Troncones Mosquito Control Project needs funding!

Villagers working to reduce mosquito-borne dengue, Zika virus and chikungunya.

We live between Troncones and Majahua, two small villages on the southwest coast of Mexico. Over the last year more than 80% of the people living in these villages contracted either dengue or chikungunya, a dengue-like illness. Both of these are transmitted by the Aedes spp. mosquito, which can also carry the Zika virus.

A Canadian researcher at the Laurentian University, Dr. Gerard Ulibarri, designed a mosquito trap called an “ovillanta.” It consists of two sections of an old car tire, one facing up and the other facing down, plus a small piece of PVC pipe and a valve. The lower section of tire holds water infused with a non-toxic milk based solution (that attracts female Aedes spp. mosquitos) and a strip of paper on which the female lays her eggs.

The fluid is drained from the lower tire via the pipe, filtered to remove any larvae, and returned to the tire, twice a week. The paper strips can stay as long as they remain clean, otherwise they are removed and the eggs are destroyed with fire.

A 10-month test study was done in Guatemala. The “ovillanta” trap proved to attract seven times more mosquitos than standard traps. They are a low-cost, environmentally safe method of seriously reducing the numbers of this type of mosquito that can carry and transmit three very unpleasant and potentially fatal illnesses, including the Zika virus that is garnering press around the world. And it does all this without the use of chemicals.

The “ovillanta” system is estimated to cost only a fraction of what it costs to target adult insects with pesticides. Still the cost of the traps, while relatively inexpensive to Americans or Canadians, is equivalent to at least one, two, or three day’s wages to the people in these villages. In addition, the liquid attractant and paper for the eggs must be replaced regularly.

Rainy season is almost upon this area and we are helping the villagers to implement an abatement program to significantly reduce the population of Aedes spp. mosquitos.

The plan is to document the program, record results, prove what can be done with sufficient effort and organization, and share what we learn with other villages.

The program for the first year will cost approximately $22,500 USD. This is the set-up year; following years should be somewhat less expensive.

Please help us to help these villages reduce the risk of contracting dengue, the Zika virus and chikungunya.

Dewey and Jill McMillin, William Mertz and the Entire Village of Troncones Mexico

Go HERE to help fund the project...

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www.williammertz.photography

I have been following this DIY project and, in fact, posted this from Smithsonian Magazine about it on my FB: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-to-build-mosquito-trap-from-old-tire-180958954/?no-ist

The info I have found is that it is the lack of need for any additional material that makes it so important in poor areas. "In Guatemala, Ulibarri also added an “attractant” that he invented. It uses milk-based natural compounds to lure the A. aegypti.

The water from the ovillanta can also be reused as a natural attractant. According to Ulibarri, egg-laying mosquitoes release natural pheromones, which accumulate and concentrate in the water over time."

...the cost of the traps, while relatively inexpensive to Americans or Canadians, is equivalent to at least one, two, or three day’s wages to the people in these villages.

Sounds like a great idea Wil. When you outline costs, do you mean that the cost of outfitting a village with these traps costs the equivalent of 1-3 days wages for one person or for each person in that village?

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http://www.OneMansWonder.com

In essence yes Jeff. Each trap with 1 year of maintenance is around 52 US dollars I believe. So it would be cost prohibitive for many to pay for this themselves. However, as a community and with assistance we are hoping it becomes more feasible. We are awaiting the arrival tomorrow of the designer of the trap to discuss more the needs and distribution.

I am only assisting in fund raising and documenting the project. It has been a community-wide effort to get this off the ground. We already have 200 traps that are being distributed and set up.

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www.williammertz.photography

A very innovative and worthwhile project if it saves one person from the Zika virus.