How many times have you spent an evening on the terrace or balcony , perhaps in the company of friends and then found yourself with a body full of mosquito bites? I guess often!
Unfortunately, in fact, in summer, mosquitoes really become a nightmare , as they buzz around us, often even disturbing sleep.
And how, then, to keep them away? In this regard, today we present to you the bottle trick ! Let’s see what it’s all about!
How to prepare it
The bottle trick is really simple and immediate to try , because you will only have to equip yourself with:
- 1 plastic bottle
- 1 gram of brewer’s yeast
- 200 ml of water
- 50 grams of sugar
- Scotch
- black cardboard-dark fabric
Then start by cutting the plastic bottle at a distance of 5 to 10 cm from the point where it begins to shrink. We suggest using a 2 liter plastic bottle, with a tight-fitting cap. Alternatively, the 1.5 liter is also suitable.
To be clear, you can cut above the top edge of the label, making a horizontal, even cut along the circumference.
Then heat the water with the sugar and boil the mixture for about 10 minutes. After that, let it cool and pour the sugar water into the bottom of the bottle .
At this point, also add the yeast , which will trigger a reaction capable of attracting mosquitoes. Regarding the quantities of yeast, there are two versions, because there are those who only use one gram of fresh yeast and those who, on the contrary, use a whole loaf of it.
If, on the other hand, you want to use dry yeast , then we suggest using the whole sachet.
Now invert and remove the top cap from the previously cut bottle , and insert it into the bottom one, securing it with the tape around the entire edge to contain the reaction between the ingredients.
Finally, line the bottle on its side, using black cardboard or an old dark cloth , being careful not to block the opening at the top , securing everything with adhesive tape. And that is all !
NB Be very careful when cutting the bottle with scissors or a cutter. Keep children away during this phase.
Why it works
The bottle trick is really effective in getting rid of mosquitoes and making your evenings pleasant without fear of being bitten.
However, we wonder why this remedy works. As we have already said, in fact, the union of sugar water and yeast produces a chemical reaction that generates carbon dioxide (CO2), which strongly attracts mosquitoes.
It’s no coincidence, in fact, that this is the substance that also makes human blood palatable to these insects.
Produced at the bottom of the bottle, the carbon dioxide will rise to the top of the inverted bottle and escape, first attracting mosquitoes into the “ trap ” and then preventing them from exiting. To make the reaction last longer, it is not necessary to mix the added yeast with water.
How to use
Once we have seen how to make the bottle capable of attracting mosquitoes, let’s see together how to use it and where to place it. First of all, we tell you that this trick can be used both indoors and outdoors.
However, it is best to place the bottle in a dark and preferably humid place.
You can also hang it by piercing the bottle on two opposite sides (at the ribbon that connects the two parts) and attaching a string.
This mixture of sugar water and yeast is effective for approximately two weeks, after which we advise you to empty the bottle and refill it with a new mixture.