Abstract: Disclosed and claimed herein is a device and method for generating carbon dioxide as an attractant for biting arthropods in combination with a trap, comprising: a reaction chamber charged with an aqueous acid solution when in use; a gas outlet from the reaction chamber connecting between the reaction chamber and the trap; a feeder reservoir containing a powder when in use, said powder comprising a bicarbonate salt; and means for controllably adding the powder to the reaction chamber; whereby carbon dioxide is generated in the reaction chamber, passed through the outlet and into the trap.

Abstract: Disclosed and claimed herein is a device and method for generating carbon dioxide as an attractant for biting arthropods in combination with a trap, comprising: a reaction chamber charged with an aqueous acid solution when in use; a gas outlet from the reaction chamber connecting between the reaction chamber and the trap; a feeder reservoir containing a powder when in use, said powder comprising a bicarbonate salt; and means for controllably adding the powder to the reaction chamber; whereby carbon dioxide is generated in the reaction chamber, passed through the outlet and into the trap.

Abstract: A re-configurable wavelength selective device, also referred to as a reconfigurable wavelength drop device, has an input fiber, where a signal comprising multiple wavelengths &lgr;1, &lgr;2 . . . &lgr;n is brought into the device, and two output fibers, one for a selected wavelength &lgr;1 and the other for the remaining wavelengths &lgr;1, &lgr;2 . . . &lgr;1−1, &lgr;i+1 . . . &lgr;n which pass through the device unaffected. The wavelength &lgr;i is selected by a control signal, for example an electrical signal, applied to the device. The reconfigurable wavelength drop device also enables selecting among a large number of wavelength channels within a relatively short switching time. In a preferred embodiment, the re-configurable wavelength drop device enables selecting among in excess of a thousand wavelength channels in a switching time of less than or equal to 10 msec.