EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENTS TO REDUCE MOSQUITO LARVAE IN RAIN BARRELS
Applied Research
Steven Yergeau
Environmental and Resource Management Agent
Rutgers University Cooperative Extension
Toms River
Abstract
Rain barrels are a practice for homeowners to conserve water in their lawns and yards. The potential exists for rain barrels to provide mosquito breeding habitats, so Extension programs that provide barrels to homeowners suggest different treatments to reduce the chances of mosquito breeding. These practices include the use of physical barriers created by screening the barrel openings, adding soap or oil to the water, or the use of a Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI) larvicide (a.k.a. ‘Mosquito Dunks®’). Because the relative success of these practices has not been determined, this project was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of Extension-recommended mosquito control methods appropriate for rain barrels. Five-gallon buckets were filled with one gallon of water and had one of the practices applied to them. The buckets were then left out for up to three weeks to ensure mosquito egg deposition and larvae hatching. Filtered water samples were analyzed by the Ocean County Mosquito Extermination Commission for mosquito larvae which included identifying and enumerating each species for each practice. A total of 14 trials were conducted during the summers of 2021 through 2023 for a total of 173 samples collected during this study. A total of 1,927 mosquito larvae were collected in the buckets, with 1,920 from the control buckets (no treatment practice applied) and the remaining 7 larvae from other practices. This means that any of the treatment options reduce mosquito breeding habitat with better than 99% efficiency. There were some practical issues that arose in which homeowners need to be informed to enable them to make appropriate decisions when maintaining their rain barrels (for example, the oil going rancid in the summer heat, Mosquito Dunks® breaking apart, difficulty maintaining a layer of soap or oil). Since many homeowners may be reluctant to use rain barrels because of the potential for increasing mosquito populations, having science-based information on how to effectively control mosquitoes allows for wider adoption of rain barrels as a practice and more water being conserved for the future.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.
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Authors: Steven Yergeau, Jessica Keen, Michael Senyk
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Yergeau, S. Environmental and Resource Management Agent, Rutgers UNiversity, New Jersey, 08755-1199
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Keen, J. Identification Specialist, Ocean County Mosquito Commission, New Jersey, 08005
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Senyk, M. Superintendent, Ocean County Mosquito Commission, New Jersey, 08005