Mosquito traps work best as a supplement

Mosquito traps can reduce backyard populations, but don’t expect a bug-free yard. They work by mimicking human cues—CO₂, heat, moisture, or scent—then capturing or killing the mosquitoes that come investigating.

Most traps use something like a propane burner or a CO₂ tank to produce a plume that smells like your breath. Then they add a fan to suck the curious mosquitoes into a net or a container where they dehydrate. Some use propane itself as the attractant, others use octenol (a chemical found in cow breath) or even LED lights. The goal is to trick the female mosquitoes that are looking for a blood meal into thinking you’re nearby.

Effectiveness is real but limited. A well-placed trap can catch hundreds of mosquitoes a night. Over a few weeks, that can noticeably drop the breeding population in a small to medium yard