Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of boric acid sugar baits against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in tropical environments

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Attractive toxic sugar bait (active ingredient, 1 % boric acid) was evaluated against Aedes albopictus Skuse populations in the laboratory, semi-field trials, and field trials in residential communities in St. Augustine, Florida. Laboratory evaluations of boric acid sugar baits applied to the plant Pentas lanceolata (Rubiaceae) demonstrated 100 and 92 % mortality of A. albopictus at day 7 and 14, respectively. A semi-field study evaluating the bait application to the upperside or topside of leaves resulted in no significant difference on mortality (P > 0.05). Overall combined top and bottom boric acid sugar bait application mortality at day 7 was 95 % based on leaf bioassays. Field application of the boric acid sugar baits significantly (P < 0.05) decreased adult A. albopictus populations up to day 21 post-treatment compared to the pre-treatment population numbers. A significant reduction in oviposition was demonstrated both at day 7 and 14 post-application (P = 0.001) as monitored by ovitraps. Attractive toxic sugar bait application in tropical environments demonstrated efficacy, persistence, and feasibility in controlling A. albopictus populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allan SA (2011) Susceptibility of adult mosquitoes to insecticides in aqueous sucrose baits. J Vector Ecol 36:59–67

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Allan SA, Kline DL, Walker T (2009) Environmental factors affecting efficacy of bifenthrin-treated vegetation for mosquito control. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 25:338–346

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beier JC, Müller GC, Gu W, Arheart KL, Schlein Y (2012) Attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) methods decimate populations of Anopheles malaria vectors in arid environments regardless of the local availability of favored sugar-source blossoms. Malar J 11:31

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Benedict MQ, Levine RS, Hawley WA, Lounibos LP (2007) Spread of the tiger: global risk of invasion by the mosquito Aedes albopictus. Vec Borne and Zoo Dis 7:76–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clements AN (1992) The biology of mosquitoes, 1st edn. Chapman & Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster WA (1995) Mosquito sugar feeding and reproductive energetics. Ann Rev Entomol 40:443–474

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gratz NG (2004) Critical review of the vector status of Aedes albopictus. Med Vet Entomol 18:215–227

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (2001) SAS version 8.1. North Carolina: Cary.

  • Müller GC, Schlein Y (2008) Efficacy of toxic sugar baits against adult cistern-dwelling Anopheles claviger. Trans R Soc Trop Med 102:480–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller GC, Schlein Y (2011) Different methods of using attractive sugar baits (ATSB) for the control of Phlebotomus papatasi. J Vector Ecol 36(Suppl 1):S64–S70

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Müller GC, Kravchenko VD, Schlein Y (2008) Decline of Anopheles sergentii and Aedes caspius populations following presentation of attractive toxic (spinosad) sugar bait stations in an oasis. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 24:147–149

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Müller GC, Beier JC, Traore SF, Toure MB, Traore MM, Bah S, Doumbia S, Schlein Y (2010a) Successful field trial of attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) plant-spraying methods against malaria vectors in the Anopheles gambiae complex in Mali. West Africa Malar J 9:210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller GC, Junnila A, Schlein Y (2010b) Effective control of adult Culex pipiens by spraying an attractive toxic sugar bait solution in the vegetation near larval habitats. J Med Entomol 47:63–66

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Radke EG, Gregory CJ, Kintziger KW, Sauber-Schatz EK, Hunsperger EA, Gallagher GR (2012) Dengue outbreak in Key West, Florida, USA, 2009. Emerg Infect Dis. doi:10.3201/eid1801.110130

  • Reiter P (1998) Aedes albopictus and the world trade in used tires, 1988–1995: the shape of things to come? J Am Mosq Control Assoc 14:83–94

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlein Y, Müller GC (2010) Experimental control of Phlebotomus papatasi by spraying attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) on vegetation. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 104:766–771

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xue RD, Kline DL, Ali A, Barnard DR (2006) Application of boric acid baits to plant foliage for adult mosquito control. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 22:497–500

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xue RD, Ali A, Kline DL, Barnard DR (2008) Field evaluation of boric acid and fipronil-based bait stations against adult mosquitoes. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 24:415–418

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xue RD, Müller GC, Kline DL, Barnard DR (2011) Effects of application rate and persistance of boric acid sugar baits applied to plants for control of Aedes albopictus. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 27:56–60

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuval B (1992) The other habit: sugar feeding by mosquitoes. Bull Soc Vector Ecol 17:150–156

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors want to thank the staff of AMCD including James Wynn, Pat Kendrick, and Richard Weaver, and colleagues at University of Miami, Nora Cobo, Marc Gellman, and Maria Pattany.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MAIA Program, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    Diana P. Naranjo

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    Whitney A. Qualls, Dayana M. Samson, Deborah Roque, Temitope Alimi, Kristopher Arheart & John C. Beier

  3. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel–Canada, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Gunter C. Müller

  4. Anastasia Mosquito Control District, St. Augustine, FL, USA

    Rui-De Xue

Authors
  1. Diana P. Naranjo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Whitney A. Qualls
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gunter C. Müller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dayana M. Samson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Deborah Roque
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Temitope Alimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Kristopher Arheart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. John C. Beier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Rui-De Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rui-De Xue.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Naranjo, D.P., Qualls, W.A., Müller, G.C. et al. Evaluation of boric acid sugar baits against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in tropical environments. Parasitol Res 112, 1583–1587 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3312-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-013-3312-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation