Weeks 1 and 2: Getting Started with the Central Mass Mosquito Control Program!

This summer, I am working as a Mosquito Surveillance Technician with the Central Mass Mosquito Control Program. This Friday marks the end of my second week at the CMMCP! Now that I am trained and managing my own responsibilities, I thought I would share what a day at the CMMCP looks like for me. 

Background

One of the CMMCP's main tasks is monitoring for mosquito born illnesses, mainly West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (Triple-E). In order to monitor for these diseases in the towns in our jurisdiction, we trap mosquitos, identify the species that could potentially carry one of these viruses, and send them to the Department of Public Health in Boston to be tested for these viruses. My job is to set and collect the traps at specific sites in participating towns, then prepare the trapped mosquitos for the lab. For the day-to-day, this means a lot of driving, and plenty of time in the woods. 

The Route

Right now, I am working the Central Route of our participating towns. On a full day, I drive to eight total sites, picking up four traps and setting up four. I use one of the CMMCP's Ford Rangers to reach these sites with all the necessary equipment (there are quite a few small parts involved with the traps). Here is an example of a route I drove this Wednesday! (05/28) The red pin shows the location of our office. In general, I prefer not to go on highways, as the truck is on the older side, and is less comfortable to drive at high speeds. On that particular day, I was out of the office for about 6 hours. Fortunately, the weather was good, and the sites were beautiful. 

The 2004 Ford Ranger I use 

CDC Traps

A CO2 CDC Mosquito Trap

    Once the season picks up, I will be setting many different kinds of traps at each site I go to. At the
moment, however, I am only setting one kind of trap, the CDC CO2 trap. This trap works by attracting mosquitos with CO2, then using a fan to blow them into a "catchy" (a plastic jar with a net attached to it). There are several different parts to assemble with this trap. 

    The first thing I do, before I even find a suitable spot to assemble the trap, is attach the regulator (the brass attachment) to the CO2 tank. I do this first so that I can make sure it isn't leaking and to make sure I don't loose any small parts in the woods. To start setting it up, I find a tree with a sturdy branch at the right height. I want the trap to be around head height, so that it's tall enough that it won't be disturbed by wildlife, but low enough that the fan can attach to the battery and the CO2 tank on the ground. Once the fan is hung, I attach the catchy using a rubber band. All that's left is to attach the CO2 tank using a small hose and to hook up the battery. I usually check to make sure the batteries are charged and all the parts are working before I leave the office. When I pick it up the next day, I tie the net closed to fully trap the mosquitos that have been lured in overnight. Once caught, the
mosquitos need to be kept in a cooler in order to stun them and to prevent any potential viruses from breaking down.

A closer look at the CO2 tank

    This trap is somewhat simple, but it works because mosquitos are attracted to CO2. They fly over to where the trap is releasing CO2, then get sucked into the catchy by the fan, where they are held until the trap is collected. The only drawback of this trap is that the mosquitos can get damaged when they fly through the fan, but they are usually identifiable anyways. This kind of trap can also work by using light as a lure, although that method catches too many of what our lab calls "junk bugs" (anything that isn't a mosquito) so we prefer CO2. 

What I Listened to This Week

With a lot of driving time comes a lot of time to listen to music and audiobooks. Here are my top 3 songs from the past two weeks!

1. Sunblind - Fleet Foxe

The Fleet Foxes are one of my favorite artists right now. Somehow, this song keeps finding its way onto all my playlists... truly a mystery. 

2. Prior Things - Hop Along

This song came up in my recommendations a few weeks ago, and it has also been mysteriously finding its way onto all my playlists. I especially like the instrumentals on this one.

3. Super Trouper - ABBA

Whenever I need a boost of energy, I put on ABBA. I think it's impossible to be tired or bored when listening to an ABBA song, which is a helpful quality when one has been driving for a while!

I also started listening to a recording of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen this week, although I haven't finished it yet. 

That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed reading about my first few weeks at the CMMCP. I am looking forward for many more to come!