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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 #285345
Title: Area-wide management of Aedes albopictus: II. Gauging the efficacy of traditional integrated pest control measures against urban container mosquitoes

Author
item FONSECA, DINA - Rutgers University
item UNLU, ISIK - Rutgers University
item CREPEAU, TARYN - Monmouth County
item FARAJOLLAHI, ARY - Mercer County
item HEALY, SEAN - Monmouth County
item BARTLETT-HEALY, KRISTEN - Rutgers University
item Strickman, Daniel
item GAUGLER, RANDY - Rutgers University
item Kline, Daniel - Dan
item Clark, Gary

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/4/2012
Publication Date: 6/5/2013
Citation: Fonseca, D., Unlu, I., Crepeau, T., Farajollahi, A., Healy, S., Bartlett-Healy, K., Strickman, D.A., Gaugler, R., Kline, D.L., Clark, G.G. 2013. Area-wide management of Aedes albopictus: II. Gauging the efficacy of traditional integrated pest control measures against urban container mosquitoes. Pest Management Science. 67:965–974.

Interpretive Summary: In 1986, Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, was found in Houston, Texas and determined to be introduced via the importation of used tires from Asia. Subsequently, this species has expanded its range in the U.S. to at least 30 states. It is now regarded as the most important daytime biting mosquito in the country. In addition, it has been implicated as a vector of several mosquito-borne viruses of humans and animals. In 2007, the Agriculture Research Service of the USDA established an area-wide project to study this species in New Jersey and develop an integrated mosquito management strategy that could be implemented in other parts of the country to control Ae. albopictus. The project involves field and laboratory studies conducted in two New Jersey counties (Mercer and Monmouth) in close collaboration with entomologists at the Center for Vector Biology at Rutgers University and the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Florida. Economists from Brandeis University are also participating in the project to determine costs associated with the project and the willingness of residents to pay for enhanced mosquito control activities. The current publication contains results of initial field studies and interventions selected to reduce mosquito populations. Substantial reductions in Ae. albopictus populations in urban sites were achieved but only modest reductions in suburban sites where low temperatures depressed mosquito abundance. Education alone achieved significant reductions in urban adult Ae. albopictus.

Technical Abstract: Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse), the Asian tiger mosquito, is an introduced invasive species in the U.S. responsible for a significant proportion of service requests to local mosquito control programs. This container-utilizing mosquito is refractory to standard mosquito abatement measures in the United States. This study is part of a USDA-ARS project to develop an area-wide management strategy for Ae. albopictus. During the 2009 active-season we studied six 1,000-parcel sites, three in urban and three in suburban areas of NJ, USA, to examine the efficacy of standard, integrated urban mosquito control strategies applied area-wide. We implemented active source reduction, larviciding, adulticiding, and public education (source reduction through education) in one site in each county, developed an education-only approach in the second site, and used the third site as an untreated experimental control. We surveyed populations weekly with BG Sentinel traps and ovitraps. We achieved a substantial reduction in Ae. albopictus populations in urban sites but only modest reductions in suburban sites where low temperatures depressed mosquito abundance. Education alone achieved significant reductions in urban adult Ae. albopictus. Egg catches echoed adult catches only in suburban sites. We found that there were significant socio-economic and climatic differences between urban and suburban sites that impacted Ae. albopictus populations and their control and led to counterintuitive effects of interventions. Labor-intensive, costly source-reduction was not enough to maintain Ae. albopictus counts below a nuisance threshold. Adult population suppression using truck-mounted adulticides can be effective but area-wide cost-effective strategies are necessary.