Lesson Plan

Mosquito Population Control

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Mosquito stinging bird eye

Mosquito stinging a red ʻapapane, an endemic honeycreeper and forest bird native to Hawai'i

Jack Jeffrey/USFWS

Grade Level:
High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
Subject:
Science
Lesson Duration:
60 Minutes
Additional Standards:
HS-L24-5
Thinking Skills:
Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts. Creating: Bring together parts (elements, compounds) of knowledge to form a whole and build relationships for NEW situations. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.

Essential Question

Why is mosquito population control important? 

What can you do to help control the mosquito population?

How does understanding the mosquito life cycle help us control the mosquito population?

Objective

Students will research and learn about mosquito life cycle and reproduction. Students will also learn through observations of mosquitoes in a controlled environment. Students will then test different mosquito repellants and be able to identify the most effective methods of mosquito control.

Background

Mosquitoes were introduced to Hawaiʻi in the 1800s from whaling ships coming to Maui. One species of mosquito, the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus), is the biggest threat to Hawaiian honeycreepers. Hawaiian honeycreepers are Hawaiʻi’s only native forest birds. In these lessons, this family of birds is sometimes generally referred to by the term “forest birds”.  

Southern house mosquitoes carry diseases that Hawaiian honeycreepers are highly susceptible to; avian malaria and avian pox. These mosquitoes, and other mosquito species found in Hawaiʻi, can also carry diseases that are harmful humans. One bite from a southern house mosquito carrying avian malaria has a 90% chance of killing an ʻiʻiwi (ee-ee-vee). The ʻiʻiwi is one of the 17 remaining species of Hawaiian honeycreepers! Factors such as climate change have caused mosquitoes to migrate farther and farther into these birds’ high-elevation habitat in the forests of Haleakalā, increasing the spread of avian malaria and avian pox. 

To protect the Hawaiian honeycreepers from mosquito-borne illnesses, Haleakalā National Park is extending the use of a mosquito population control method that has previously only been used to protect human health. This method is called the Incompatible Insect Technique, or IIT, for short! IIT has been effective in other parts of the world, helping to reduce the spread of other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever. Unlike other commonly used mosquito population control techniques, IIT doesn’t use any dangerous chemicals. Instead, IIT uses a bacteria called Wolbachia. Wolbachia is a commonly found, naturally occurring, bacteria in insects. In certain cases, Wolbachia has been found to interrupt the mosquito reproduction cycle. When female mosquitoes mate with male mosquitoes that carry a different, incompatible form of the bacteria, the eggs laid by the female are not viable and will not hatch. IIT relies on this natural incompatibility in mosquito reproduction. In an effort to decrease the overall population of the southern house mosquito, incompatible male mosquitoes are released into wild, pre-existing populations. With continuous releases, southern house mosquito populations and transmission rates of avian malaria should decrease. In this curriculum, students will learn how they can help control the mosquito population and be a part of saving the Hawaiian honeycreepers! 

Preparation

Teacher Preparation: 30-60 minutes 

Lesson: 2 class periods, 60 minutes each 
Materials

  • Eucalyptus 

  • Tea tree oil 

  • Neem oil 

  • Ulu (breadfruit) flowers 

  • Sweetgrass 

Materials

Identify environments mosquitoes are most attracted to. Pages 19-21

Download Lab Activity: Mosquito Habitat

Set up an experiment testing multiple variables and comparing with a control, identify the different stages of the mosquito life cycle, and analyze the results of their experiment and determine the best sources of mosquito repellant. Pages 21-23

Download Lab Activity: Mosquito Repellants

Lesson Hook/Preview

Why is mosquito population control important?

Procedure

Step 1: Direct Instruction 

  • Ask students if they have noticed where/when they have most noticed mosquitoes around them? What does your experience tell you about the behavior of mosquitoes? 

  • Teach students why this lesson is important to Maui. Mosquitoes have been a problem for a long time. They have adapted over time to breed quickly and survive in many different environments. Specifically in Hawai’i, when mosquitoes were introduced, they spread disease to the people and native species. We can all play a part in helping to control the mosquito population by finding ways to limit their reproduction. 

  • In this lesson, we will learn about the life cycle of a mosquito and discover where they thrive and how to repel them. 

  • Teach students about the life cycle of the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito (See CDC handout) 

  • Culex mosquito life cycle facts (from CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/life-cycles/culex.html):  

  • The females lay eggs on stagnant water. 

  • Most eggs hatch within 24 hours. 

  • Larvae live in water and develop into pupae within 5 days. 

  • The pupae then develop into adults in 2-3 days. 

  • In the next lesson, review the students’ findings from the activity and compare with their predictions at the beginning of the lesson. List any sources of uncertainty in the findings.  

Step 2: Guided Practice 

  • Students will perform two experiments testing mosquito habitat and repellants. 

  • Provide each student with a copy of the two labs: 

  • Lab Activity: Mosquito Habitat 

  • Lab Activity: Mosquito Repellants 

  • Before each lab, have students write down their predictions of the experiment results. 

  • At the end of the lab, have students answer the analysis questions and compare the results with their initial prediction. 

Step 3: Conclusion 

Mosquitoes have been a growing threat to the endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers on Maui (and across all of the Hawaiian Islands). On Maui, Haleakalā National Park is working hard to implement solutions to control southern house mosquito populations to protect these birds. However, we can each play a small part in the efforts to save these birds in our own homes and backyards.  

Step 4: Discussion 

What will you do to help control the mosquito population in your area?  

Additional Resources

Endangered Hawaiian Birds Conservation |Birds Not Mosquitoes

Contact Information

Email us about this lesson plan

Tags: birds native species endemic species mosquitoes

Last updated: June 24, 2024