Comparison of carbon dioxide, octenol and a host-odour as mosquito attractants in the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany.

Field studies were conducted in the Upper Rhine Valley to determine the responses of mosquitoes to CDC traps baited with either CO2, octenol, light or paired combinations of these. Among eight mosquito species caught, the attractant effect on trap catches was studied in the four most abundant: Aedes vexans, Ae.rossicus, Ae.cinereus and Culex pipiens. Traps baited only with light or octenol caught few mosquitoes, whereas many were caught by traps baited with CO2 alone or in combination with either of the other candidate attractants. CO2 baited traps, with or without light, caught the most Aedes. The combination of CO2 and octenol attracted most Cx pipiens, but this apparent synergy was not significant. Using a caged hamster compared to CO2 as bait in a CDC light-trap with only intermittent fan suction, the hamster attracted less mosquitoes than CO2 emitted at a rate of 225 g/h on days 1 and 2, whereas on days 3 and 4 the smell from the hamster's cage became significantly more attractive than this rate of CO2 for all species of mosquitoes.