250 - Mosquito Activity, Meteorological Conditions and the Effectiveness of Aerial Sprays

Conditions in the lower atmosphere such as wind speed, turbulence, and temperature together with astronomical variables such as light levels play a role in the responses and ability of flying female mosquitoes to find their way into surveillance traps.  Aerial sprays are frequently employed as a control intervention targeted towards flying mosquitoes.  We recorded mosquito activity in response to CO₂ surveillance traps during evenings when aerial sprays were conducted to determine if the atmospheric conditions and other variables were suitable for mosquito flight and thus relevant to the potential effectiveness of the spray.  Similarly, trap activity was also monitored the following evening to evaluate the effects of the previous nights’ aerial spray on the numbers of mosquitoes captured by the trap.  Our results may provide insights into the importance of timing aerial sprays to coincide with peak mosquito activity.

Funding support from the Pacific Southwest Regional Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Cooperative Agreement 1U01CK000516) (NV) and NSF-EAGER awards 2132726 (NJV)