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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 #293166
Title: Aerial ULV application of permethrin against adult mosquitoes in an extreme hot-arid zone

Author
item Gibson, Seth
item Linthicum, Kenneth - Ken
item Aldridge, Robert
item WALKER, TODD - Department Of Defense
item FAROOQ, MUHAMMAD - Department Of Defense
item BREIDENBAUGH, MARK - Department Of Defense
item JANOUSEK, THOMAS - Department Of Defense
item HAAGSMA, KARL - Department Of Defense
item WITTIE, JEREMY - Coachella Valley Mosquito And Vector Control District
item WHITE, GREGORY - Coachella Valley Mosquito And Vector Control District
item GUTIERREZ, ARTURO - Coachella Valley Mosquito And Vector Control District
item SNELLING, MELISSA - Coachella Valley Mosquito And Vector Control District

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2013
Publication Date: 2/24/2013
Citation: Britch, S.C., Linthicum, K., Aldridge, R.L., Walker, T., Farooq, M., Breidenbaugh, M., Janousek, T.E., Haagsma, K.A., Wittie, J., White, G.S., Gutierrez, A., Snelling, M. 2013. Aerial ULV application of permethrin against adult mosquitoes in an extreme hot-arid zone. Abstract for the American Mosquito Control Association Meeting in Atlantic City, NJ on February 24 - 28, 2013. pg. 29.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aerial ULV insecticide application is an established strategy for adult mosquito control in tropical, hot-humid, or temperate environments. However, not enough is known regarding the efficacy of aerial applications in hot-arid environments similar to those encountered by US military personnel, where mosquito and sand fly disease vectors pose significant threats to force health. We placed colony-reared mosquitoes in sentinel cages across a grid of poles positioned across open and vegetated habitat in the Naval Air Facility El Centro parachute range located in a hot-arid desert borderland area of southern California. Poles were set in separate grids of placement in open sandy areas or directly in low desert vegetation, with sentinel cages attached to poles at the center of creosote bush shrubs. Synergized permethrin was applied in 3 trials using an aerial spray platform aboard a USAF C-130 at ~100 feet altitude at the label rate, and we recorded mosquito morality in treatment and untreated control areas. In all 3 trails across open sandy areas and in 2 of the 3 trials across vegetated areas, mortality was generally 80-100% at 10 min post-spray. In 1 trial over a vegetated area, mortality was 0 in the majority of cages and ~50% in only 2 cages. Results indicate that aerial application can be effective in a hot-arid environment against mosquitoes, but that even low sparse vegetation may provide refuge from the effects of the insecticide.