Spring is a great time to start using the GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper. Have you noticed any mosquitoes yet? Spring is upon us in the United States, and mosquitoes are already buzzing in many parts of the country. Below is a map that shows the approximate onset of the mosquito session throughout the contiguous U.S. You can observe how the mosquito season works its way northward as conditions become suitable for them to hatch and breed. If you don’t see mosquitoes already, take a look at this map to see when you can start expecting them:
Credit: Andrew Clark, IGES, based on data from Arguez et al. 2010. NOAA’s U.S. Climate Normals (1981-2010). [Monthly Minimum Temperatures]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. DOl:10.7289/V5PN93JP [Accessed December 2018].Anyone, anywhere in the world can download the GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper app to get started with this project. The Globe Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper urges users to locate and map locations of mosquito breeding sites, as well as decommission container habitats so that mosquito larvae don’t develop into adult disease vectors. Beyond promoting the collection of critical data for use by scientists and health officials, this project fosters understanding of the importance of personal action in reducing the local risk of vector-borne disease.When you sign into the app, add “SciStarter” in the referral field to earn credit for your contributions on your SciStarter account dashboard. The Mosquito Habitat Mapper is suitable for citizen scientists of all ages, because it is designed so users can choose their level of engagement. Participants can take their mobile device with them on a walk and simply take pictures of standing water (which is a potential mosquito breeding habitat) and take a look to see if they see any larvae in the water (the app will show you what you are looking for). If interest and time permits, citizen scientists can take a cup or bulb pipette to sample the mosquito larvae and proceed with identification, using the key in the Mosquito Habitat Mapper and a clip-on magnifier. The key identifies several taxa that have the potential to transmit disease. If the standing water is not there for a purpose, users are instructed to remove the habitat from use by dumping out the water. Standing water that is being collected purposefully can also be taken out-of-use as a mosquito breeding site by covering the container with a net or lid or by applying larvicide. By doing one or more of the tasks listed in the Mosquito Habitat Mapper, users become aware of how they can reduce risk of disease in their community by mitigating breeding habitats. The Mosquito Habitat Mapper is a tool that can bring communities together. For example, several libraries have included activities featuring the Mosquito Habitat Mapper in their science programming. Jennifer Beach, an environmental educator at Kenton County Public Library in Erlanger, Kentucky, noted, “After hosting a BioBlitz last fall, it was apparent to me that there is lots of interest in the community for citizen science events, and the Mosquito Habitat Mapper seemed like a simple but engaging way to possibly get more people involved. As there is increased rain and longer warm months in the spring and summer in our area, mosquitoes may become more of an issue from a health standpoint.” As the program progresses, Kenton County Public Library will be getting the public involved in making mosquito traps, sampling water in containers around the library, and reporting the data to the GLOBE database.
