The Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District Lab continues collaborating
with
Madera County Mosquito & Vector Control District,
|
|
|
Mosquito Manget® trap |
where
Aedes aegypti is established, on developing new methods to trap and kill invasive
Aedes mosquitoes. Together, we are evaluating updated oviposition trap designs and comparing
Mosquito Magnet® Traps with BG-Sentinel Traps for capturing and killing
Aedes aegypti. With the help of funds from a CDC grant, the Lab maintains an invasive
Aedes trap network in Alameda County that consists of over 650 oviposition traps, whose distribution is concentrated in high risk areas where concerns with mosquito breeding are greatest. In doing so, we aim to discover invasive
Aedes mosquitoes, should they arrive in Alameda County, before they become established and difficult to eradicate. Quantifying the resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides is crucial for identifying the most effective product for killing mosquitoes, should a public health need arise (e.g. native mosquitoes harboring human pathogens such as West Nile virus). Current efforts are focused upon
Culex pipiens (the common house mosquito) and
Culex tarsalis (the Western Encephalitis mosquito), both of which can efficiently transmit West Nile virus to people. The results of these studies will be presenting at an upcoming annual meeting of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California.