How Dragonfly II Biting Insect Trap Works

CO₂ is released every 5 seconds simulating the "breath" of a small animal. CO₂ is the most powerful attractant for mosquitoes and biting flies. The Dragonfly II monitors the amount of CO₂ remaining in the bottle and lets you know when the bottle is getting low by flashing a low CO₂ warning.

The thermal lure heats up, producing the infrared image of blood near the surface of the skin and the body temperature of a small animal. As one entomologist (insect scientist) aptly described it, "To a mosquito the Dragonfly looks like a shaved rabbit!" Mosquitoes try to land where the blood supply comes closest to the surface of the skin.

Octenol, and other natural host-odor attractants, are activated by the heat of the thermal lure, and evaporate into the CO₂ plume. In scientific terminology host odor attractants are called kairomones. Both CO₂ and octenol are kairomones. CO₂ is the most powerful attractant, and octenol is the second most powerful attractant for mosquitoes and biting flies. When additional host-odor attractants such as lactic acid are added to the mix, the effectiveness increases still further. BioSensory biting insect lures use several combinations of host-odor kairomones, depending on the targeted insect.

Mosquitoes follow the CO₂ and host odor plume until they detect the thermal lure. Mosquitoes have body heat sensors on the tip of their antennae that can detect a human from 10 feet (3 m) away, and on humid nights they can detect a human from as much as 30 feet (10 m) away! Because their mouthparts cannot reach the blood supply except where it is close to the skin, and because these areas of the body are slightly warmer than other areas, insects use heat sensors to pick the best place to land and bite. Because mosquitoes typically circle their prey before landing, they approach the Dragonfly II thermal lure and fly around it.

When mosquitoes fly too close or attempt to land on the thermal lure, their path is intercepted by one of the four capture ports at the top and bottom of the Dragonfly II. Because some species of mosquito attack from above, while others attack from below, the Dragonfly II capture ports perform equally on both. Unlike propane traps with a single capture source, tests show the Dragonfly II works well for all four major groups of mosquitoes in North America and around the world:

• salt water (ocean, bays, estuaries)
• fresh water (lakes, ponds, swamps)
• snow-melt (rivers, streams)
• container breeders (tree-hole, automobile tires)

Mosquitoes are vacuumed into a collection tray from which they cannot escape, and within a couple of hours they die of dehydration from the air passing over them.

The Dragonfly II Biting Insect Trap is one part of the Dragonfly System

The Dragonfly II System is designed to provide defense in-depth. The first line of defense is the Dragonfly II Biting Insect Trap, which draws biting insects away from you and kills them. The second line of defense is the Mosquito 'Cognito dispenser or Conceal Candles. Both emit Conceal inhibitor, which blocks the scent-tracking ability of biting insects and makes it difficult for them to locate you.

The Conceal inhibitor is not a repellent like Citronella or Deet. Repellents simply smell bad. Insects avoid repellents and look elsewhere for prey. Conceal inhibitor is different, it blocks insects' host odor receptors and impairs their ability to track your scent.

Use Dragonfly II Biting Insect Trap and Mosquito 'Cognito Conceal dispenser or Conceal Candles together for maximum effectiveness.

Effectiveness

In tests against the leading propane mosquito traps, the Dragonfly II proved consistently superior, even though it uses less CO₂ than propane traps.

How does it capture more mosquitoes with less CO₂ ?
• Pure, bottled CO₂ mimics your breath. To a mosquito, CO₂ from propane, which has unburned hydrocarbons in it, it smells like a campfire, not like the breath of a living thing.
• Because CO₂ is released in pulses every 5 seconds, it mimics your breath, which mosquitoes are programmed to track by flying through one pulse to the next. Mosquitoes cannot fly through the continuous plume of CO₂ released by a propane trap without saturating their CO₂ sensors, so they fly below the plume and periodically go up into the plume to see if they are still on track.
• It is one thing to attract mosquitoes from far away with large plumes of CO₂ , but if they are not captured , you will be bitten more, not less! A famous study by Notre Dame University proved that this happened with blue-light bug zappers. Because blue-light bug zappers attracted mosquitoes to the backyard but did not kill them, users were bitten more than people with no trap at all!
• The Dragonfly II is a "good neighbor" mosquito trap. It releases a small plume of CO₂ which attracts mosquitoes in the immediate vicinity, and it captures them. It does not attract mosquitoes from far away to your backyard. Moreover, "hard to catch" mosquitoes such as the Asian Tiger ( Aedes albopictus ) and disease vectors such as Aedes japonicus that cannot be captured by some propane traps are easily captured by the Dragonfly II.

Even without CO₂ , tests show the Dragonfly II sometimes catches more mosquitoes than propane mosquito traps emitting huge plumes of CO₂ !

Quality, Durability and Dependability

The original Dragonfly, predecessor to the Dragonfly II, has been in service for 8 years around hospitals, hotels and commercial establishments. Like its predecessor, the Dragonfly II is built with industrial quality components for durability and dependability. For example:

• The CO₂ release valve is rated for millions of cycles.
• The capture fan is rated for over 5 years of continuous use.
• Solid state electronics are used for the microprocessor circuit board, control panel and thermal lure. Microprocessor logic continuously adjusts trapping times throughout the season to maintain maximum effectiveness.
• The weatherproof design uses tough advanced polycarbonate components and automotive quality finishes on metal components.
• ISO 9000 manufacturing facility.

Convenience and Economy

The Dragonfly II works with or without CO₂ . When it uses CO₂ , it does so in the most effective manner possible. Unlike one-size-fits all propane traps that work 24/7, the Dragonfly II is programmed to protect people when they are outside, and to hunt mosquitoes at the times of day when they are most active.

People aren't generally outdoors at dawn, but the Dragonfly II is working because mosquitoes are active then. The only time the Dragonfly II takes a break is when mosquitoes stop hunting — when the temperature is below 55 F. The Dragonfly II shuts down to save CO₂ and waits for warmer temperatures when mosquitoes will once again become active.

The microprocessor in the Dragonfly monitors sunrise and sunset all season long and adjusts programmed operating times accordingly. In the spring or in the fall, from Reykjavik Iceland to Christchurch New Zealand, everyday the Dragonfly will hunt mosquitoes during peak activity all season long.

Operating costs are minimized by programmed use of CO₂ , which costs less than propane and is more effective. Convenient, patent pending, 30-day kairomone lures cost less than competitive lures but have more uniform emissions because they are impervious to water and are heat activated (some competitive lures stop working altogether on humid nights and absorb moisture from the air). Finally, selectable, preprogrammed cycles deliver convenient, season-long set-and-forget operation, minimizing maintenance demands on your leisure time.

In short, the Dragonfly II was designed to extend your outdoor leisure time all season long, and requires only a few minutes of your attention to do so.

Environment

The Dragonfly II is carbon neutral . The CO₂ used is recycled from the atmosphere. Unlike propane mosquito traps, it does not add to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The Dragonfly II attracts and kills only biting insects seeking a blood meal. It is harmless to beneficial insects , unlike blue light zappers that indiscriminately kill thousands of beneficial insects and almost no mosquitoes.