Carbon dioxide generated from carbonates and acids for sampling blood-feeding arthropods

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is utilized to attract mosquitoes and other blood-feeding arthropods to traps around the world. Commercial forms of CO2 (e.g., dry ice and compressed gas) are often unavailable or extremely expensive in developing nations, where vector surveillance is essential to make life-saving decisions. We developed and tested inexpensive and reproducible methods of CO2 production from the combination of acids and carbonates, ranging from very basic (crushed seashells and vinegar) to relatively elaborate (a device that controls the timing of the acid-carbonate reaction and extends the reaction over several hours). When utilized with mosquito traps in Florida, USA and black fly traps in Region des Cascades, Burkina Faso, these carbonate-acid CO2 sources attracted significantly greater numbers of both vector groups, than did unbaited traps. CO2 was generated for more than four hours at levels sufficient to attract vectors over the entire period. The utility of this simple methodology in developing nations should be further evaluated.