Insecticide incorporated mesh barrier for host-seeking biting midge (Culicoides sonorensis) control

The biting midge, Culicoides sonorensis (Wirth and Jones) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), is a major pest of veterinary importance due to the pathogens they can transmit. Insecticide treated barriers around livestock can be  used to control the number of biting midges reaching a host and attaining a blood meal, which will reduce pathogen transmission. Field trials were conducted on captive cervid operations with a history of epizootic hemorrhagic disease. An equilateral triangular trapping configuration was used at each location and midge populations were monitored using CO₂ baited CDC mini-light traps. At each corner of the triangle was a light trap enclosed by the permeable insecticide incorporated mesh, the second trap enclosed by a permeable untreated mesh, and the last trap was the control and had no enclosure surrounding it. Each mesh enclosed trap was placed in the middle of a 10 m x 10 m area with the mesh spanning from contact with the ground to 2 m in the air. The results of this experiment demonstrated significantly decreased midge trap captures within the deltamethrin incorporated mesh enclosure compared to the control trap collections. These findings validate 2 m high treated barriers as being an effective method for reducing biting midge populations.