For 13 years, Dr. Carl Stapleton has been overseeing the Mosquito Surveillance and Control Program, which he started with the help of student workers.

The program partners with the city of Little Rock to monitor mosquito breeds, educate homeowners, and test for select diseases during the mosquito season. The program typically hires three University of Arkansas at Little Rock biology students who work 30-35 hours a week.

“The students are applying concepts obtained through their degree programs,” said Stapleton, a UALR professor of biology. “They’re gaining experience as a biological field technician, as well as meeting people in the community. We have thousands of residents impacted through our services every year in Little Rock.”

The biggest responsibility of the program is mosquito surveillance and reduction of mosquito breeding habitats. There are 10 trap sites across the city with three different types of traps to collect adult mosquitoes or eggs.

The traps help identify what densities of different mosquito types are present and allow for later selected testing of mosquito-borne diseases.

Vectors are organisms that can transmit diseases between humans or to humans from animals. Many vectors are bloodsucking insects, which inject the disease into a new host during their blood meal.

Currently, there are 12 different mosquito species in central Arkansas that are known vectors of various human diseases, Stapleton said.

The program also tests female mosquitoes for West Nile virus. These tests can tell within approximately 24 hours if Little Rock has mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus.  If they do find positive results, the program will report it to the city and tell officials which areas to target with spraying. Stapleton hopes there will be similar tests for Zika in the future.

The program also responds to 3-1-1 calls that request mosquito spraying. Using the 3-1-1 number, citizens can request many services, such as garbage collection, roadkill removal, or mosquito spraying.

Mosquito spraying requests are sent through email to Stapleton. Student workers are out in the field within one business day to see what the issue is and survey the area. Students will also educate the homeowners about preventative steps to help control mosquitoes.

“I’m the biggest believer in homeowner education,” Stapleton said. “An important role of UALR within the community is to provide an opportunity for education. We educate homeowners on how to reduce their risk of development of mosquito-borne diseases.”

Stapleton compared the program’s preventative services and education to a seat belt, in that it is likely to reduce the potential for harm.

How to help control mosquitoes

“Mosquito diseases aren’t a new thing,” Stapleton said. “Mosquito-borne diseases kill an estimated million people worldwide each year.”

Stapleton noted that mosquito season is extending, and he linked it to climate change.

“It just seems like our spring arrives quicker and our fall gets later,” he said.

Mosquitoes need water to go through their growth cycles. An egg will become a full grown adult in seven to 10 days. Only female mosquitoes bite. The blood is used to provide protein for the development of their eggs.

Mosquitoes won’t go very far from their habitat, usually a quarter to half a mile, or often less than 100 yards, Stapleton said. Most of the time they will lay eggs in flower pot bases, containers, and gutters or any areas that will hold water.

To help control mosquitoes that spread Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention organization suggests these steps:

• Put plants in soil, not water
• Drain water from pools when not in use
• Recycle used tires or keep them protected from rain
• Drain and dump standing water
• Scrub vases and containers to remove mosquito eggs every week
• Keep rain barrels covered tightly
• Empty standing water from fountains and bird baths every week
• Keep septic tanks sealed
• Install or repair windows and door screens

For more information, visit the CDC website.