After watching hundreds of mosquitoes buzzing around one of their colleagues and collecting 20 million data points, Georgia Tech and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have created a mathematical model that predicts how and where female mosquitoes will fly to feast on humans.
The new study is the first to visualize mosquito flight patterns and provides hard data for improving capture and control strategies. In addition to being a nuisance, mosquitoes transmit diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and Zika, which cause more than 700,000 deaths every year.
The researchers also designed an interactive, public website to show the paths and behaviors.
The team used 3D infrared cameras to see how the insects moved around inanimate objects based on visual cues and carbon dioxide. Then they put a person in a chamber, dressed him in various shades of clothing, and tracked mosquito trajectories.
[...] Based on their data, the researchers said they don't think mosquitoes swarm because they're following the pack. Each appeared to pick up on the cues independently, then found themselves at the same place at the same time.
"It's like a crowded bar," said David Hu, a professor in Georgia Tech's George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Biological Sciences. "Customers aren't there because they followed each other into the bar. They're attracted by the same cues: drinks, music, and the atmosphere. The same is true of mosquitoes. Rather than following the leader, the insect follows the signals and happens to arrive at the same spot as the others. They're good copies of each other."
The study included three experiments that varied visual cues and carbon dioxide. In the first, the researchers used a black sphere as a target. It attracted the mosquitoes, but only when they were flying toward the object. Once they arrived, they didn't stick around, often fluttering past.
When the researchers swapped the black target with something white and added carbon dioxide, mosquitoes slowly found the source, but only if they were nearby. Hu noticed the insects doing a "double take" before settling in around the source.
Introducing a black sphere and CO2 at the same time proved to be the most irresistible scenario: the mosquitoes swarmed, stayed, and attacked.
[...] Once he learned about their attraction to motionless clues, Zuo donned various outfits and stepped into a mosquito chamber. He dressed in all black, all white, or a combination.
Zuo stretched out his arms and let dozens of insects circle him as cameras captured their trajectories. The data was sent to MIT, which determined the mostly likely rules that generated those flight patterns.
[...] The researchers hope their findings can lead to better pest control.
"One tactic is using suction traps that rely on steady cues, such as continuous CO2 release or constant light sources, to attract mosquitoes," Zuo said. "Our study suggests using them intermittently, then activating suction at intervals, might be better. That's because mosquitoes don't tend to stick around their target when both clues aren't used at the same time."
Journal Reference: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz7063
(Score: 3, Informative) by corey on Thursday May 28, @09:31PM (6 children)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by anubi on Thursday May 28, @11:20PM (5 children)
I wonder if they home in on body odors- heat-moisture combo?
I guess a good verification would be to get laundry from a high school gym locker room, wet it (no wash ) , run it through a gas clothes dryer, and see if it's discharge vent attracts inordinate amounts of mosquitos.
If so, funnel traps combined with electrical-discharge methods might work for mosquito population reduction.
I wonder about window screen panels, made with alternating stainless steel wire and nylon ( UV resistant ) screen designed like a big mosquito zapper...which uses the house occupants as attractant, with the object is to rid the outside environment of mosquitos. Maybe powered by solar panels to minimize wiring PITA.
Alternating interleaved nylon (or whatever plastic they make window screens with ) and interleaved stainless steel wire of opposite polarity, driven by a pulse transformer like a small ignition coil ( 0,2 Hz or so? ) to clear whatever mosquito lit on it.
Don't want DC on it, you will just end up with an electrostatic dust precipitatior. This should be cleanable with a hosing. Not enough energy to harm anyone, but enough to blow the legs off a skeeter.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by Dr Spin on Thursday May 28, @11:36PM (2 children)
The fly swatters with that type of construction claim to use very high voltages. But might be made safe by driving them with a circuit that limits the charge that can be transferred.
Might make you twitch, but not kill your kids or cats.
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 1) by anubi on Friday May 29, @12:13AM (1 child)
That is why I want to use a small pulse transformer. I have been zapped with those many times. Deliberately. I need enough voltage to jump through a skeeter, but just enough current to fry it. Like knowing just how hard to hit a finishing nail with a tack hammer. Overdoing it does more harm than good.
I could feel the inductive kickback, but it took a pretty good sized inductor to hurt me. ( Measuring continuity of inductors with an old-school VOM. A surprise awaits the novice. I got my surprise the same way everyone else in my high school electronics lab did as we identified the windings of various transformers used in radios and TV sets of the 50's with a VOM ohmmeter ).
Next time I see one of those "tennis racquet" mosquito zapper, I am going to have to personally experience a zap. It looked like so little energy I would barely feel it.
I don't need enough power to kill a roach. I think I would feel that, but don't think it would hurt me, but if unexpected, it might make me hurt myself with my own reaction.
It's a good point. I don't recall much warnings on battery fly swatters but it's definitely something to consider, being I was considering using my finger and expected arc to verify it's operation.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday May 29, @03:54AM
My zappy tennis racquet uses two AA batteries, which I've only changed once in ten years. I mostly use it to disable yellowjackets that have invaded the house. It usually stuns but rarely kills them, tho it does turn bits and pieces into glowing ash and smoke. I expect you could raise a blister with it, and maybe start a fire, but I'm not about to try it.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Thursday May 28, @11:39PM
The "vertical" threads would be alternating SS and plastic, each SS wire being of opposite polarity from it's adjacent.
The "horizontal" threads all plastic.
The lower and upper frame mounting also serves as connection points to the ends of the alternating polarity vertical SS wires.
I envision a small solar panel/battery/pulse generator assembly to power it.
Maybe a blue LED in the frame that would flash if the screen drew current during a pulse. Either a skeeter, a finger ( test ) , or it needs cleaning.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by Unixnut on Saturday May 30, @06:31AM
While I like your premise for the electric mosquito net, I'd like one of those too to handle the chronic dust accumulation at my place. Unfortunately they don't seem to make them for home use. All the ones I've seen for sale are huge industrial units, or commercial HVAC-type ones.
Are they difficult to build? I've not found anyone online who has home-built one either, but then search has become pretty poor lately, mostly sponsored links and SEO-optimised junk.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Friday May 29, @07:25PM
Something to keep in mind about overly elaborate electronic bug zappers is the competition is the lowly electric fan.
Mosquitos can't fly more than a MPH or two and they totally give up hope above 10 MPH.
Thus the more rural folks have electric fans on their porch. Its actually kind of an issue because sitting on the porch at 70F in front of a fan at night can get chilly.