Methods for testing insect control products

A method for evaluating effectiveness of a dispensing product that dispenses from the dispensing product an insect control agent selected from the group consisting of insect repellents and insecticides, in controlling a selected population of insects in an environment, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining an insect trap and placing it in the environment where the environment comprises the selected population of insects, wherein the insect trap has an automated monitor for automatically monitoring and reporting the entry of insects into the trap;
• determining an extent to which, in the environment during a control period, insects enter the insect trap when the environment is essentially free of the insect control agent;
• determining an extent to which, in the environment during a test period, insects enter the insect trap when the environment outside of the trap has had the insect control agent dispensed into it by the dispensing product;
• comparing determined results regarding such entering during the control and test period;
• and
• then estimating using this comparison an extent to which operation of the dispensing product can control the insect population;
• wherein the method is conducted on at least two different dispensing products having a previously known relative insect control effectiveness when compared to each other so as to be able to thereafter estimate how differences in trapping results correlate to differences in relative effectiveness of insect control.