Using lasers against mosquitoes: Will a dream soon come true?
18/8/2025
Translation: machine translated
Mosquitoes can definitely spoil balmy summer evenings. I would like a gadget that automatically detects the annoying insects and removes them from the air using a mini laser cannon. Excuse me, that already exists!
Okay, it's probably not quite what I imagine in my mosquito-free dreams. But it's close. Who invented it? Not the Swiss. Bzigo, a company from Israel, has been on the market with a system for just over a year. So far, however, the «New Era in Mosquito Detection» proclaimed by Bzigo has somehow not dawned.
I would certainly be one of the first to use the system consisting of an infrared camera and a laser that points at the mosquito buzzing around. Because nothing annoys me more when Family members call me out as an insect hunter at all times of the day and especially at night. Detect and kill - that's my job. I can, but I'd even rather delegate it to a functioning defence system.
Sales so far only on own website
But why have I never noticed Bzigo before? Why isn't it in the Galaxus range either? With over eight million products, this one wouldn't matter, would it? Well, so far Bzigo has probably relied on exclusive distribution via its own website.
In theory, Bzigo's approach to mosquito hunting sounds good. The infrared sensor is housed in a device that is just the size of a picture frame and looks like a GoPro. You place it in your living room or bedroom. The data that the sensor receives is continuously collected and «analysed by an advanced AI algorithm», says the manufacturer. The idea: typical mosquito flight patterns are recognised. Even in complete darkness. If a mosquito is detected, «Iris», as the product is called, sends a message to the smartphone.
I don't know whether this is better than my daughter calling out to me «Daddy, up there in the corner!» And discovering is only half the job. I still have to meet the frantically buzzing snake.
And that brings me to a decisive disadvantage of «Iris». Otherwise the thing, presented five years ago at the CES in Las Vegas, would have long been a bestseller. For 200 US dollars, I only get «» the search for the bloodsucker. Eliminating them is still manual labour - with a fly swatter. Even sleepy, because it's the middle of the night.
Some people who have bought a «Iris» report on their experiences on Reddit. And they are not exactly exuberant, rather frustrated. The range is too low and not all mosquitoes are detected. Users complain that several devices are needed for effective protection.
It is also interesting that influencers and content creators are obviously not warming to «Iris», although Bzigo is very proactive in offering them cooperation with its own «Media Kit», i.e. a share of the revenue if sales are made following a positive review of the
product.
product. That's saying something when even people who otherwise sell almost everything to their followers don't allow themselves to be used for advertising
Why not shoot them down as well?
Does that sound like science fiction to you? Or something you've seen on the news
?
But maybe Bzigo's product is already out of date. Jim Wong is currently successfully raising a lot of money on the crowdsourcing platform IndieGoGo for the «world's first mobile mosquito air defence system». It is said to cost around 500 US dollars and can not only detect mosquitoes, but also kill them directly in the air using a laser beam - with a range of up to six metres, for an additional 200 US dollars.
As you can see in the video, this would not only be suitable for indoors, but would even make it possible to enjoy a mosquito-free evening on the terrace or balcony.
If it really works, it has been a long time coming. Back in 2010, the magazine «National Geographic» showed what a mosquito kill by laser looks like in a video. You can see how the insect is taken out of the air in super slow motion. And the speaker says how great it would be if people in malaria-infested areas could protect themselves better in this way.
Who knows, maybe Mr Wong's crowdfunding project really will bring a breakthrough. I would certainly be one of the first to buy one. Until then, I'll light a citronella candle of hope. And drench myself in anti-buzz.
Header image: Shutterstock
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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