SkeeterSwitch

Standard bundle setup

Let's get your SkeeterSwitch running

Seven steps, about 30 minutes. You can follow this right on your phone while you're out by the trap. Nothing here is permanent — take it at your own pace and come back any time by re-scanning the QR code on the box.

  1. Create your account & claim your SkeeterSwitch

    You're in the right place — scanning the code on your box is how you claim it. The QR link ties this specific SkeeterSwitch to your account, so no one else can register it.

    Follow the on-screen prompts to create your account (or sign in) and confirm it's you. Once that's done, your SkeeterSwitch is linked and the remaining steps below get it physically up and running.

    Already have an account? Signing in from the same link claims this box to it automatically.

  2. Unbox & check your contents

    Your Standard bundle includes everything below. Lay it all out and confirm nothing's missing:

    • Included SkeeterSwitch box — the brain that runs the schedule and talks to your Wi-Fi.
    • Included Z-Wave outlet — the smart plug the trap plugs into, so the box can switch it on and off.
    • Included ARCTIC MKS mosquito trap — the CO₂ + heat trap that does the actual work.
    • Not included Outdoor extension cable — recommended. An outdoor-rated cable lets you place the trap in the ideal spot (shaded, downwind, away from where people gather) instead of wherever the nearest outlet happens to be.

    Missing something? Don't start the setup — reach out first (see “Need a hand?” below) and we'll make it right.

  3. Power on the box & connect it to Wi-Fi

    Plug the SkeeterSwitch box into a covered, grounded outlet and give it a minute to boot. Wi-Fi setup only becomes available once the box is powered on — until then there's nothing for your phone to connect to.

    Your SkeeterSwitch connects to your home Wi-Fi through a quick one-time setup network — no app required.

    1. Make sure the box is plugged in and powered on — give it a minute to boot. The setup network only appears once it's on.
    2. On your phone, open Wi-Fi settings and connect to the network named “SkeeterSwitch-SETUP-XXXX” (the XXXX matches the code on your box).
    3. A setup page opens automatically. If it doesn't, open your browser and go to any website — it'll redirect you.
    4. Pick your home Wi-Fi network from the list and enter your Wi-Fi password.
    5. The box joins your network and the setup network disappears. When the indicator light turns green, you're connected.

    Mistyped your Wi-Fi password? The setup network reappears so you can try again.

  4. Pair the Z-Wave outlet to your box

    The Z-Wave outlet is the switch your box flips on and off. Pairing joins it to your box's own Z-Wave network so the two can talk directly — no extra hub, no cloud round-trip.

    1. Plug the Z-Wave outlet into your outdoor outlet, near the box.
    2. In your SkeeterSwitch dashboard, start “Add a device” (or “Pair outlet”).
    3. Your box scans for the outlet and shows it when found — confirm to add it.

    Keep the outlet within easy range of the box while pairing. You can move it a little afterward — just don't push it to the far end of the yard.

  5. Assemble & place the trap

    Pick the spot first, then set up — placement makes or breaks how well the trap works (see below). Once it's sited:

    1. Remove the capture net. It's only there so you can confirm a few early kills — the trap actually performs better without it, so take it off once you're satisfied it's working.
    2. Plug the trap into a grounded 3-prong / GFCI outdoor outlet for safety — then plug that into your SkeeterSwitch Z-Wave outlet, which runs the nightly schedule. Use an outdoor-rated extension cable if that's what it takes to reach the ideal spot.
    3. Check the indicator lights: Green = running Amber = CO₂ pulsing Red = heat blanket on Seeing amber early in the night means CO₂ is flowing correctly.

    Keep the photo-light sensor covered

    Leave the rubber cap fitted over the sensor — if it's missing, cover the sensor (a small cap or a bit of opaque tape works). Your SkeeterSwitch outlet is the single authority on when the trap runs. Covering the sensor stops the trap's own light detector from second-guessing the schedule and switching the trap off (for example, from a porch light or a bright dusk) when SkeeterSwitch wants it running.

    Covered doesn't mean no CO₂: with the sensor capped it reads as constant darkness, so every time SkeeterSwitch powers the trap on it starts a fresh dusk cycle and releases CO₂ — the schedule, not the sensor, decides when.

    Placement

    • Place the trap about 20 ft from where people gather, so it pulls mosquitoes away from you.
    • Mount it 3–4 ft off the ground with airflow unobstructed — not flat on the ground or a table.
    • Keep it out of direct sun and away from where it might catch beneficial insects — the heat and vacuum draw work best in shade.
    • Avoid siting it over standing water or within 20 ft of a pool.
    • Large or heavily-planted yards may need more than one unit for full coverage.

  6. Add CO₂ — the attractant

    CO₂ is the bait: it's what convinces host-seeking mosquitoes the trap is a warm, breathing animal. No CO₂, no draw.

    • Cylinder: a standard 20 lb refillable CO₂ tank with a CGA-320 connection — the common beverage/welding-gas size.
    • Where to refill or exchange: welding-gas suppliers (Airgas, Praxair/Linde), homebrew/beer-gas shops, or a bottle-exchange service. Any grade of CO₂ is fine.
    • How long it lasts: about 31 days at one dusk cycle per night — plan a refill roughly monthly in peak season.
    • How SkeeterSwitch stretches it: CO₂ only flows during the trap's first ~5 hours each night, so SkeeterSwitch schedules power to those high-value dusk hours instead of running around the clock — saving CO₂ and power when it isn't even flowing.

  7. Verify it's working

    Last step — confirm everything's talking to each other. Open your dashboard and check:

    • The Z-Wave outlet shows as online and controllable.
    • Tonight's plan is populated — you'll see the schedule SkeeterSwitch intends to run.

    If both look good, you're done — SkeeterSwitch takes it from here.

    Open my dashboard

    Don't see the outlet online yet? Give it a couple of minutes after pairing, then refresh. Still nothing — re-check Step 4.

Need a hand?

Still stuck? Contact SkeeterSwitch support and we'll walk through it with you.