I bought my first mosquito trap after a brutal summer in a wooded backyard where dinner outside lasted about four minutes before I gave up. The trap helped, but the real difference came when I started experimenting with attractant cartridges. The right attractant can triple a trap’s catch rate; the wrong one barely beats an empty trap. After a full season of side-by-side testing on a Mosquito Magnet and a couple of competing units, I have a clear opinion on which attractants actually earn their keep.
Below are the five attractants I would buy again, plus what I learned about which compounds work for which species and how to deploy them. This category is filled with snake oil - these five are the real deal.
Quick Comparison
| Product | Best For | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Mosquito Magnet Octenol Mosquito Attractant | Best overall | 4.6/5 |
| Mosquito Magnet Lurex3 Attractant | Best for Asian Tiger | 4.5/5 |
| DynaTrap Atrakta Sachets | Best for DynaTrap users | 4.4/5 |
| SkeeterVac Octenol Cartridges | Best for SkeeterVac | 4.5/5 |
| Flowtron BK-80D Octenol Cartridges | Best for bug zappers | 4.3/5 |
1. Mosquito Magnet Octenol. Best Overall
Octenol is the gold-standard attractant - a synthetic version of the compound found in cow breath. The Mosquito Magnet cartridges last about 21 days and pair with any CO2-emitting trap. In my Mosquito Magnet Patriot test, swapping in fresh octenol nearly doubled the catch count over the same week. This is what I run all summer.
2. Mosquito Magnet Lurex3. Best for Asian Tiger
Lurex3 is a synthetic blend specifically formulated for Aedes albopictus (Asian Tiger mosquito), which is increasingly common in the southeastern US. Lurex outperforms octenol for that species by a meaningful margin in published studies. Same 21-day cartridge format.
3. DynaTrap Atrakta Sachets. Best for DynaTrap
Atrakta is DynaTrap’s branded attractant - a sachet you drop into the catch basket. It contains a proprietary blend that mimics human skin chemistry. Lasts about 60 days, which is much longer than octenol cartridges, and works with the popular DynaTrap insect trap line.
4. SkeeterVac Octenol Cartridges. Best for SkeeterVac
If you own a SkeeterVac unit, the factory cartridges are formulated to fit and deploy correctly within that trap’s airflow design. Generic octenol cartridges sort of work but you can lose 20 to 30% of effectiveness from poor diffusion. Stick with the factory brand for these traps.
5. Flowtron BK-80D Cartridges. Best for Bug Zappers
The Flowtron BK-80D cartridges are designed for bug zappers, which work very differently from CO2 traps. The octenol slowly releases over about 30 days and brings mosquitoes close enough for the electric grid to do its job. Note that bug zappers are notoriously ineffective for mosquitoes overall - but with octenol they at least catch more than nothing.
What Matters Most
Three factors decide whether an attractant actually works. First is the active compound. Octenol (1-octen-3-ol) is by far the most-studied and most-effective for general mosquito populations. Lurex3 is better for specific species. CO2 emission is the biggest driver, so attractants only work when paired with a trap that generates CO2. Second is freshness - attractants degrade with exposure to air, so do not buy a 12-pack and let it sit in the garage for two years. Third is placement of the trap. Even the best attractant is useless if the trap sits next to your patio. Place it 30 to 40 feet away to pull mosquitoes off the deck.
My Setup
I run a Mosquito Magnet Patriot at the back corner of the property, swapping in a fresh octenol cartridge every three weeks during peak season. I also have a DynaTrap DT1100 closer to the house with an Atrakta sachet. The combination cut bites down to nearly zero on my patio after about two weeks of consistent operation - mosquito populations take time to suppress because traps remove breeding-age females over multiple generations.
Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake is buying attractants without a proper trap. An octenol cartridge sitting on a porch attracts mosquitoes to you, not away. Always pair it with a CO2-emitting trap. Second is putting the trap too close to where you want to relax - you need 30 to 40 feet of distance for the trap to pull mosquitoes off you. Third is expecting overnight results. It takes 4 to 6 weeks of consistent operation to dent a local mosquito population.
Final Recommendation
For most users, Mosquito Magnet Octenol cartridges are the best overall buy - best-studied compound, reliable cartridge format, and compatible with most major CO2 traps. If you live in the southeast US and battle Asian Tiger mosquitoes, swap to Lurex3. For DynaTrap owners, Atrakta sachets are the right choice. Whatever you buy, place the trap far from where you sit and give it weeks to actually work.
Frequently asked questions
Do mosquito attractants actually work?+
Yes, when paired with the right trap. Attractants alone do nothing - they need to be inside a CO2-emitting or vacuum-based trap to make a real dent. In my yard, a properly baited trap cut nightly bites by about 70%.
Should I use octenol or lurex attractants?+
Octenol works best for Aedes and Anopheles species (the common backyard biters). Lurex is more targeted at Asian Tiger mosquitoes. If you do not know your local species, octenol is the safer default.