A lethal ovitrap‐based mass trapping scheme for dengue control in Australia: I. Public acceptability and performance of lethal ovitraps

Abstract

Abstract. We report on the first field evaluation of the public acceptability and performance of two types of lethal ovitrap (LO) in three separate trials in Cairns, Australia. Health workers were able to set standard lethal ovitraps (SLOs) in 75 and 71% of premise yards in the wet and dry season, respectively, and biodegradable lethal ovitraps (BLOs) in 93% of yards. Public acceptance, measured as retention of traps by residents, was high for both trap types, with <9% of traps missing after 4 weeks. Traps retaining water after 4 weeks were 78 and 34% for the two SLO trials and 58% for the BLOs. The 'failure rate' in the 535 BLOs set in the field for 4 weeks was 47%, of which 19% were lost, 51% had holes from probable insect chewing, 23% were knocked over, 7% had dried by evaporation and 1% were split. There was no significant difference in the failure rate of BLOs set on porous (grass, soil and mulch) versus solid (tiles, concrete, wood and stone) substrates. The SLOs and the BLOs were readily acceptable to ovipositing Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae); the mean number of eggs/trap was 6 and 15, for the dry season and wet season SLO trial, respectively, and 15 for the BLO wet season trial. Indeed, 84-94% of premise yards had egg positive SLOs or BLOs. A high percentage of both wet and dry season SLOs (29 and 70%, respectively) and BLOs (62%) that were dry after 4 weeks were egg positive, indicating the traps had functioned. Lethal strips from SLOs and BLOs that had been exposed for 4 weeks killed 83 and 74%, respectively, of gravid Ae. aegypti in laboratory assays. These results indicate that mass trapping schemes using SLOs and BLOs are not rejected by the public and effectively target gravid Ae. aegypti. The impact of the interventions on mosquito populations is described in a companion paper.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of two cockroaches, Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana, and the phylogenetic position of termites

“…In most places they are the most prominent and important of the public health insects which occur with poor standards of hygiene (Fakoorziba et al 2010;Gore and Schal 2005;Lee et al 2003;Ritchie et al 2009). They are resistant to all major groups of insecticides and have also been regarded as model for studying insect physiology (Irles et al 2009;Lee et al 2000;Xu et al 2009;Yoon et al 2009).…”

Body Size and Wing Shape Measurements as Quality Indicators of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Destined for Field Release

“…aegypti were stored in a dry vial at 4 C. Ovarian parity status was determined before storing these mosquitoes in ethanol at −20 C. Finally, felt cloth ovitraps are effective in collecting Ae. aegypti eggs from the field, 34,43 and can be hatched under laboratory conditions. For these traps, red felt cloth was used as the egg-laying substrate in the trap, 0.5 g of lucerne was added as an oviposition attractant, and the felt was collected 1 week after setting the trap.…”

Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): evaluation of natural long-lasting materials containing pyriproxyfen to improve control strategies

“…Different devices have been studied and are now commercialized. In some of them, the rough egg-laying wooden paddle was replaced by a velour paper strip treated with an insecticide like deltamethrin or bifenthrin while others added a sticky surface Williams et al 2007;Ritchie et al 2008Ritchie et al , 2009Rapley et al 2009;Chadee and Ritchie 2010). The newest ones make them more attractive to oviposit (Attractant-Bait Lethal Ovitrap ALOT) in which the ovitrap is filled with water laced with attractants and the container is lined with a fabric impregnated with an insecticide to kill the adults when they land to oviposit their eggs (Wesson et al 2012).…”