This is an object that could revolutionize your summers outdoors. A Toulouse start-up has developed a “mosquito box” to reduce the presence of tiger mosquitoes outdoors. A solution that could prove relevant, when these disadvantages have already made their comeback with the arrival of sunny days.

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A mosquito vacuum cleaner within a radius of ten meters

The box comes in the form of a mosquito vacuum cleaner effective within a radius of ten meters. Contacted by The Independent Opinion, Guillaume Lombart, co-founder of the start-up specifies: “this device is a decoy. It works according to the principle of biomimicry, that is to say that it imitates the smell and human breathing emitting CO2 “. He adds: “the trap is odorless for humans, however mosquitoes moving 20 meters around are provided by CO2”.

Thanks to this technique, the start-up claims to be able to overcome 80% of the tiger mosquitoes present in the environment. Controllable remotely from a smartphone, this solution is intended to be “a real basic treatment” whose results will be visible from one to two weeks of use. Now marketed, the box has proven its effectiveness. It has already been tested and approved by the founder and around thirty volunteers during the summer of 2021 last year. “In the space of a few days, the trap had had a hundred mosquitoes”, testifies Guillaume Lombart.

This Eco-friendly, effective and aesthetic mosquito trap

Icing on the cake, this mosquito trap blends elegantly into outdoor spaces with its planter box design. “The goal is to meet the need for mosquito elimination while being aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly.” Thus the device does not spread pesticides and uses a biosourced gas. In this sense, the start-up is committed in partnership with a company in the Pyrenees which works on methanisation. “We want a carbon footprint that is as neutral as possible”, aims Guillaume Lombart.

Using smart technology, the system turns on when prey is present. “The trap automatically adjusts the level of CO2 emitted according to the weather or even times conducive to the appearance of tiger mosquitoes”, explains the co-founder. To make it work, just plug it in. “Its autonomy ranges from 30 to 45 days”, indicates the engineer. If this little gem runs on electricity, it could soon run on solar energy.

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An innovation 100% made in Toulouse

This innovation is 100% made in Toulouse. “My mosquito box” was designed by two Toulouse engineers in partnership with Icam Toulouse. Trained at the Catholic Institute of Arts and Crafts (Icam) in Lille, Guillaume Lombart relied heavily on his experience as a project manager at Air Liquide to transfer some of his skills and create his own company.

Quickly noticed, he was accompanied by the Entreprendre network. Supported by scientists who are experts in mosquito control on the coast, “My Mosquito Box” won a French Tech-Bpifrance grant of 30,000 euros after being the winner of Créalia Occitanie. A faultless career that allowed him to file his own patent.