Wigton and Alan Grant, an entomologist, raise mosquitoes and test them to learn what other chemicals attract them. Human sweat alone consists of 330 compounds and, working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they are trying to test each one. Wigton says he wants to refine the trap and create an inexpensive one to market in developing countries, where it could help limit such mosquito-borne diseases as yellow fever. He also wants to move on to other insects, particularly those that destroy food crops and trigger heavy pesticide use. Meanwhile, the Mosquito Magnets seem to bring up interesting behavior in their owners, said Iannetta.
Many customers keep flashlights ready so they can check their traps at night.
American Biophysics also supplies a chart so owners can weigh their catch and estimate the body count. Plain and simple, they work. Alan D. Gettman, head of the Rhode Island's mosquito-abatement program, said he has visited the laboratory at American Biophysics and talked to scientists who have used the traps. He believes they work well. The traps are not part of the statewide plan to deal with mosquitoes, he said, because they are expensive and effective only for small areas.