PREPARED BY: Environmental Health
DATE: 2026-05-14
SUBJECT: WECHU and PHAC Collaborative - Mosquito Trapping Pilot Project
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
The Windsor and Essex County (WEC) area has experienced impacts of climate change in recent years, including record levels of precipitation, periods of extreme heat, severe storms, and widespread flooding. These changes have created favourable conditions for the survival and spread of invasive mosquito species (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) not typically found in our region. WEC is the first region in Canada to detect Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and has also documented the presence of Aedes albopictus since 2016. Both species are aggressive daytime biters capable of transmitting several diseases, including Zika virus, Dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile virus (WNV), and Chikungunya. The Windsor‑Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) conducts enhanced monitoring to identify the presence of these invasive mosquito species in our region. As part of this program, BG-Sentinel 2 (BGS-2) traps are used which are specifically designed to attract and capture Aedes mosquitoes.
Last year, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) conducted a citizen science study in WEC in conjunction with the University of Windsor, using 3D‑printed traps developed by the Salt Lake City Department in the United States. These traps feature a smaller, more portable design with lighter batteries, than the BGS-2 trap which may help reduce overall resource requirements. As part of WECHU’s ongoing commitment to improving the quality of our mosquito surveillance program, there was an opportunity to further enhance the program by exploring the use of 3D‑printed traps.
Although BGS‑2 traps are highly effective for detecting invasive Aedes mosquitoes, they present some operational challenges due to their size, costs of equipment and part replacement, and the increased staff time needed for deployment and collection process. The estimated cost for the 3D‑printed trap is approximately $50 while the BGS‑2 trap is approximately $400, representing significant cost savings.
The WECHU will pilot these 3D‑printed traps to assess their performance in comparison to BGS-2 traps and determine potential integration into our mosquito surveillance program.
DISCUSSION
The pilot project will be implemented throughout the regular mosquito surveillance season, from late May to mid‑October. Through our collaborative partnership with PHAC, the WECHU has received ten 3D‑printed traps, of which seven will be utilized for this comparison project (the remainder will serve as replacements). The PHAC has also provided all required instructions, materials, and technical guidance for the setup and operation of the 3D-printed traps. These traps will be deployed at approximately 50% of the 15 existing BGS-2 trap sites to collect entomological and operational data. Site selection will be based on the BGS-2 traps previous year’s trap performance, including total mosquito captures, species composition, and the number of positive mosquito pools. To ensure consistent sampling, the 3D‑printed traps will be set up in the same manner as the BGS-2 traps, including the use of a scent lure and dry ice to attract invasive mosquito species. The 3D-printed trap will be placed approximately 30m apart from a BGS-2 trap to reduce overlap in attraction mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes collected from the 3D‑printed traps will be submitted to an accredited laboratory for species identification and viral testing. The weekly results will be made available on the WECHU's Mosquito Surveillance Dashboard along with our routine mosquito surveillance program data. Throughout the season, WECHU staff will document operational processes, including ease of portability, the time required for trap setup and pickup, and overall equipment performance. At the end of the surveillance season, data will be analyzed to assess the effectiveness of 3D‑printed traps against the BGS-2 traps for the detection of invasive Aedes species, comparing the total number of mosquitoes captured, species composition, and evaluate operational efficiencies. A comprehensive report summarizing these findings and recommendations will be prepared to inform the potential adoption of 3D‑printed traps for the WECHU’s Mosquito Surveillance Program.