Laboratory Tests: GRéco Tested with IBMC Strasbourg
Developing an effective mosquito control solution cannot rely solely on technical intuition or field observations. To design a device capable of reliably attracting and capturing mosquitoes, it is essential to subject the technology to rigorous testing protocols under controlled conditions.
As part of this effort, Garden Reclaimer conducted a series of laboratory tests on the GRéco device, in partnership with IBMC Strasbourg, the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology. These tests were carried out at the INSECTARIUM, where mosquitoes are bred for a wide variety of experiments, under the supervision of Ludivine Ramolu, Platform Manager, and her team.
The objective was clear: to test the GRéco device's ability to attract and capture mosquitoes in a controlled environment, focusing particularly on short-range attraction, pheromone diffusion, and attractant composition.
Tests Conducted in a Controlled Test Chamber
For several months, the Garden Reclaimer team was able to install the GRéco device in a test chamber provided by IBMC Strasbourg. This type of environment allows for observing mosquito behavior under much more precise conditions than outdoors, where wind, temperature, humidity, vegetation, or human presence can influence the results.
Several hundred mosquitoes were released into this chamber during the trials. The tests focused on different species, including tiger and common mosquitoes provided by the laboratory.
This approach allowed for analyzing mosquito behavior in relation to the device, their reaction to emitted signals, their proximity to the suction zone, and, most importantly, their effective capture rate.
Understanding Short-Range Mosquito Attraction
The GRéco device is based on a biomimetic principle: reproducing certain signals that naturally attract mosquitoes to humans. The device's technology relies on two reactors that draw in ambient air to retain CO₂, heat, and humidity, then release them in a concentrated manner to attract mosquitoes to the capture zone.
But long-range attraction is not enough. Once a mosquito approaches the device, it must be guided precisely to the suction inlet. It is this final phase that often differentiates between a merely attractive solution and a truly effective one.
The tests conducted in Strasbourg therefore allowed for a more refined focus on this critical stage: short-range attraction. The team particularly focused on the diffusion of pheromones and attractants directly at the suction inlet, to guide mosquitoes as close as possible to the capture zone.
The Importance of Pheromone Diffusion
The tests confirmed an essential point: the performance of a mosquito trap does not depend solely on the strength of the generated signal. How this signal is diffused is just as important.
An effective attractant, if poorly diffused, can lose much of its effectiveness. Conversely, well-directed diffusion, placed in the right spot and combined with the correct airflow, can significantly improve mosquito approach behavior.
In GRéco's case, the diffusion of pheromones via the suction inlet proved particularly important. This configuration allows for combining chemical attraction with the capture zone itself. Mosquitoes are not just attracted to the device: they are progressively guided to where the suction is most effective.
This optimization is crucial for achieving an excellent capture rate, especially for demanding species like the tiger mosquito.
The IBMC Strasbourg's View
Following these trials, the scientific feedback from the test environment provided a better understanding of the parameters influencing mosquito capture. The combination of attraction signals, targeted diffusion, and controlled suction appears to be a decisive factor in the observed performance.
“The GRéco solution combines several scientifically recognized elements for mosquito attraction: CO₂, thermal signals, humidity, attractive compounds, and targeted diffusion near the suction zone. Given the results observed during these trials, this approach appears very promising for achieving a high capture rate in real-world conditions,” concludes Ludivine Ramolu.
A key step before real-world testing and commercialization
These laboratory trials conducted with IBMC Strasbourg marked an important step in the development of the GRéco device. By allowing the solution to be tested in a controlled chamber with several hundred tiger and common mosquitoes, these experiments provided valuable insights into the parameters that truly influence capture: short-range attraction, pheromone diffusion via the suction inlet, attractant composition, airflow, and positioning of the capture zone.
The results obtained now allow Garden Reclaimer to approach the next phase with increased confidence. The main technical aspects have been validated in a controlled environment, particularly the optimization of attractants, as well as the device's ability to effectively guide mosquitoes towards the suction zone. The trials also confirmed GRéco's potential compared to competing solutions tested in the same context, demonstrating a significantly higher capture rate.
The next step is now to confirm these performances in real-world conditions, across various types of outdoor locations: hotels, restaurants, gardens, terraces, campsites, public spaces, or tourist sites. This final season (2026) of full-scale tests in rental mode (open to the public) will allow for the finalization of the solution before national, then international, commercialization, planned for the 2027 season.
With GRéco, Garden Reclaimer pursues a clear ambition: to offer a new generation of French, autonomous, discreet, and highly effective mosquito control solution, designed to sustainably protect outdoor spaces without altering their natural character.
