With the weather getting warmer, dozens of mobile phone apps have emerged claiming to have the capability of dispelling the rising number of mosquitoes, but all have been proven useless in laboratory tests, reports the Nanjing-based Yangtse Evening Post, citing experts at the Nanjing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are currently 32 "anti-mosquito" apps available in the local market, the paper said, and they all claim they are capable of dispelling mosquitoes via various means, including supersonic frequency and light. Some also allege to be capable of dispelling not only mosquitoes but also flies and other airborne insects, even in outdoor areas. The apps are becoming extremely popular as the weather becomes warmer, while they also target those who want to go camping or fishing. Meanwhile, users of the apps are charged a fee ranging from 6 yuan-18 yuan (US$1-US$2.90) a time.

Testing the various apps on offer, including one designed by a team from Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, a Yangtse Evening Post reporter found that the sound frequency-based apps are not practical, as they produce various noises and seriously disturb other mobile phone users.

Zheng Yiping, a doctor at the Nanjing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the paper that tests have also shown that the apps have "no effect."

Zheng said that the best strategy for dispelling mosquitoes is to instead combine physical, chemical, and biological methods, installing meshed doors and windows, using anti-mosquito chemical sprays or mosquito-repellent incense, and protecting insects which prey on mosquitoes.