Solar Powered Mosquito Traps- Another important Solar Application

In yet another technological breakthrough, a solar powered mosquito trap was made resulting in approximately 70% reduction in the malaria causing mosquitoes. This device was in trial period for the last three years on an island in Kenya. More than 400 thousand people died due to this disease during the last year and according to the WHO (World Health Organisation) more than half of the world is at a risk. These traps helped reduce malaria victims by 30% in houses which had them, as compared to the houses that didn’t use them. The mosquito population was also reported to be 80% lower in the towns of Puerto Rico.

The mosquito trap needs to be mounted outside the house and works on the power generated by the solar panels on the rooftop, which is a viable option in remote parts of the world having no electricity and grid connectivity. Generally one solar panel would be sufficient to serve the purpose. The power generated can additionally be used to charge the lights and other small devices like phone chargers inside the home. At night the power stored in the batteries can be used to operate the trap.

Also read about Other Solar Products finding increased application in the real life.

Source

The trap is a simple device with an inbuilt fan inside. Mosquitoes are attracted to the device through a scent like human body odour coming out of the tiny holes of the device. These traps give out chemicals that are like carbon dioxide exhaled by the humans, alongwith five chemical constituents of the human odour. When the mosquitoes are in close vicinity of this trap, they are sucked in by the air force from the fan. This is the first research on malaria fighting devices that took place in real life circumstances, near Lake Victoria in Kenya. The power is drawn from the solar panel mounted on the rooftop.

Problems with these traps

• The traps need to be charged with the blend of “human odour” at regular intervals.
• Buying a solar panel is an effective way to fight power problems, but could still be unaffordable for the people in rural areas around the globe.
• These traps might not be effective for other species of mosquitoes like Anopheles arabiensis which are also common malaria vectors in most parts of Africa.

Not only does this trap help fight the deadly disease of malaria, but also checks on other fatal diseases like dengue, chikungunya and Zika epidemic. This particular trap is more affordable than the ones available in USA, costing hundreds of dollars. It is reported that more than 400,000 children die each year due to malaria. With solar panel getting cheaper by the day, using solar energy could be a good idea in these remote areas. It will not only help in resolving the issues of lights and fans, but also help the people fight these deadly diseases.