[Cimex]

Hi

I'm constructing a Co2 trap with heat for bugs.
I will try to bait the trap with CO2 (50–400 ml/min), heat (37.2–42.2 °C). The challenge is to get a Co2 devise that is small and last a long time (2 weeks ore more).

Anyone have an idea on how to produce Co2 for a long time in a small device without having to use a large Co2 bottle?

Many thanks

[Stepan]

You need 4 kg of CO2 a week (10 lbs), so your source will weight at least 30-40 lbs for 2-week run

[Cimex]

Hi Stepan

Thanks for your answer. You think it's possible to use Tio2 (titanium and ultraviolet (UV) light)?
I'm not sure how much co2 it's will produce.

Many thanks

[Stepan]

Not Sure how TiO2 would work. You still need source of carbon. Estimate your budget first. If you want to make it affordable - you need either burn something to produce CO2 or use a compressed (liquid) CO2 in tanks. If you have source of power (plug) you can theoretically extract CO2 from air - but this is quite bulky and expensive.

Also, I do not know your design and purpose of using CO2, but you can try to run your experiment with compressed CO2. If it generally works, try to implement different techniques of producing CO2.

[Cimex]

I only need a small amount of co2 and heat to trick the bugs to think it's a human there :-)

By using ultraviolet rays irradiation on titanium dioxide coating (TiO2), it will produce active photo catalyst and hydrogen radicals (-OH) and release carbon dioxide and moisture (Co2+H2o). Uv light and a titanium plate should not be expensive, but I'm not sure how much it will produce.
If I can use this method, there will be no need to refill co2 bottles..

[Stepan]

Re TiO2. What is the source of carbon (C)?

If you theory is correct, the bugs (let say mosquitoes) would attack predominantly points with high CO2 level (nose).  And contrary, some CO2 sources (let say car) are of no interest to mosquitoes.