Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

Target Pests

Practices

Aedes aegypti is an invasive mosquito capable of transmitting Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses. This mosquito has been expanding its range over the years due to rapid population growth and an increase in human travel and transportation patterns. Traditional and conventional control methods typically associated with mosquitoes are not as effective with Ae. aegypti and other methods must be adopted. This is an Outreach and Implementation project and will address the introduction of the invasive Ae. aegypti mosquito in the small, rural town of Moab, Utah through educational outreach and citizen science involvement using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) efforts spearheaded by the Moab Mosquito Abatement District (MMAD).

This project will increase public awareness and education on mosquitoes and prevention through surveillance and source reduction of containers/standing water and will be the first educational outreach campaign of its kind in our region created for the community. This project will include citizen science involvement to engage, empower, and educate the community to better understand mosquitoes and IPM practices. Additionally, this project creates an internship opportunity for a student from a local college campus and/or involved with the local multicultural center to improve and add to their educational experience and skills. Grand County High School students will also be involved through collaboration with Science Moab’s School to Science program that will offer a mentorship initiative with MMAD designed to address the lack of high-quality science education and access to science career opportunities.

1. The primary objective of this project is to create an educational campaign to reach, engage, and inform residents, students, stakeholders, organizations, businesses, and tourists of Moab about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods to control and reduce the invasive Aedes aegypti
   1. This objective will inform and supply the community with the knowledge to assist in collectively reducing an invasive species in Moab through mosquito habitat reduction and learn how to protect themselves against diseases this mosquito is capable of transmitting.
   2. This objective will also educate the citizens about other mosquitoes in Moab, their respective diseases, and what preventive measures they can take.

2. The secondary objective of this project is to create a citizen science project to involve individuals, families, and students in mosquito surveillance and prevention.
   1. This objective will also create a paid internship position that will be involved in the citizen science project.
   2. The School to Science program through Science Moab will also be funded for two years through this project. This will create a scientist mentoring partnership with a high school in a rural community that lacks various educational and scientific experiences that more urban and metropolitan areas have through involvement of up to 20 high school students in a trimester.