Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356751
Title: A low-cost, passive release device for the surveillance and control of mosquitoes

Author
item KWAN, MICHAEL - University Of Central Florida
item BOSAK, ALEXANDER - University Of Central Florida
item KLINE, JEDIDIAH - University Of Florida
item PITA, MARIO - University Of Florida
item GIEL, NICHOLAS - University Of Central Florida
item PEREIRA, ROBERTO - University Of Florida
item KOEHLER, PHILIP - University Of Florida
item Kline, Daniel - Dan
item BATICH, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Florida
item WILLENBERG, BRADLEY - University Of Central Florida

Submitted to: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/26/2019
Publication Date: 4/27/2019
Citation: Kwan, M.W., Bosak, A., Kline, J., Pita, M.A., Giel, N., Pereira, R.M., Koehler, P.G., Kline, D.L., Batich, C.D., Willenberg, B.J. 2019. A low-cost, passive release device for the surveillance and control of mosquitoes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16(9):1-7. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16091488.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16091488

Interpretive Summary: New technologies are needed for the detection and monitoring of population levels of mosquitoes, which cause nuisance and disease globally. New population management tools are also needed. This multi-agency project has resulted in the development of a prototype modular, portable, non-powered (passive), self-contained field deployable device that is active ingredient (AI) agnostic and thus can be used for population monitoring or population management depending on the AI utilized. Therefore, through the constant release of various volatiles it can be used for attracting, repelling, and/or killing the target species.

Technical Abstract: Mosquitoes continue to be a major threat to global health and the ability to reliably catch, kill and surveille mosquitoes via passive traps is of great importance. Global, low-cost, and easy-to-use outdoor devices are needed to augment existing efforts in mosquito control that combat the spread of disease, such as Zika. Thus, we have developed a modular, portable, non-powered (passive), and self-contained field-deployable device suitable for releasing volatiles with a wide range of applications such as attracting, repelling, and killing mosquitoes. This unique device relies on a novel nested wick and two-reservoir design that achieves a constant release of volatiles over several hundred hours. Devices loaded with one of the two compounds, geraniol and 1-methylpiperazine (1-MP), were tested in a controlled environment (35°C and 85% relative humidity) and both compounds achieved a constant release from our devices at a rate of 2.5mg/h and 47mg/h, respectively. The liquid payload can be volatile attractants or repellants as well as mosquitocide-containing feeding solutions for capture and surveillance. This low-cost device can be utilized for both civilian and military mosquito control purposes but will be particularly important for protecting those in economically repressed environments, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America.