P 7 - How do socio-economic factors impact mosquito abundance and diversity in Suburban Neighborhoods?

Income has been shown to significantly impact the abundance of both Aedes and Culex mosquito populations, with lower-income communities experiencing higher mosquito abundance than high-income communities. Unfortunately, these low-income communities have also been shown to have higher rates of West Nile virus infection the mosquitoes present than higher-income communities. This difference in mosquito burden is thought to be the result of a higher abundance in breeding sites in low-income areas due to the presence of more breeding sites. However, much of this research has focused on the impacts to urban systems, meaning that the impacts of poverty on mosquito burden in smaller communities is poorly understood. To bridge this gap, we are conducting a survey of mosquito abundance and diversity in 6 neighborhoods in Gainesville, FL of varying income. We are also conducting a Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey of the neighborhood residents to determine their perceived mosquito burden, knowledge of mosquito management practices, and to measure how education impacts practices to control mosquitoes in their area. Preliminary results indicate that Winter and early season (December to May) Aedes and Culex mosquito abundance did not vary by income.