The effectiveness of homemade mosquito traps is largely unproven, as DIY trap attractants lack scientific validation.

Mosquito traps are primarily used for surveillance and research, to monitor the mosquito population, species, etc. Amongst these traps, there are two main categories that have been developed to catch adult female mosquitoes.

• The first type mimics the human host to actively lure female mosquitoes seeking a blood meal through visual cues (such as light and colour), olfactory cues (such as carbon dioxide and octenol), or heat. The effectiveness of these traps depends on the delicate interplay and right combination of these attractants.
  
  
• The second type attracts female mosquitoes seeking a place to lay their eggs. These traps are water-based, and work either by capturing any larvae that hatch from the eggs laid and preventing the resultant adults from emerging (thus reducing the mosquito population), and/or trapping the female adults when they land to lay their eggs. To be effective, there must be removal of other competing breeding habitats. The proper design and management of such traps must also be carefully considered, to avoid such traps themselves becoming breeding habitats. 

All traps have limitations. They only work within a specific range or target specific type of mosquitoes, unlike humans who move throughout their homes. In addition, traps become less effective when competing with human presence or other water sources. We should therefore not be relying solely on such traps to keep our homes safe from mosquitoes. 

The best way to protect your home and keep it mosquito-free is by removing stagnant water in and around the home by doing the B-L-O-C-K steps. For additional protection, residents could consider installing mosquito screens on windows, or regularly spraying insecticide aerosol in dark corners to kill any adult mosquitoes resting in homes. 
 
Source eradication of mosquito breeding habitats remains key to controlling the mosquito population and stemming the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue and Zika. All residents and stakeholders have a part to play in preventing mosquito breeding.