Mosquito Surveillance Traps

What to know

  • Mosquito control professionals use a variety of traps and other surveillance tools to conduct mosquito surveillance.
  • Traps are designed to collect a variety of mosquito species at different life stages, including eggs, larvae, adult females, and gravid females.
Mosquito control professional setting up a CDC light trap.

Autocidal gravid ovitrap (AGO)

Use

  • Mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus spp.
  • Life stage: gravid, adult female

Tips for use

  • Best if used during summer months in temperate areas
  • Uses a pack of hay and 8-10 L of water
  • Can be deployed for 2 months without checking on them
Photo of an autocidal gravid ovitrap (AGO) for collecting mosquitoes placed in a field of grass.
Autocidal gravid ovitraps allow researchers to collect mosquitoes for study.

BG sentinel trap

Use

  • Mosquito species: Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus, and Culex spp.
  • Life stage: adult

Tips for use

  • Use an attractant (e.g., octenol lure, human scent lure, carbon dioxide) to attract more female mosquitoes
Photo of a BG Sentinel trap for collecting mosquitoes placed in a field of grass.
BG sentinel traps use an attractant to attract more female mosquitoes.

CDC light trap

Use

  • Mosquito species: wide range of mosquito genera and species (including Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex spp.)
  • Life stage: adult

Tips for use

  • Hang from a tree (5 feet above the ground)
  • Using dry ice releases carbon dioxide that attracts host-seeking female mosquitoes
  • Most effective when set at dusk and collected after dawn the next day
Photo of a CDC light trap hangs from a tree branch to collect mosquitoes for study.
A CDC light trap captures flying mosquitoes.
Low Resolution Video

Gravid trap

Use

  • Mosquito species: Culex spp.
  • Life stage: gravid, adult females

Tips for use

  • Infuse hay in water 5 days before use (acts as an attractant)
  • Drain water on days that trapping is not taking place
Photo of a gravid trap to collect mosquitoes for study placed in a field of grass.
Gravid traps attract adult female mosquitoes.

Ovicup

Use

  • Mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. japonicus, and Ae. triseriatus
  • Life stage: eggs

Tips for use

  • Check at least every 3 days
  • Dark colors (black) are attractive to females for egg laying
Photo of an ovicup trap placed in dry leaves for collecting mosquito eggs for study.
The ovicup trap is designed to attract female mosquitoes for laying eggs.

Resting trap

Use

  • Mosquito species: Anopheles, Culex, and Culiseta spp.
  • Life stages: adult females

Tips for use

  • Set traps in cool, shaded areas
  • Collect mosquitoes in the early morning
  • Do not set in areas with high sun exposure for extended periods of time
Photo of two resting traps to collect mosquitoes rest in high grass.
A resting trap is best used for catching mosquitoes by placing in cool, shaded areas.

Fact sheets

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)