Plainfield Resident Invents Eco-Friendly Mosquito Killer

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield resident Yuri Gallegos was accustomed to traveling for his job.

An engineer and designer, Gallegos’ work took him all over the globe and to three different continents during the course of his career.

But after a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil, a few years ago, Gallegos brought home more than just souvenirs. After what his doctor initially thought was a sinus infection, he learned that he’d contracted the mosquito-borne illness Dengue Fever, which attacks internal organs and can be fatal if untreated.

“It’s a horrible disease with excruciating pain,” he said in a news release.

That difficult experience convinced Gallegos that there needed to be a better way to control mosquitoes and hopefully spare others from contracting the illnesses they spread.

The local inventor and entrepreneur has been working with the University of St. Francis’ Business Incubator for small businesses to develop his design business and begin bringing their products to market.

This September his company, Quasar Design, has launched their very first Kickstarter campaign to produce the “Elimifly,” which he said is “an eco-friendly mosquito killer that is poised to take extermination of the flying pests to the next level.”

Gallegos said that the product uses biodegradable materials in a non-toxic trap and will kill large numbers of mosquitoes without endangering other wildlife.

The mosquito trap is effective and simple to use and requires only 20-30 watts of energy along with its biodegradable, non-toxic attractant to lure mosquitoes into a fan that pulls them in.

Unlike other methods like sprays and candles which keep mosquitoes away for a few hours, the "Elimifly" kills hundreds of mosquitoes per day, making it a more reliable extermination method, especially for people living in areas affected by the Zika virus or West Nile.

Those mosquito borne illnesses are no longer confined to just tropical locales. Cases of Zika were reported this summer in parts of Florida. The West Nile Virus is routinely found in Will County.

“My hope is that the Elimifly will help bring some peace of mind to people living in areas where mosquitoes and the diseases they spread can limit their ability to enjoy the outdoors,” said Gallegos.

More information about the Elimifly can be found on its Kickstarter page or quasardesign3D.com.