View source for Ovitrap

{{Short description|A traditional approach to control mosquito population}}
[[File:Ovitrap 誘蚊產卵器 1.jpg|thumb|right|Ovitrap.]]
An '''ovitrap''' is a device which consists of a dark container topped with a mesh and containing water, and a substrate where [[mosquitoes]] can lay their eggs. The eggs then fall through the mesh into the water, where the [[larvae]] hatch and develop into [[pupa]]s. When the adult mosquitoes emerge, they are trapped beneath the mesh and are unable to escape from the ovitrap.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nature.com/scitable/content/ovitrap-22404316 |title=Ovitrap - Learn Science at Scitable |website=www.nature.com |language=en |date=2014 |access-date=2018-07-07}}</ref> Ovitraps mimic the preferred breeding site for container breeding mosquitoes, including ''[[Aedes albopictus]]'' and ''[[Aedes aegypti]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/pdfs/surveillance-and-control-of-aedes-aegypti-and-aedes-albopictus-us.pdf |title=Surveillance and Control of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in the United States |publisher=CDC |date=2017 |access-date=5 November 2017}}</ref>
==History==
The ovitrap was first described in 1966<ref>Reiter, P., M. A. Amador, R. A. Anderson, and G. G. Clark.  1995.  Short report: dispersal of Aedes aegypti in an urban area after blood feeding as demonstrated by rubidium-marked eggs. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 52: 177-179.</ref> and was initially designed for monitoring ''Aedes'' populations. Researchers found that if they provided artificial breeding sites, they could easily collect and study the eggs found in the container. Since the original ovitrap was invented, [[lethal ovitrap]]s have been developed, which kill the larvae and/or the adult mosquitoes that enter.
==Application==
Ovitraps used for monitoring can detect ''Aedes'' mosquito populations, thus acting as an early warning signal to preempt disease outbreaks.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Jakob WL, Bevier GA |title=Application of ovitraps in the US ''Aedes aegypti'' eradication program |journal=Mosq News |volume=29 |pages=55–62 |year=1969 |issn=0027-142X }}</ref> Analysis can be done on the ovitrap breeding data collected weekly to identify mosquito breeding hotspots and risk areas when there is a danger of high ''Aedes'' infestation. This analysis is used to plan vector [[Mosquito control|surveillance and control operations]].
The extensive use of the ovitrap in a community can be used in ''Aedes'' population control and effectively reduce the ''Aedes'' population in that area. It has been used in countries like [[Singapore]], the [[United States]], and [[Hong Kong]] since the 1970s.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://www.yeehari.com/pheromone-trap Pheromone Trap]
[[Category:Pest trapping]]
[[Category:Insect control]]
{{Biology-stub}}