LCGoldman
New member
I heard about this on the radio yesterday...
Copepods are tiny aquatic crustaceans (shrimp, crabs lobster, and relatives) that are widespread in both fresh and salt water habitats. They are voracious predators of mosquito larvae and as such, can be used to control mosquito production from water holding areas. Copepod cultures are relatively easy to maintain, but getting the cultures started requires some effort and time. Also, some equipment that may not be readily available to the average home owner (such as a dissecting microscope) can make life a lot easier.
For effective mosquito control with copepods, it is essential that you know where the mosquitoes are breeding. Just because you see larvae in one place does not mean that that is your major mosquito problem, so if you eliminate breeding there you may not see a significant change in adult mosquito populations. Most mosquito control agencies spend a great deal of time, manpower, and money doing "surveillance" to identify their major mosquito problems areas. To complicate matters, these "hot spots" can change with time and physical conditions.
For the entire story, click here.
Copepods are tiny aquatic crustaceans (shrimp, crabs lobster, and relatives) that are widespread in both fresh and salt water habitats. They are voracious predators of mosquito larvae and as such, can be used to control mosquito production from water holding areas. Copepod cultures are relatively easy to maintain, but getting the cultures started requires some effort and time. Also, some equipment that may not be readily available to the average home owner (such as a dissecting microscope) can make life a lot easier.
For effective mosquito control with copepods, it is essential that you know where the mosquitoes are breeding. Just because you see larvae in one place does not mean that that is your major mosquito problem, so if you eliminate breeding there you may not see a significant change in adult mosquito populations. Most mosquito control agencies spend a great deal of time, manpower, and money doing "surveillance" to identify their major mosquito problems areas. To complicate matters, these "hot spots" can change with time and physical conditions.
For the entire story, click here.
