(SC October '16) This cheap and easy to build kit has been designed to help combat zika and other mosquito borne viruses. It lures male mosquitos into a trap by producing an inaudible tone which attracts them. The female mosquito is the culprit for the painful bites which are not only uncomfortable, but spread some very nasty viruses. By luring and trapping the males, this prevents fertilisation and since pregnant females are the prime culprit for biting, this in turn reduces the incidence of mosquitos in the nearby area.
This project was produced in response to a news bulletin where the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine researchers (Brian Johnson and Scot Ritchie) discovered that a 484Hz tone attracted male mosquitoes of the "Aedes aegypti" species in large numbers. The Aedes aegypti is the main species which carries and spreads the Zika virus.