As evening falls, visitors stroll along the shores of Northwest Lake Park in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, enjoying the cool air. Many have noticed a striking difference this summer: Unlike in previous years, when mosquitoes frequently feasted on parkgoers, there seem to be far fewer of the insects buzzing around.

The change can be attributed to a batch of high-tech mosquito traps that have gone into operation in the park.

"These smart, breathing-simulation biological mosquito traps use biomimetic technology to capture and eliminate mosquitoes, without using chemical agents throughout the process," said Wang Zeming, a senior engineer at the park.

The machines attract mosquitoes by releasing carbon dioxide at a specific concentration to continuously simulate human breathing. Standing quietly among the grass, the black cylindrical devices have a simple, understated design that blends into the surrounding landscape. An electronic display on each machine provides real-time updates on mosquito-catching data, making the equipment's operating status easy to monitor.

When in operation, the traps also activate special-spectrum lights that provide a secondary attraction for mosquitoes in the surrounding area, improving the capturing efficiency. Once mosquitoes are lured close to the machine, a negative-pressure airflow draws them inside like a vacuum cleaner, where they are confined in a sealed collection box and killed by dehydration.

"Compared with traditional methods such as pesticide spraying and sticky mosquito traps, smart mosquito traps are environmentally friendly and pollution-free. They can operate around the clock, with real-time access to mosquito-control data," Wang said. "They target only blood-feeding mosquitoes, without harming beneficial insects such as bees and dragonflies, making mosquito control more efficient, environmentally friendly and visually unobtrusive."