From: Paul Grant (shade999@optonline.net)
Date: Sat Jul 12 2003 - 23:07:00 MDT
The lure changes upon the species; they say putting up a bug zapper is
pretty much
the worst thing you can do 'cause the uv light attracts them to the
general vicinity, but
only a few come in and get zapped. There's an interesting approach
using moistened,
heatened CO2 columns with a particular alcohol which is a byproduct of
our respiration thats
particularly interesting.. Basically, you give it a feed of propane,
and it heats it to body temperature,
takes CO2 and H20 (byproducts of combustion of propane in the presence
of a catalyst) and spikes
it with a cartridge of the <<insert chemical name>>...
its *supposed* to be the most effective method, in that the its specific
to the location you put in,
and attracts all the mosquitos sufficiently enough to lure them into the
trap.
On the plus side, the mosquitos in egypt (of which there are 2 types)
can be somewhat baffled by turning
on a ceiling fan (which destroys the columns of C02 @ high speeds), or
by sleeping in a heavily
air-conditioned room (which 'causes them to fall asleep). The former
being sufficiently less
effective than the latter. But thats experience particular to the
mosquitos there.
the chemical thingee (cartridge) is an alcohol [i think], based on the
digestion of vegetables
or somesuch... they said they derived it when they noticed that oxen
tend to attract far more
mosquitos than other animals...
omard-out
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-extropians@extropy.org [mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.org]
On Behalf Of Damien Broderick
Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 12:06 AM
To: extropians@extropy.org
Subject: Re: Evolutionary fix of mosquitos
I'm not gonna swallow no pills I don't have to (I'm already eating far
too many pharmas). But why fiddle with human bodies, rather than
creating lures and putting them in places where mozzies congregate?
Blood-temperature fractal tendrilly things coated with human-signature
chemicals mixed with mozzie contraceptive? Anchor them in ponds? More
expensive, but fewer side effects on H. sap. vectors.
Damien Broderick
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