TRAP LEDGER · THE DOMAIN'S ORIGINAL SUBJECT, 2009-2013
Traps cut mosquito counts. Counts, not yet cases.
This domain once hosted lethal-ovitrap trial pages cited by WHO regional offices. Here is that evidence, restated honestly. The ledger · The trial lineage, 1979-2010
The evidence, one row per claim
Two different questions hide inside do traps work. We grade both, separately, because conflating them is how gadgets get sold.
| CLAIM | GRADE | WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS | CHECKED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lethal ovitraps reduce adult mosquito counts | B | Randomized and controlled field trials across five countries, 1979-2010, consistently reduce Aedes adult density near treated containers. | 2026-09 |
| Ovitrap surveillance detects invasion early | B | Standard tool of vector surveillance programs; egg-count thresholds guide interventions. | 2026-09 |
| Any consumer device reduces human infection | D | No consumer trap has demonstrated fewer dengue or malaria cases in a controlled trial. Absence of evidence, stated as absence. | 2026-09 |
| UV bug zappers control backyard mosquitoes | D | Catch-weight studies: mostly non-target insects; mosquitoes are a small fraction of the kill. | 2026-09 |
| CO2 traps suppress yard populations | C | Some localized reduction in studies; effect fades with neighbors' breeding sites untouched. | 2026-09 |
| Sonic repeller apps do anything | D | Repeatedly tested, repeatedly null. The clearest D in the file. | 2026-09 |
Grade B rows: field-trial lineage hosted on this domain 2009-2013 (9 papers), reviewed by the WHO Vector Control Advisory Group. Consumer-device rows: no registered trial demonstrates infection reduction. Domain history · Grade definitions
PLATE 003
- Dark cup + water: attracts the female to lay
- Net insert: eggs and larvae never mature
- Fence height: about 1 m, shaded spot
THE QUESTION PEOPLE ACTUALLY TYPE
Do mosquito traps work? Lethal ovitraps reliably cut mosquito counts in field trials, but no consumer device has yet demonstrated fewer human infections. Both halves of that sentence are graded above.
WHO Vector Control Advisory Group review, checked 2026-09
Why the lineage matters
This domain's first life was the subject, not the seller.
The trial pages
Research groups hosted lethal-ovitrap trial documentation here, cited by WHO regional offices and academic reviews.
The archive lineage
Field trials across five countries form the B-grade core of this page. We rebuild the reading list rather than claim it.
The standing review
WHO's Vector Control Advisory Group continues to evaluate lethal ovitraps as a supplementary tool, not a standalone fix.
The honest restatement
We do not inherit the old authority. We inherit the subject, and we state its limits louder than its promises.
When a trap is worth buying
Cut the water first. A purchase only makes sense after that, and only for a few jobs.
A lethal ovitrap is a surveillance tool that also cuts nearby adults. Buy it to count, not to declare the yard clean.
A CO2 trap's local dip fades at the fence. Fix shared water before buying hardware.
Grade D. Catch-weight and cage tests do not support the claim. Skip.