Mega Catch MCU-800 Ultra - Manual (Page 4)

Introduction
2
Mosquitoes have been described as the most dangerous creatures on Earth.
Aedes mosquitoes may carry yellow fever and dengue fever. Culex mosquitoes may carry several
strains of encephalitis (including St. Louis Encephalitis, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West
Nile Virus), and Anopheles mosquitoes may carry malaria.
Male mosquitoes do not bite. The real risk is from female mosquitoes which bite when in search
of blood to provide protein for their eggs.
Scientific research over the past 50 years has shown that female mosquitoes find their prey
using a combination of sensory cues including light, shape, color, heat, vibration, sweat and
other by-products of human activity.
Using that research and with the benefit of extensive field testing (including tests by the United
States Department of Agriculture in Gainesville, Florida), Mega-Catch™ has developed one of
the world’s most advanced mosquito traps: the Mega-Catch™ ULTRA Mosquito Trap.
Features of Mega-Catch™ ULTRA Mosquito Trap
The Mega-Catch™ ULTRA Mosquito Trap has been designed for outdoor use only. The ULTRA
can operate unattended for long periods. It can be programmed to start and stop according
to peak mosquito activity in your area. It features an electronically controlled diode lighting
system that produces intermittent light at oscillating frequencies selected to coincide with
spectral sensitivity peaks for many mosquito species. It also features a low-intensity U.V. or
black light Bulb.
Mosquitoes attracted to the ULTRA by visual and other cues seek to land on and probe specially
designed surfaces and enter the Trap where they are collected in the Catch Bag or Liquid Catch
Container.
The ULTRA also features the Mega-Catch™ Variable Quantity Slow CO
2
Gas Release System.
Use of this attractant system is entirely optional. The system enables the ULTRA to replicate
a key element of human respiration by releasing small quantities of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) gas
at an exponentially decaying (negative) rate over fixed intervals to produce a concentration
gradient in the air plume emanating from the lower part of the Trap. The CO
2
plume will, in
optimum conditions, attract mosquitoes from a distance of up to 150 feet (45 meters).
Mosquitoes are able to navigate their way to the Trap by following the CO
2
gas plume up wind.
CO
2
is a natural product and is used extensively in the beverage industry to aerate (put bubbles
into) the likes of beer, softdrinks and sparkling mineral water. CO
2
is able to be purchased from
gas supply outlets throughout the U.S.A. and elsewhere (see page 13, CO
2
Gas Suppliers section).
Quantities of CO
2
gas released by the ULTRA can be adjusted between 5 settings by a simple
touch of the Gas Select Button on the Programmable Timer. A 20lb (9kg) CO
2
Gas Cylinder
used at the recommended settings should last for up to 4 months (see page 12-13, Operation
of Variable Quantity Slow CO
2
Gas Release System section).