The Mosquito or Mosquito alarm is a machine used to deter loitering by emitting sound at high frequency. In some versions, it is intentionally tuned to be heard primarily by younger people. Nicknamed "Mosquito" for the buzzing sound it plays, the device is marketed as a safety and security tool for preventing youths from congregating in specific areas.
A Mosquito device mounted outside a store in Philadelphia
Loitering is the act of standing or waiting around idly without purpose in some public places.
"No Loitering" sign in Fortuna, California
Gilbert Wheatley, arrested in England on 7 July 1904, for loitering with intent to commit a felony