The University of South Australia (UniSA) is to launch a national citizen science project as scientists warn of a monster mosquito season ahead.
To be named Mozzie Monitors the project was required according to UniSA field researcher Stephen Fricker who said the humid conditions currently experienced in South Australia were providing perfect conditions for mosquitos to thrive.
“A wet spring and a wetter than usual summer is a sure-fire recipe for a mosquito explosion,” Mr Fricker said.
“You may have already noticed an influx of mozzies around the garden, or annoyingly inside at night, but while the weather conditions remain muggy, people should be prepared for a monster month of mozzies,” he said.
Dean of Programs (Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences) at UniSA, Craig Williams who created Mozzie Monitors, said the Project will involve scientists and members of the community working together to learn more about mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases.
Professor Williams said monitoring urban mosquito populations was important because it could provide early warning systems to help predict and mitigate disease risks.
The six-week Project, to be led by PhD candidate at UniSA, Larissa Braz Sousa, is to start on 14 February, tracking and monitoring mosquitos in urban areas.
“People who are interested in the Mozzie Monitors Project can get involved in two ways,” Dr Braz Sousa said. “Either by using a simple trap (made from two buckets, one containing water and adjoined by a net) or via the iNaturalist app”.
“The trap catches female mosquitos who come to lay eggs in the water, but get stuck in the net enabling citizen scientists to collect and photograph them,” she said.
Further information on Mozzie Monitors, including how to register, can be accessed at this PS News link.
