Oviposition preferences of Culex pipiens and Culex restuans and improving species-specific surveillance methodology

Culex pipiens and Culex restuans are two WNV (West Nile Virus) vector mosquito species. Effective species-specific mosquito surveillance and methodology is important when implementing successful public health interventions. Creating effective surveillance methods requires an understanding of mosquito ecology and behavior, including oviposition (i.e., egg-laying) habitat selection. Culex species preferentially lay their eggs in artificial container habitats. While these are often seen in the form of tires, stormwater catch basins, and tree holes, mosquito breeding habitats can commonly be found on residential properties. Here they are seen in the form of bird baths, dog bowls, and trash cans. Residential properties are less thought of as potentially harboring a dangerous disease vector, increasing their need for mosquito surveillance methods in these areas. This experiment attempts to find the most effective treatment attractant by focusing on the aquatic life stages. Different water-based infusions were based on popular gravid trapping techniques. The treatments chosen were grass clippings, rabbit pellets, hay, and yeast and sugar. They were tested alongside a distilled water control. These treatments were monitored over a four-week experimental period in five, five-liter buckets across five residential sites in Bangor, ME. We concluded that the rabbit pellet treatment was most effective. This result is predicted to be explained by microbial and chemical interactions that influence oviposition habitat preferences. More research is needed to analyze the influence of additional environmental conditions related to breeding behavior such as organic matter concentration and overall container size as well as emphasize a need for species-specific interventions.