Booth Id:
ANIM025
Category:
Animal Sciences
Year:
2021
Finalist Names:
Stutsman, Sarah (School: Corona High School)
Abstract:
Mosquitoes are small and deadly pests. They transmit various diseases, causing over
700,000 human deaths annually, making mosquito control essential. A novel mosquito trap, the
In2Care trap, utilizes auto-dissemination (mosquitoes spread larvicide to multiple breeding
sites) to control Aedes mosquitoes. While this trap has been tested in laboratory and semifield
settings, field studies are rare. This experiment tests the trap’s efficacy in a field setting. An
In2Care trap was set up and sentinel cups were placed various distances from the trap, for two
and eight-week periods. The cups’ contents were poured into observation cups to observe larval
mortality. If the larvicide was spread, death would be noted. However, the average adult
emergence rate for each distance, the two-week cups, and the eight-week cups was over
80%. The expected emergence rate was 20%. Chi-square analysis was utilized to statistically
analyze the data. Therefore, it can be concluded that the In2Care trap is ineffective in the
field. This may be due to variables such as mosquito activity and the number of breeding areas
outside. In the future, it would be interesting to determine how to improve the trap’s efficacy,
possibly by adjusting the amount of larvicide used or the number of traps in a certain
area. These findings will aid vector control districts, private pest control, and their clients by
informing them that the In2Care trap was ineffective in this scenario, allowing them to focus
their efforts in other areas of mosquito control to better benefit the public and their health.