An EVS mosquito trap is typically suspended from a branch or structure and uses carbon dioxide (often from dry ice) to attract host-seeking female mosquitoes. The carbon dioxide stimulates exhaled breath of a living host, which attracts female mosquitoes looking to obtain a blood meal. A small battery-powered fan is used to pull them into a collection bag for later identification and testing. The EVS trap is widely used by mosquito control districts due to being lightweight, portable, cost-effective, and easy to deploy in the field. It was originally developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for arbovirus monitoring programs. It’s effective for collecting a wide range of mosquito species, including species that carry viruses such as West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or St. Louis Encephalitis.

A CDC miniature light trap is a compact, battery-powered device used to collect adult mosquitoes for surveillance and research. It was also developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is one of the most widely used tools in mosquito monitoring programs worldwide. Effective for sampling a wide range of nocturnal mosquito species, the trap uses a small incandescent or LED light to attract mosquitoes during nighttime hours. Similar to the EVS trap, many CDC miniature light trap setups also include a carbon dioxide source (often dry ice) to simulate human breath and increase effectiveness. It’s typically suspended above the ground from a branch or structure. As mosquitoes approach the light, a battery-powered fan draws them into a mesh collection bag for later identification and testing.

The BG-Counter is an automated mosquito monitoring device designed to work with BG-series traps for real-time surveillance. It is manufactured by Biogents AG and is commonly paired with the BG-Sentinel trap. The BG-Counter uses optical sensors to detect and count mosquitoes as they are drawn into the trap. By analyzing wing-beat frequency and movement patterns, it distinguishes mosquitoes from other insects and debris, providing more accurate surveillance data. Powered by solar panels, real-time surveillance data is wirelessly transmitted to a cloud-based data management system via cellular network for remote monitoring.

The Biogents BG-Sentinel 2 trap is designed to attract and capture a wide range of mosquito species, especially day-biting mosquitoes that aren’t reliably caught by traditional light traps. The trap’s unique shape and airflow mimic human convection currents, making it especially attractive to container-breeding species such as Aedes mosquitoes. The trap creates a localized plume of attractive cues (odors and air movement) that simulate a human host. Mosquitoes following these cues are drawn toward the trap’s opening and sucked in by the fan into a collection bag for later identification and testing. It’s often paired with BG-Lure attractant cartridges, which emit a blend of human skin odor components to draw mosquitoes in. Other lures, such as carbon dioxide, can also be used to broaden the range of species attracted. The design minimizes the escape of captured mosquitoes, improving sample quality for monitoring efforts.