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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 #365121
Research Project: Biting Arthropod Surveillance and Control

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: A low-cost, passive release device for the surveillance and control of mosquitoes

Author
item KWAN, MICHAEL - University Of Central Florida
item BOSAK, ALEXANDER - University Of Central Florida
item KLINE, JEDDIAH - University Of Central Florida
item PITA, MARIO - Collaborator
item NICHOLAS, GIEL - University Of Central Florida
item PEREIRA, ROBERTO - University Of Florida
item KOEHLER, PHILIP - University Of Florida
item Kline, Daniel - Dan
item BATICH, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Florida
item WILLENBERG, BRADLEY - University Of Central Florida

Submitted to: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/26/2019
Publication Date: 4/27/2019
Citation: Kwan, M.W., Bosak, A., Kline, J.D., Pita, M.A., Nicholas, G., Pereira, R.M., Koehler, P.G., Kline, D.L., Batich, C.D., Willenberg, B.J. 2019. A low-cost, passive release device for the surveillance and control of mosquitoes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16091488.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16091488

Interpretive Summary: Mosquito-borne diseases represent a global public health threat. More than one million people die annually due to vector-borne diseases. Malaria alone is responsible for 400,000 deaths a year and mainly affecting children under 5 years old. This work describes the development of a novel passive delivery device for improved monitoring and possible control of mosquito populations using a variety of active ingredients. We have developed a modular, portable, non-powered (passive), self-contained, and field deployable device suitable for releasing volatiles with a wide range of applications such as attracting, repelling, and killing mosquitoes. This low-cost device can be utilized for both civilian and military mosquito surveillance and control purposes, but it will be particularly important for protecting those in economically repressed environments, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America.

Technical Abstract: Mosquitoes continue to be a major threat to global health, and the ability to reliably monitor, catch, and kill mosquitoes via passive traps is of great importance. Global, low-cost, and easy-to-use outdoor devices are needed to augment existing efforts in mosquito control that combat the spread of disease, such as Zika. Thus, we have developed a modular, portable, non-powered (passive), self-contained, and field deployable device suitable for releasing volatiles with a wide range of applications such as attracting, repelling, and killing mosquitoes. This unique device relies on a novel nested wick and two-reservoir design that achieves a constant release of volatiles over several hundred hours. Devices loaded with one of either two compounds, geraniol or 1-methylpiperazine (MP), were tested in a controlled environment (32 degrees C and 70% relative humidity), and both compounds achieved a constant release from our devices at a rate of 2.4 mg/h and 47 mg/h, respectively. The liquid payload can be volatiles attractants or repellents as well as mosquitocide-containing feeding solutions for capture and surveillance. This low-cost device can be utilized for both civilian and military mosquito control purposes, but it will be particularly important for protecting those in economically repressed environments, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America.