely you’ll suffer through an insect infestation. Chances are you’ve noticed several areas where insects tend to gather. Place traps in or near each of these areas to get optimal protection.
Trap Maintenance And Usage Tips Watch Video »
If maintained properly, your DynaTrap® Insect Trap can run at its best for many years. Learn all about emptying and cleaning your traps, replacing bulbs, and more. By executing these tasks in a correct and timely manner, you’ll get superior performance out of your trap.
When to Start Your Trap
For optimum mosquito protection, be sure to start your DynaTrap® at the very beginning of mosquito season before they begin breeding. We recommend you begin running your trap continuously once temperatures are consistently reaching 45 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, dormant mosquito eggs begin hatching.
To get started, just plug it in, turn it on, and leave it on! Run your trap continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get non-stop protection and break the breeding cycle. DynaTrap® will begin catching mosquitoes and other biting insects immediately, significantly reducing mosquitoes in 4-6 weeks with continuous use.
Empty the Trap Regularly
Outdoor traps tend to fill up more quickly than indoor traps since there are many more insects flying around outside. Monitor your trap daily during the summer months to ensure there’s plenty of space in the chamber for more. How often a trap needs emptied depends on the time of year and where you live. In general, you may need to empty the retaining cage every 1-3 weeks. Once the trap gets close to full, it’s time to dispose of the insects. Simply remove the retaining cage, pour the insects into an outdoor trash bag, and place the cage back into the trap.
Indoor traps are just as easy to empty. We recommend changing the glue cards every 30 days or as needed. When the glue card is full of insects or when dust or debris minimizes the card’s stickiness, it’s time for a fresh card. Simply pull the card out, dispose, and add a fresh glue card.
Keep the Trap Clean
The retaining cage can be soaked in regular dish soap and water. As for the fan blades, the provided cleaning brush, a wet washcloth, or a cleaning wipe are recommended in order to dust off debris. For convenience and to prolong the life of the unit, you should clean the trap whenever you empty it.
Replacing Your Bulbs
For the best results, DynaTrap® Insect Traps need fresh and powerful bulbs to keep attracting the maximum number of insects. Bulb life varies depending on your trap model. Even if your light bulbs still illuminate, they may no longer be emitting sufficient levels of insect-attracting UV light. Check your trap’s instruction manual for recommendations on bulb replacement frequency. If your trap has compatible replacement bulbs, it’s a good idea to keep some on hand at all times so you can be sure your trap is always running at full capacity.
Not sure how to replace the bulbs in your trap?
Check out our how-to videos »
Using ATRAKTA® Lures
DynaTrap® Mosquito and Insect Traps have many features that attract mosquitoes and insect traps. But by using an additional attractant, you can greatly increase the catch rates of your trap.
