Effectiveness of four clip-on repellent devices in repelling Aedes albopictus from baited artificial targets in North Florida

The effectiveness of four commercially marketed clip-on repellent devices was evaluated against Aedes albopictus in Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida, in September and October, 2010. Aedes albopictus is a proven vector of dog heartworm, dengue and chikungunya viruses worldwide, and it has been shown to successfully transmit another 20 pathogenic viruses under laboratory settings. We optimally baited the BG Sentinel (BGS) trap with BG-Lure to maximize the catch of host-seeking Aedes albopictus. Four commercially-marketed mosquito repellents were suspended approximately 30 cm directly above the opening of the BGS trap. Treatments (and active ingredients) included Off!® Clip-On™ Mosquito Repellent (metafluthrin), ThermaCELL® Mosquito Repellent (allethrin), Lentek Bite Shield (geraniol), and the BugButton Mosquito Eliminator® (geraniol, lemon oil, citronella oil). A control trap (no repellent) was added in a 5X5 Latin square experiment in which treatments were rotated every 24 hrs. Six repetitions of the Latin square were completed prior to the onset of cold weather in October, 2 in Gainesville and 4 in Jacksonville. Clip-on repellents using pyrethroid repellents reduced Ae. albopictus trap capture from control counts by 77% and 57.7% (ThermaCELL® and Off!® Clip-On™, respectively) in Gainesville, and by 41.7% and 50.5% (respectively) from control counts in Jacksonville. Natural repellent trap and control trap counts were approximately equal at both test sites.