220 - Field trial on the efficacy of Oviposition enhancer fused to the In2Care® Mosquito Stations in attracting Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti

The In2Care® Mosquito Stations attract and kill Aedes mosquitoes with pyriproxyfen and Beauvaria bassiana that target both larvae and adults, helping suppress invasive Aedes mosquito population. Research is currently underway to optimize the Station further to enhance oviposition of other vector mosquitoes such as Culex quinquefasciatus, a primary vector of West Nile Virus. In this study, we tested a novel oviposition enhancing ingredient that attracts and kills both Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes mosquitoes. Two quantities (5g and 25g) of the enhancer was utilized to compare their efficacy with the control (the original In2Care® Mosquito Station). Four sites were selected in the city of Chino, California, and followed up for 16 weeks. The Stations were serviced every four weeks by emptying all contents for mosquito larvae examination and refilling them with water and ingredients. Both 5g and 25g of the enhancer attracted more Culex quinquefasciatus for oviposition than the original traps. Two-fold Cx quinquefasciatus egg rafts and five-times more larvae were collected in Stations with 25g enhancer than the 5g. Both Cx quinquefasciatus and Ae aegypti were identified in the larval samples. Overall, our preliminary findings suggested that the new ingredient enhanced oviposition of Culex quinquefasciatus which could have an added benefit to the existing In2Care® Mosquito Stations.