Adult mosquito surveillance plays a key role in Brandon Leicester Salisbury Goshen Mosquito District’s Integrated Pest Management Program. Through collection, counting, and identification the district can determine the severity of nuisance mosquito outbreaks. These factors aid in determining which abatement solutions should be employed to reduce mosquito population levels.
The district uses the Center for Disease Control (CDC) light traps to collect and monitor adult mosquito populations within Brandon, Leicester, Salisbury, Goshen, Pittsford and Proctor. Developed by the CDC, these portable traps run on four 6-volt batteries, which power a small light and a fan. These traps omit CO2, a primary attractant to female mosquitoes. The CO2 simulates the exhaled respiratory gasses of a mammal. The female mosquitoes sense the CO2 and are drawn to the top of the trap in which the trap’s fan blades force the mosquitoes into the catch net. 
Many mosquito species are active during the evening, so BLSG staff set the traps in the afternoon, which then run throughout the night. The traps are then collected the next morning and taken to the lab for analysis and identification. By understanding population levels and types of species in a given area, it offers a better insight into desired breeding habitats. 
For further information regarding mosquito surveillance, visit the BLSG webpage at blsgmosquito.com under the Mosquito surveillance tab.