Abstract:
An apparatus is disclosed for mosquitoes and other “biting” insects to lay eggs which become trapped before maturing into adults. The trap comprises a reservoir filled with water and divided into two chambers  24  &amp;  26.  One chamber  24  is open to the outside at the surface to allow an accessible breeding area. The other chamber  26  is enclosed. Immature mosquitoes fall or are flushed from the open chamber  24  to the enclosed chamber  26,  guided along the way by the sloping bottoms of the chambers  20  &amp;  14.  A screen, small holes, or similarly restricted exit  40  between the enclosed chamber  26  and the outside chamber  24  allows excess water to escape while retaining most or all of the trapped mosquitoes.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to provisional patent application serial No. 60/679,144 filed on 9 May 2005. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This device and method relate to insect traps, and more specifically to traps for the offspring of egg-laying mosquitoes and other “biting” insects.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Mosquitoes are known vectors of dangerous diseases including malaria and West Nile virus. Controlling populations of mosquitoes is of increasing concern to the health and safety of people.  
         [0004]     Distribution of the non-indigenous Asian Tiger Mosquito ( Aedes albopictus ) is rife through the southeastern United States, where it first appeared in the mid 1980s in Houston, Tex., and has now spread as far north as Minnesota and Pennsylvania. It has been named one of the one hundred worst invasive alien species in the world and is a known vector of human-infecting viruses including St. Louis, LaCrosse, and eastern equine encephalitis, Cache Valley, and dengue fever, posing a public health threat. The Asian Tiger has also become a significant nuisance mosquito. The nuisance value of the Asian Tiger may be due in part to its high aggressiveness and tendency to eat during the day rather than at night. The Asian Tiger also cross-mates with other mosquito species, but cannot cross-breed, resulting in the displacement of less aggressive native mosquito species such as  Aedes aegypti.    
         [0005]     The Asian Tiger has been labeled a “floodwater” or “tree hole” species, meaning it lays its eggs in places that are subject to later flooding, such as tree holes. Asian Tigers have also been called “container breeders” due to their preference to breed in water collected in small containers or spaces, such as used tires, old tin cans, and potted-plant saucers. The Asian Tiger is not known to lay eggs in ditches or marshes. Submersion in water due to rising water levels from rainfall causes the eggs to hatch.  
         [0006]     Other mosquito species are known as “standing water” species, as they lay their eggs in “rafts” on the water surface.  
         [0007]     The Asian Tiger is attracted to dark colors.  
         [0008]     The Asian Tiger lays eggs, which turn into larvae and then pupae. At the larval stage, they are known as “wrigglers” due to their wriggling swimming motion. The larvae cling to the surface of the water, and when the surface tension is broken (typically due to rainfall), the larvae fall. After they stop their fall, they swim back to the surface. Pupae are sometimes referred to as “tumblers” and act similarly. The inventor has observed that when the swim back to the surface, they tend to swim straight up, that is, perpendicular to gravity.  
         [0009]     Over winter, the Asian Tiger survives in the egg stage. The Asian Tiger usually stays within a half mile of its breeding site.  
         [0010]     Other mosquitoes and “biting” insects may share the breeding characteristics of the Asian Tiger, such as  Ochlerotatus japonicus,  a non-indigenous tree-hole breeder recently discovered in much of the northeastern part of the United States and an “aggressive biter”, and  Aedes sierrensis,  a tree-hole breeder common throughout California and parts of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Idaho, and Utah and a carrier of dog heartworm.  Aedes sierrensis  adults stay within 100 feet of their breeding sites.  
         [0011]     Current methods for eliminating or controlling mosquito populations rely heavily upon chemicals and artificial light. Some devices disseminate CO 2  (carbon dioxide) or mosquito pheromones to attract adult mosquitoes for the purpose of trapping and/or killing them. Other devices depend upon introducing bacteria or suffocating oil to breeding areas to kill mosquitoes before they become adults. Other methods include chemicals intended to ward off adult mosquitoes and fans to trap or direct them into a trap.  
         [0012]     Methods for controlling populations also include eliminating breeding areas (i.e., eliminating sources of standing water such as old tires, pots, bird baths, roof gutters, and aluminum cans, and filling in tree holes); removing mosquito eggs, larvae, and pupae from breeding areas before they can mature into adults; and killing mosquito eggs, larvae, and pupae before they mature. These methods depend on being able to locate the breeding sites, which can be problematic. Tree holes can be hard to detect and too high to access. Small puddles can be hidden in shrubbery or in gutters. This device may provide a more attractive breeding site for mosquitoes, thereby trapping their offspring and keeping the mosquito population down.  
         [0013]     The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,999 is designed to attract mosquitoes to breed. Once the eggs hatched, the mosquito larvae would be attracted by food in the water to swim through a screen. The screen was sized so that the larvae could not return after growing to a certain size, being thereby trapped. That device depends on an attractant (food) to lure the mosquito larvae further into the trap and does not allow for mosquitoes to be trapped based upon their natural predilection to fall and swim straight upward, nor upon the introduction of additional water to the device.  
         [0014]     The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,443 is also designed to attract mosquitoes to breed. During the mosquito development stages, that device relies upon powered mechanisms for removing mosquitoes from water completely, and screens to filter or flush developing mosquitoes out of the infested water and into a moisture-free environment, thereby killing the mosquitoes during the development cycle. That device does not allow mosquitoes to become adults and requires the absence of water.  
         [0015]     The devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,983,557, 6,185,861, and 6,389,740 were also designed to attract mosquitoes to breed. After the egg-laying mosquito enters that device, the mosquito is poisoned upon contact with egg-laying media. That device focuses on the egg-laying mother, not the offspring, and requires the use of poison.  
         [0016]     During dry or cold seasons, instead of breeding or dying, some species of mosquitoes hibernate as adults. They wait for the warm wet season to return so they can resume breeding. This device may allow mosquitoes a place to continue breeding during the dry season, thereby attracting breeders who might otherwise find a safe place to lay eggs during a wet season, and trapping their offspring in the device during the dry season. This device may aid in the long-term management of mosquitoes in a given area that is subject to a dry season.  
         [0017]     A mosquito trap that does not require chemicals, lights, CO2, pheromones, bacteria, oil, food, bait, poison, fans, automation, nor any power source would be advantageous.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     The present invention is directed to a mosquito trap specifically for trapping and killing mosquitoes and similar behaving insects by use of a base with a reservoir divided into two chambers connected by a small opening between the two, sloping floors to the chambers, dark colors, screen or mesh openings, and optional protective covers either separate from or attached to the base.  
         [0019]     This device provides a breeding vessel for certain species of mosquitoes or similar species to lay eggs, with an enclosed chamber for trapping the mosquitoes before they mature. The breeding or open chamber provides a small stagnant pool of water. The base and any top attachment are glossy and dark or black to attract specific species of mosquito or similar insect. The eggs are deposited in the pool or on the edge of the pool.  
         [0020]     After hatching, the larvae and pupae breathe at the surface of the water in the open chamber. An external force may break the surface tension of the water, causing the eggs, larvae, and/or pupae to fall, or they may fall on their own accord. As they fall, a sloped false bottom of the device guides the falling mosquitoes through a narrow opening on one side and into the enclosed chamber of the device. Upon passing through this opening, the true bottom of the device slopes in the opposite direction of the false bottom, that is, it slopes away from the opening. The falling mosquitoes in the enclosed chamber are guided away from this opening between the open and enclosed chambers. When the mosquitoes swim back to the surface, they swim straight up inside the enclosed chamber and do not swim to the side where the gap to the open chamber is located. Once inside the enclosed chamber, mosquitoes mature into adults. Once adults, they leave the water but cannot fly out of the enclosed chamber and are trapped and die.  
         [0021]     The trap can be in any number of configurations. Preferred embodiments allow the device to be placed on the bottom side of a tree branch, or for placement with a protective cover, standing on its own or attached to a tree or structure. By hanging below tree limbs or similar structures or on the side of a tree or structure, the device mimics tree holes, a favored breeding site for some mosquitoes, and attracts mosquitoes for breeding.  
         [0022]     The enclosed chamber has a small screen to the outside, allowing excess water to leave the device without allowing mosquitoes to exit and allowing some light to reach the water surface in the enclosed chamber. The screen also allows a means to “flush” the device, by providing an exit for extra water in the enclosed chamber when new water is introduced to the open chamber. The screen is located on the back or sides of the device so as to keep water from entering the enclosed chamber through the screen (which could cause a “reverse flush” and potentially introduce mosquitoes back into the open).  
         [0023]     The natural movements of mosquito larvae and pupae may cause them to fall in the device. External forces may also break the surface tension of the water, thereby causing the egg, larva, and/or pupa to fall.  
         [0024]     One such external force is rain. If hung from the underside of a tree limb or similar natural or artificial structure, the device collects rain water run off in the open chamber, which breaks the surface tension of the water. The optional protective cover, which can be connected to the base or a separate device, is also designed to direct rain into the open chamber while still protecting the open chamber from collecting falling debris which could clog the opening between the two chambers.  
         [0025]     Artificial external forces used to break the surface tension may include but is not limited to water from garden hoses, watering cans, and sprinkler systems. The device&#39;s breeding or open chamber is open to the outside, allowing for spray from artificial sources to be easily guided and applied. The device is also designed to be fastened firmly to a supporting structure, be it tree, tree limb, building, or other structure, which minimizes spills of the mosquito-infested water in the enclosed chamber, or to be set onto or into the ground, using pipe or any other apparatus that would reasonably secure the device. The enclosed chambers&#39; screen allows for more water to be introduced into the device than may be offset by evaporation, while still keeping the mosquitoes trapped in the enclosed chamber.  
         [0026]     Other potential external forces may include any force that shakes or disturbs the water sufficiently to cause the mosquitoes to fall, such as the opening and closing of a gate when the device is attached to one of the gate&#39;s posts, or a structure that vibrates on occasion, such as the side of a garden shed or a fence near an air-conditioning unit. Users can also opt to employ mechanisms with the specific purpose of disturbing the water surface.  
         [0027]     Once inside the enclosed chamber, the mosquitoes are trapped. If they fall within the enclosed chamber, the floor&#39;s slope away from the gap between the two chambers keeps the mosquitoes from reemerging through the open chamber. When they swim to the surface, they tend to swim directly up, minimizing the chance that they will escape. The introduction of water from the open chamber should not cause the mosquitoes already in the enclosed chamber to flush out, as the screen will filter them out of the exiting water. Once adults, they will fly out of the water in the enclosed chamber, but will still be trapped by the screen on one or two sides, water below, and solid sides around the rest.  
         [0028]     The device is intended to be placed in an area that will be attractive to egg-laying mosquitoes, that will account for the device&#39;s various features and characteristics, and that will address the particular habits of the insect being targeted. Accordingly, placements will depend on the specific characteristics of the area and the mosquito. For example, areas with more shade, brush, and foliage (which can harbor more mosquitoes and more difficult-to-detect breeding sites) may need more devices. At least one device should be placed in every area that has potential other breeding sites so as to offer an attractive alternative. An area that has been cleared of all breeding sites may require only one device. While the Asian Tiger may travel up to a half mile from a breeding site,  Aedes sierrensis  adults travel only 100 feet. These differences may impact how widespread the devices need to be as well as placement. As for the device&#39;s characteristics, hanging a device under a house&#39;s eaves will not allow rain to enter the device, requiring either reliable maintenance or placement elsewhere. An area near a sports field may not be suitable for a device, given the potential of impact from an errant ball which could break the device and release the trapped mosquitoes. An area with toddlers or thirsty animals may not be suitable for a device low enough to be reached. Hanging a device over a walkway or other area where people are may also be inappropriate for safety reasons. Local foliage may also affect placement to avoid potential clogging of the device by leaves or other debris that may get past the device&#39;s cover, considering the frequency and thoroughness of maintenance of the device.  
         [0029]     It is expected that the user of this device will introduce it into an area and, after eliminating known breeding sites and introducing the device, be able to identify remaining breeding sites that require remediation and other breeding sites that are irremediable, requiring additional devices. This process will consist of observing the source of mosquitoes after allowing the device adequate time to disrupt the reproductive cycles of the local population.  
         [0030]     The method presented is to eliminate or limit breeding sites in an area and introduce devices such as this invention—that is, which attract egg-laying mosquitoes and similar insects and then trap and/or kill them and/or their offspring—which will then provide a means of eliminating the population over a period of time, especially during dry seasons or when all other breeding sites are successfully eliminated. The egg-laying insects will be more likely to use the trap as a breeding site rather than look for a different breeding site, thereby killing off more of the population than by merely eliminating or limiting breeding sites in an area.  
         [0031]     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mosquito trap limited to attracting egg-laying mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects and trapping their offspring.  
         [0032]     It is another object of the invention to provide a mosquito trap limited to trapping the offspring of egg-laying mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects by attracting such insects to lay eggs on or near the surface of water in the open chamber and trapping these offspring in a separate chamber that allows them to mature to the adult stage without escaping the device.  
         [0033]     It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a mosquito trap limited to trapping the offspring of egg-laying mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects by attracting mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects to lay eggs on or near the surface of water in the open chamber and allowing or causing these offspring to fall or be flushed into the enclosed chamber during the egg, larva, and/or pupa stage of their development.  
         [0034]     It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a mosquito trap limited to trapping the offspring of egg-laying mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects by attracting mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects to lay eggs on or near the surface of water in the open chamber, allowing or causing these offspring to fall or be flushed into the enclosed chamber during the egg, larva, and/or pupa stage of their development, and allowing or causing these offspring to fall or be flushed away from the opening that leads back to the open chamber.  
         [0035]     It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a mosquito trap limited to trapping the offspring of egg-laying mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects by attracting mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects to lay eggs on or near the surface of water in the open chamber, allowing or causing these offspring to fall or be flushed into the enclosed chamber during the egg, larva, and/or pupa stage of their development, and allowing or causing these offspring to fall or be flushed away from the opening that leads back to the open chamber, and allowing the larvae or pupae to swim upwards in the enclosed chamber without accessing the open chamber.  
         [0036]     It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a mosquito trap limited to trapping the offspring of egg-laying mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects by attracting mosquitoes and similarly behaving insects to lay eggs on or near the surface of water in the open chamber, allowing or causing these offspring to fall or be flushed into the enclosed chamber during the egg, larva, or pupa stage of their development, allowing or causing these offspring to fall or be flushed away from the opening that leads back to the open chamber, allowing the larvae or pupae to swim upwards in the enclosed chamber without accessing the open chamber, and not allowing the mosquitoes to escape.  
         [0037]     It is the object of this method to provide a means of eliminating or reducing the population of mosquitoes or similar “biting” insects in a given area by limiting the choice of breeding sites to sites which trap and/or kill the egg-laying mosquito or insect and its offspring, and to discourage egg-laying mosquito or insect from seeking alternative breeding sites.  
         [0038]     These and other objects of the invention and method, as well as many of the intended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0039]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of one embodiment of a device designed to hang from a tree limb (or “Tree-Limb Container”).  
         [0040]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the Tree-Limb Container shown in  FIG. 1 , reflecting sloped false bottom  20  divider and true bottom below  14  sloped in a direction opposite that of the false bottom  20 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the Tree-Limb Container shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 4  is a back view of the Tree-Limb Container shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 5  is an angled perspective of the Tree-Limb Container shown in  FIG. 1  without the divider panel  20  inside the device.  
         [0044]      FIG. 6  is an angled perspective of the Tree-Limb Container shown in  FIG. 1  with the divider panel  20  in place.  
         [0045]      FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of an embodiment of the device designed to be attached flush to a fence, tree, or other vertical structure (or “Flush-Hanging Container”).  FIG. 7  also reflects placement of screws or nails in tabs or holes  78  for hanging the device on a tree, fence, or structure, as well as the protective cover  72 ,  74 , and  76  on the top half, which extends just beyond the open or breeding chamber  18  in the lower half of the device before angling back to a tip  76  just above the center of the surface of the breeding pool.  FIG. 7  also illustrates a screen  70  (or small holes shown in a triangular pattern), allowing water to escape from the enclosed chamber  26 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of the Flush-Hanging Container shown in  FIG. 7 , reflecting false bottom  20  with slope and true bottom  14  below with slope in the other direction.  FIG. 8  reflects that the device is manufactured in two parts which fit together.  
         [0047]      FIG. 9  is a front view of the Flush-Hanging Container with tabs  78  and holes  80  for screws or nails to secure the device to a vertical structure.  
         [0048]      FIG. 10  is an angled perspective of the Flush-Hanging Container illustrated in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 11  illustrates a side view of an embodiment of a device designed to stand alone (or “stand-alone container”). This view shows the device&#39;s protective cover  117 ,  118 , and  119  connected to the base  110  and  114 , which also directs rain-water run off into the open chamber  126 , and the screens or holes  116  on the side  114  which keep the mosquitoes trapped and provide drainage.  
         [0050]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional side view of the stand-alone container shown in  FIG. 11 , reflecting a funnel open chamber  126  directly over an inverse cone  122 .  
         [0051]      FIG. 13  is an angled perspective of the stand-alone container.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0052]     In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents, which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Likewise, specific dimensions should be understood as being offered by way of example and not by way of limitation.  
         [0053]     Tree-Limb Container:  
         [0054]      FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6  illustrate and embodiment of a Tree-Limb Container  10 . The one illustrated is approximately 8″ tall Preferably, the device is glossy black or some similar dark color. Suitable materials include but are not limited to: plastic, ceramic, aluminum or stainless steel. It is only necessary that the material be relatively sturdy enough to maintain the functional geometry of the device as further described herein. In the preferred embodiment the device includes a fine mesh screen (or multiple holes grouped together)  40  as seen in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . The size of the holes are designed to prevent the escape of the mosquito in any stage of its lifecycle. The applicants have found that one sixteenth ( 1/16 th ) of an inch to be suitable for the target mosquito of the embodiment shown. The device also includes fastening points  8  for screws, pipe, or other attachment accommodations such as the cord  6  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . From a top viewpoint as seen in  FIG. 6  the four sides  12 ,  16 ,  30 , and  32  create a square roughly four inches (4″) on each side.  
         [0055]     The back side  12  as seen in  FIG. 4  is roughly four inches (4″) wide, flat, and zero degrees to vertical (non-sloping), and approximately eight inches (8″) tall. As seen in  FIG. 4  the back side  12  is approximately three inches (3″) wide, and one inch (1″) tall rectangular window of fine screen or grouping of holes  40 , with mesh or holes approximately one-sixteenth ( 1/16 th ) of an inch wide. Variations may provide for finer mesh or holes on the lower part of the screen.  
         [0056]     The bottom side  13  is approximately one inch by four inches (1″×4″) and is shown as curved in  FIG. 1 . In an alternative embodiment this panel  13  may be flat and connected at a right angle to the bottom of the back side  12 , running its length and extending towards the front side, sloped bottom  14 .  
         [0057]     The front side slopped bottom  14  and front side  16  is solid, flat, and four inches (4″) wide for its entire length. Its sloped bottom side  14  is flush with one side of the bottom panel  13 , and slopes up at an angle to the to front side  16 . at roughly half the height of the back side  12  is four inches (4″). Then the front side  16  continues upwards at zero degrees to vertical for approximately four inches (4″).  
         [0058]     Both left and right sides  30  and  32  are solid, flat, and zero degrees to vertical (non-sloping). The top half of both left and right panels  30  and  32  are approximately four inches (4″) wide at their widest. The bottom half of both left and right panels  30  and  32  are shaped to fit the back  12 , bottom  13 , sloped bottom  14 , and front  16  sides to form a water-tight container.  
         [0059]      FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6  illustrate a sloped rectangular divider panel  20  inside the device, approximately four inches (4″) wide and approximately five and one third inches (5.33″) in length. It is solid, flat, and sloped. It is connected or flush along the entire four inches (4″) of the top edge of the back side  12  and to the insides of both the left and right panels  30  and  32 . It is sloped down toward the front side  16 , but short of intersecting the front side panel, leaving a gap  22  of approximately one half an inch (0.5″) between the bottom of this panel  20  and the front panel  16  leaving a passage from the open chamber  24  into the enclosed chamber  26 .  
         [0060]     In use the device is filled with water or other liquid to level line  42  thus providing an attractive breeding and/or development medium for mosquitoes and similar species. The mosquitoes will be attracted to the glossy black or dark coloring of the chamber and the small, stagnant body of water. If properly placed, the device will provide a more desirable breeding site than other naturally and artificially occurring sites, that is, small containers or spaces that collect water, such as used tires, old tin cans, potted-plant saucers, and tree holes.  
         [0061]     After laying eggs, the mosquito may leave behind pheromones that will help attract other egg-laying females.  
         [0062]     Proper placement from a tree limb may also keep animals from drinking from and spilling the mosquito-infested water.  
         [0063]     The path  44  of the mosquito eggs can best be seen in  FIG. 2  The mosquito eggs will hatch into larvae and then develop into pupae. During these development stages, the mosquitoes will fall or be forced (flushed) from the open chamber  24  into the enclosed chamber  26 . The open and enclosed chambers  24  and  26  are separated by a divider or “false bottom”  20  which is the sloping barrier that forms the bottom of the open chamber. The false bottom  20  ends with a gap  22  which allows a passage for the mosquitoes to enter the enclosed chamber  26 . The slope of the false bottom  20  directs the falling or flushed mosquitoes towards this gap  22 .  
         [0064]     The slope on the bottom  14  of the device after this gap  22  is in the opposite direction. After passing the gap  22  and entering the enclosed chamber  26 , the mosquitoes will continue to fall or be flushed downward, but away from the gap/passage  22 .  
         [0065]     The fallen or flushing mosquito larvae and/or pupae will reorient themselves and swim directly upward, to the surface inside the enclosed chamber  26 . If more water is added to the device, the mosquito larvae, pupae, and adults will not be able to pass through the screen or grouping of holes  40  (or if small enough to get through the exit, will be in a stage of development that will not allow the mosquito to live out of water) but the water itself will be able to escape, thereby trapping (or killing) the mosquitoes.  
         [0066]     The addition of water to the open chamber  24  will aid the trapping of mosquitoes during these developmental stages. The development of a mosquito from egg to adult can take an estimated 9 to 14 days. It is therefore recommended that water be added to the device once a week.  
         [0067]     Flush-Hanging Container:  
         [0068]     Please see FIGS.  7  through  FIG. 10  which reflect a slight variation to this design from the Tree Limb Container. This device is identical to the device shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6  with the exception of the location of the screen or holes  70 , the addition of a protective cover  72 ,  74 , and  76 , and the addition of tabs  78  and holes  80  for securing the device to a tree or structure with screws or nails. Another variation may include a hole in the bottom half for insertion of a pipe which in turn is stuck into the ground or other medium.  
         [0069]     The screen or drainage holes  70  are located on the side  30  and/or  32  to avoid getting the tree or structure wet every time there is an excess of water exiting the device. The shape of the screen or grouping of holes  70  is triangular, with the top of the screen or holes ending at just below and running parallel to the bottom of the inner divider panel  20 . The screen or grouping of holes  70  is approximately two inches (2″) high by two inches (2″) wide at the bottom.  
         [0070]     The protective cover  72 ,  74 , and  76  provides the same protections that a tree limb might otherwise provide, such as protection from debris entering the open chamber, protection from animals drinking from the device, and spilling the mosquito-infested water. The protective cover may also provide a darker pool of water for a more attractive breeding site which better mimics tree holes and similarly attractive breeding sites by providing shade.  
         [0071]     The protective cover itself connects to the back of the back side  12  and covers the top of the base  18 , leaving approximately two and one half inches (2.5″) between the top of the base  18  (the opening to the open chamber with the breeding pool) and the lowest point of the cover  76  that extends directly over the open chamber. The back of the cover  72  extends eight inches (8″) above the top of the base  18  in a continuation of the four inches (4″) wide back side of the back side  12 . From the top of the cover forward, the cover  74  is four inches (4″) wide and extends downward and toward the front of the base at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees (45°) until it extends one-half inches (½″) horizontally beyond the front of side  16 . The cover  76  then comes to a right angle and then continues downward and toward the back of the backside  12  at approximately a forty-five degree (45°) angle for approximately two inches (2″), stopping over the middle of the exposed breeding pool in the open chamber  24  when the device is filled with water. The sides of the cover are straight on the back  72  and top of the cover  74 , but the part that recedes back towards the back side  76  is triangular, with a four inch (4″) base at the right angle between it and the top, and two additional sides of equal length, meeting in a corner in the midpoint of the sides of the base and cover to enable water run off to come to a point and fall in drips or a stream.  
         [0072]     The device may be attached to a tree or structure with screws or nails in the tabs  78  and holes  80  in the back of the cover  72 , or into the ground using pipe stuck into the bottom hole. It is important that the device not be subject to spilling during storms or other interference.  
         [0073]     Stand-Alone Container:  
         [0074]     Please see FIGS.  11  through  FIG. 13  which reflect a slight variation to this design from the Tree Limb and Flush-Hanging Containers. This device is a glossy black or dark cylindrical bucket made of plastic, ceramic, or other sturdy material, approximately twenty-four inches (24″) in diameter and twenty-four inches (24″) in height, designed to stand alone and resist being spilled by animals or people, mainly due to its increased size and weight in comparison to the Tree-Limb and Flush-Hanging Containers. The top of the base  110  is fitted with a funnel  120  in the middle, extending slightly less than halfway down towards the bottom  112  (about eleven inches (11″)) and beginning about four inches (4″) in from the side  114 . The bottom  112  is flat only from the outside rim of the bucket to about four inches (4″) in from each and then slopes upward  122  into a cone, the tip of which extends less than halfway to the top of the base  110  (about eleven inches (11″)). One inch below the top of the side of the base  114 , there are four screens or groupings of holes  116  spaced evenly around the device, which are one inch (1″) high by thee inches (3″) wide.  
         [0075]     The gap  124  between the funnel  120  and the cone  122  provides the same separation between the open and enclosed chambers  126  and  128  as the gap  22  in the Tree-Limb and Flush-Hanging Containers between those chambers  24  and  26 . The device works identically to the Tree-Limb and Flush-Hanging Containers in respect to the attracting of egg-laying mosquitoes and trapping of developing mosquitoes in the enclosed chamber  128  (chamber  26 ).  
         [0076]     The protective cover  117 ,  118 , and  119  provides the same benefits as the protective cover  72 ,  74 , and  76  for the Flush-Hanging Container. The cover  117  may be connected to the base  110  and  114  in more than one place. The cover  118  adds another twenty four inches (24″) to the height and extends an additional one inch (1″) out to two sides, and extends back  119  towards the middle of the device until its bottom tips are over the surface of the pool in the open chamber  126 .  
         [0077]     This invention does not attract adult mosquitoes for the purpose of destroying them, but attracts them only for purposes of breeding. This invention traps the offspring of the adults that are attracted to it, thereby cutting off the breeding cycle. By allowing the mosquitoes to live and the offspring to grow to adult hood, the device limits the amount of any chemicals or other indicia in the water itself that could warn an egg-bearing mosquito not to lay eggs in the trap.  
         [0078]     This invention allows desirable placement to lure mosquitoes away from less obvious breeding sites, thereby requiring less than total elimination of standing water in a given area.  
         [0079]     This invention does not kill mosquitoes during the egg, larva, or pupa stages. Rather this invention traps them in those stages and allows them to fully mature. Once fully mature, the adults remain trapped and die from being deprived of food, a place to rest, drowning, or other problems associated with being trapped in a small area with a pool of water below.  
         [0080]     This invention depends on the natural predilections of certain species of mosquito and other insects: 
        As adults, to breed in stagnant water, preferably in a dark place;     As eggs, larvae, and/or pupae, to sink to the bottom of the water when the surface tension is broken;     As eggs, larvae, and/or pupae, to be prone to be moved through a small body of water when a small volume of water is introduced;     As eggs, larvae and/or pupae, to sink to the bottom of water naturally; and     As larvae and/or pupae, to resurface in water by swimming straight up after falling.        
 
         [0086]     The method of using this device and similar devices depends on eliminating or limiting the number of attractive breeding sites in an area. In many areas, it will be impossible or impracticable to eliminate such sites completely, leaving some breeding options for mosquitoes during rainy periods or in areas that are artificially irrigated, such as urban residential lawns. The method involves placing a device that attracts egg-laying mosquitoes and traps and/or kills such mosquitoes and/or their offspring in the area where other breeding sites have been eliminated or limited. During the dry season, mosquitoes will continue to use the trap while they will not use other breeding sites that have dried up temporarily. This method will aid the longer term control of certain species of mosquitoes and similar insects in a given area.  
         [0087]     Other methods tend to focus on a localized area. This method can be expanded to all areas with the Asian Tiger or other localized species of insect, so as to eradicate the species entirely from larger areas. The ultimate goal of this device is the extinction of the Asian Tiger from a given area, especially given that the Asian Tiger is not indigenous to the Americas nor many other countries where it now exists.  
         [0088]     This method also includes placing traps around ports which may experience the accidental import of non-native, invasive insects such as the Asian Tiger. Seeking easily accessible breeding sites, the invasive species may leave eggs in traps rather than seek out non-trap breeding sites that are farther away, less accessible, or otherwise less desirable.  
         [0089]     This device and this method are intended to be inexpensive, simple, and easy to maintain for widespread use in areas with Asian Tiger or other water-birthing species of mosquito and other insects, including urban, suburban, rural, commercial, and industrial areas. If widespread enough, the invention could significantly control or eradicate the non-indigenous Asian Tiger and similar species from an area or even from the Americas all together, given the Asian Tiger&#39;s limited range of travel to a half mile from breeding sites.  
         [0090]     While this invention was designed specifically with the Asian Tiger in mind, it applies to any species of mosquito or other insect with similar characteristics. This invention has application to any mosquito or other insect that lays its eggs in or near standing water and whose eggs, larvae, or pupae can fall below the surface water.  
         [0091]     The foregoing descriptions should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.