WATER THE MOSQUITOES TO HELP CONTROL

A new procedure for mosquito control is presented. By providing prime laying areas, then destroying the larvae, we make the mosquito females waste their eggs (from 40 to several hundred eggs per cluster per female depending on the species). This will lead to fewer mosquitoes and fewer infected people and animals, without the dangers of possibly harming ourselves and the environment with pesticides. Details of one example of this technique are presented.

Contact: Dr. Adrian R. Lawler
Phone: 228-872-3309
email: alawler@hotmail.com

WATER THE MOSQUITOES TO HELP CONTROL

Ocean Springs, MS (PRWEB) August 19, 2003 -- A marine biologist parasitologist wants people around the world to start controlling mosquitoes by giving them water! This is the opposite of what disease and health groups around the world have recommended for many years -- dump out water containers.

Dr. Adrian R. Lawler, who has published papers on various parasites around the world, cultured many aquatic species for toxicity testing for a state toxicology program for 10 years, ran a public aquarium for 15 years, has a patent on a fish attractant, and has worked with aquatic organisms for over 50 years, says that by providing water for mosquitoes, letting them lay their eggs, and then removing the larvae about every 6-10 days, depending on temperature and species, we will decrease the numbers of mosquitoes and thus the numbers of people getting mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, west nile, encephalitis, filariasis, etc.

He says his idea is similar to the method used to reduce screwworm fly larvae in cattle from the southwestern United States, where scientists released sterilized male flies and thus made the female flies waste their eggs. With mosquitoes we are providing prime laying areas, then destroying the larvae, thus also making the mosquito females waste their eggs (from 40 to several hundred eggs per cluster per female depending on the species). This will lead to fewer mosquitoes and fewer infected people and animals, without the dangers of possibly harming ourselves and the environment with pesticides.

Mosquitoes cause over a million deaths per year due to the diseases they transmit. They lay their eggs in things containing water, including hollow trees. People should still empty various containers where mosquitoes can lay, unless they are going to eliminate the larvae periodically. Since we can never find and empty all the containers holding water, it is proposed we have special laying sites for the various disease-transmitting mosquito species around the world and then control more of their reproduction by eliminating many of their eggs and larvae. The more laying sites we monitor the more we reduce mosquito production.

One example of this technique to decrease mosquitoes follows. Mimic the laying sites of the mosquito species we want to reduce. Use pond, stream, or standing water (because natural waters already contain mosquito larvae foods such as bacteria, algae, and protozoa)for the containers. Add a small amount of organic matter (manure, hay, leaves, seeds, etc) to serve as a food source for bacteria and protozoa.

Let mosquitoes lay eggs in the container that develop to nearly mature larvae. Then, remove larvae from the water by either using a small mesh net or by pouring the container water through a small mesh net into a bucket. The water should be saved for return to the container because it contains a pheromone that tells other mosquitoes that the water is safe to lay in and thus attracts them to the containers.

A pheromone made from oil from the summer cypress, or burning bush, can also be used to attract mosquitoes to laying sites. A small amount of organic material should be added periodically to keep the cultures of algae, bacteria, and protozoa going. One can increase the number of containers by inoculating the new container with organism-containing and pheromone-containing water from an established container. Children could be trained to monitor the containers in poorer parts of the world; automated systems could be developed for high population areas; bird baths could serve as initial monitored laying sites.

Dr. Lawler said his idea is something humans have done for ages to other animals --attract them to food, water, salt, laying site, or something else they need so we can easily slaughter them.

Other scientists are asked to expand on these ideas by ascertaining ways to mimic the laying sites for the various disease-transmitting mosquito species of the world, ascertaining the most efficient container sizes for each species, determining the distance between laying containers to give maximum reduction of mosquito reproduction, and developing techniques to automatically remove mosquito larvae from the laying containers.

With increasing world population and increasing spread of mosquito borne diseases it is predicted that in the future people will be employed to monitor mosquito laying containers for some cities of the world, and private citizens will decrease mosquito production in their own living areas to protect themselves.

In addition to having another procedure to control mosquitoes and diseases transmitted by them,we have an added bonus in that people in poorer countries can dry the mosquito larvae and sell them for pet fish food for added income.

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AUTHOR CONTACT:
Dr.Adrian Lawler (retired),
Marine Biologist/Parasitologist
Aquarium Supervisor (l984-98),
JL Scott Marine Education Center & Aquarium,                
Biloxi, Mississippi
alawler@hotmail.com
http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/a_lawler_111697.html