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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #299677
Title: Field evaluation of four spatial repellent devices against Arkansas rice-land mosquitoes

Author
item DAME, DAVID - Entomological Services
item MEISCH, MAX - University Of Arkansas
item LEWIS, CAROLYN - University Of Arkansas
item Kline, Daniel - Dan
item Clark, Gary

Submitted to: Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/24/2013
Publication Date: 3/11/2014
Citation: Dame, D.A., Meisch, M.V., Lewis, C.N., Kline, D.L., Clark, G.G. 2014. Field evaluation of four spatial repellent devices against Arkansas rice-land mosquitoes. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 30(1):31-36.

Interpretive Summary: There are many commercially available spatial repellent products currently on the market. These products include plastic or paper strips (Obispo et al. 2004, Kawada et al. 2005, 2008), coils (Jensen et al. 2000, Ogoma et al. 2012), candles (Muller et al. 2008), fan emanators (Zollner and Orshan 2011), and heat generating devices (Alten et al. 2003, Collier et al. 2006). Although much anecdotal data exists regarding the efficacy of these products, very few scientific studies, especially in the field against natural populations of mosquitoes, have been conducted. Therefore, the major objective of this study was to determine the field efficacy of traps provided with four commonly used spatial repellent devices compared to an untreated control trap to reduce the number of mosquitoes collected in an area known to produce large populations of important species of nuisance mosquitoes.

Technical Abstract: Four commercially available spatial repellent devices were tested in a rice land habitat near Stuttgart, Arkansas after semi-field level assessments had been made at the Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, ARS, USDA in Gainesville, FL. OFF! Clip-On® (a.i. metofluthrin, S.C. Johnson, Racine, WI), Mosquito Cognito® (a.i. linalool, BioSensory, Inc, Putnam, CT), No-Pest Strip® (a.i. dichlorvos, United Industries, Inc., St. Louis, MO), and ThermaCELL® (a.i. d-cis/trans allethrin, Schwabel Corp., Bedford, MA) were selected for this study from more than 20 candidate products. The units based on metofluthrin, linalool, or d-cis/trans allethrin significantly reduced captures of one or more of the mosquito species at surrogate human sites (unlit CDC traps with CO2 and octenol). Among the mosquito species analyzed statistically (Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Culex erraticus,and Psorophora columbiae there were significantly different responses (up to 84% reduction) to individual products, suggesting that combinations of certain spatial repellents might provide significantly greater protection.