FIELD EVALUATION OF WIDE-AREA LARVICIDE SPRAYING EFFECTS ON AEDES AEGYPTI LARVAE IN OXITEC RELEASE BOXES

Oxitec's "just-add-water" release boxes offer an environmentally friendly method to suppress Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species responsible for recent dengue outbreaks in the Florida Keys. Each box rears and releases genetically engineered males that carry a gene preventing female survival. This study tested the compatibility of Oxitec boxes with wide-area larvicide applications of VectoBac® WDG larvicide. Mortality in wild-type larvae was 68.2% in open boxes, 1.7% in vented boxes, and 0.5% in tape-sealed boxes, indicating the box vents effectively shield developing mosquitoes, supporting integration with existing mosquito control strategies.