title: Biological control of mosquitoes in scrap tires in Brownsville, Texas, USA and Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
abstract: Dengue periodically circulates in southern Texas and neighboring Tamaulipas, Mexico; thus, a closer examination of human and vector ecology at the northern limits of North American transmission may improve prevention activities. Scrap tires produce large mosquito populations and increase the risk of dengue transmission. Some households choose not to pay tire disposal fees, and many tires are illegally dumped in residential areas. Biological control may provide low-cost and environmentally friendly mosquito control. This pilot study evaluated the ability of Mesocyclops longisetus to reduce mosquito populations in existing residential scrap tire piles. Mosquito populations were measured by the number of all mosquito pupae within tires or adult Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus near piles. Mesocyclops longisetus treated piles did not significantly reduce total mosquito pupae (P = 0.07) in Matamoros, Mexico. The study also evaluated the efficacy of native Toxorhynchites moctezuma which preferentially colonized tire piles under vegetation cover in Brownsville, TX. Toxorhynchites moctezuma larvae significantly reduced total mosquito pupae, but the strength of control diminished over time.
authors.forename: Christopher K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Uejio
authors.forename: Mary H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hayden
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zielinski-Gutierrez
authors.forename: Jose Luis Robles
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amador
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Waterman
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D033342:Copepoda; D009033:Culicidae / Q000254:growth & development; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D008800:Mexico; D009032:Mosquito Control; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011679:Pupa / Q000254:growth & development; D013781:Texas