SEASONAL MOSQUITO PRODUCTION IN STORM SEWER CATCH BASINS OF THE NORTH SHORE SUBURBS OF CHICAGO, 2021 TO 2024

Area of Science:

• Medical entomology
• Urban ecology
• Pest management

Background:

• Storm sewer catch basins serve as crucial breeding sites for mosquitoes.
• Understanding seasonal mosquito production is vital for effective urban pest control.
• Routine surveillance often concludes before mosquito breeding ceases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze monthly mosquito pupae counts in North Shore Chicago storm drain catch basins.
• To determine the duration of mosquito production within these urban structures.
• To provide data for optimizing larvicide treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic sampling of 1,993 unique catch basins from 2021 to 2024.
• Collection of mosquito pupae across all calendar months.
• Analysis of pupae abundance by calendar month.

Main Results:

• Mosquito pupae were detected from April through December.
• Peak pupae levels occurred between June and November.
• Significant pupae presence persisted into late autumn, beyond typical surveillance periods.

Conclusions:

• Storm drain catch basins in the Chicago area exhibit prolonged mosquito production.
• Mosquito breeding in these sites extends at least one month past the end of routine adult surveillance.
• Findings support adjustments to larvicide application timing for enhanced control.