How SkeeterSwitch works
Quick answer
SkeeterSwitch runs a CO₂ + heat mosquito trap automatically. The trap releases a steady stream of bottled CO₂ and warmth to mimic a breathing mammal, drawing host-seeking mosquitoes in from up to about an acre away in calm conditions (a coverage range reported by the manufacturer / NASA Spinoff materials). A smart plug runs it on the right weather and activity windows and switches to your second CO₂ tank the moment the first runs dry — so the trap never goes dark mid-season.
Step one: bait that mimics you
A mosquito doesn't see you — she smells you breathing. Host-seeking mosquitoes track the plume of carbon dioxide, body heat, and skin odor that every warm-blooded animal gives off. The ARCTIC MKS trap broadcasts exactly that signature: a steady stream of bottled CO₂ and gentle warmth that reads as "mammal" to a hunting female. She follows the plume in from as far as an acre away in calm air (a coverage figure reported by the manufacturer / NASA Spinoff materials), and the trap takes her before she ever reaches you. See the science.
Step two: the part everyone else forgets
A CO₂ trap only works while it's running. Run out of gas on a Friday and your yard is back to square one by Saturday's cookout. SkeeterSwitch sits between two CO₂ tanks and switches automatically the moment the first runs dry — no gap, no gas, no missed weekend. When the second tank gets low, it tells your phone before you'd ever notice the bites coming back.
Step three: it runs itself
You shouldn't have to remember to fight mosquitoes. SkeeterSwitch reads your local forecast and the activity window for your area, runs the trap when mosquitoes are actually hunting, and rests it when they're not — so you're not burning CO₂ at noon in a dry spell. You set it once. It handles the schedule, the weather check, the tank swap, and the low-CO₂ heads-up.
What it won't do
It won't make your yard "100% mosquito-free" — nobody honest can promise that. It won't spray pesticide, so it doesn't touch the bees, dragonflies, and spiders that help keep mosquitoes down. And it won't repel a mosquito already on your arm — it lowers how many are hunting in the first place. For the rare day you need belt-and-suspenders, an EPA-registered topical (DEET, picaridin) still has its place. More on what actually works: mosquito control myths.
References
- McMeniman, C.J. et al. (2014), "Multimodal integration of carbon dioxide and other sensory cues drives mosquito attraction to humans," Cell 156(5):1060–1071.
- Dekker, T., Geier, M. & Cardé, R.T. (2005), "Carbon dioxide instantly sensitizes female yellow fever mosquitoes to human skin odours," J. Exp. Biol. 208:2963–2972.
- Kline, D.L. (2006), "Traps and trapping techniques for adult mosquito control," J. Am. Mosq. Control Assoc. 22(3):490–496.link pending verification
Ready to put one to work?
The trap targets the host-seeking females directly; SkeeterSwitch keeps it running without the tank-swap gaps. See what it costs — account is free, hardware ships separately.
See SkeeterSwitch pricingCommon questions
Does the trap have to run all the time?
A CO₂ trap only suppresses mosquitoes while it is running — stop the gas and the plume collapses within minutes. SkeeterSwitch keeps it running through the host-seeking windows and switches CO₂ tanks automatically, so there is no gap when the first tank empties.
How far does it reach?
The manufacturer reports that in calm conditions the CO₂ plume draws host-seeking females from up to about an acre. Above roughly 10 mph of wind the plume breaks up and the effective radius shrinks, which is why the smart plug pauses the trap in high wind rather than waste CO₂.
Does it use pesticide?
No. The trap emits only CO₂ and heat — host-seeking bait, not insecticide — so it does not spray your yard or harm the bees, dragonflies, and spiders that help keep mosquitoes down.
Does it catch biting gnats?
The biting kind, yes — incidentally. Biting gnats (the midges some folks call "no-see-ums") and black flies are blood-seekers drawn to the same CO₂ and body heat the trap puts out, so they get caught alongside mosquitoes. "Gnat," though, also covers non-biting flies — fungus gnats, fruit flies, drain flies — that chase moisture and rotting or fermenting matter, not a host’s breath. The trap isn’t built for those and won’t meaningfully control them.