Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 19:12:24 -0400 (EDT) From: "Carl Strohmenger (HSC)" <cstrohme@com1.med.usf.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1352$foo@default> Subject: Re: Mosquitos
You can not do very effective mosquito control by using most CPs because
they attract prey that like a sweet bait, the nectar of sundews, pitcher
plants, and butterworts.
Some plants, like VFTs, have an attractive color (red) that attracts some
insects, but mosquitos are not among them.
Aldrovanda and aquatic bladderworts (Utricularia inflata, etc.) are very
effective at capturing waterborn larvae of mosquitos and other insects, but
only the larvae, not the adults.
Adult mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide concentrations, such as in
the exhaled breath of warm blooded animals (mammals). This is why they seem
to swarm around places where people and animals are located. Unfortunately,
I don't know of any CPs which produce a 'bait' of CO2. On the contrary,
since most CPs are green plants (containing chlorophyll) they take in any
CO2 in the air and use it to make carbohydrates for the plant, so CPs
tendto reduce the CO2 concentration in their vicinity.
Try a pyrethrin (sp?) spray.
- Carl
On Sun, 30 Apr 2000, Marcus Rossberg wrote:
> Hey folks!
>
> A couple of weeks ago somebody mentioned on this list that mosquitos feed on
> plants like aphids do, so could be harmful to cp.
> All right I didn't know that, I learned something new - thanks!
>
> I stay at Florence at the moment, and the mosquitos can be a plaque here.
> I'm here to do research for about half a year, and I left all my cp at home.
> Here's my question (maybe it's stupid, but I ask it anyway):
> Could I use some big S. flava or S. alata to controll the mosquitos?
> Would they be attracted by the plants, rather fall in than suck it from the
> outside, or is my blood too sweet to them to bother with 'vegetarian food'?
> Would some big cape sundew do better?
>
> Thanks for your thoughts,
> Marcus
>
>
>
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