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A proposition worthy of investigation: Is it possible that a simple 10-cent piece of metal screen can eliminate dengue- or malaria and vector disease carrying mosquitoes in man modified environments? Over 10 PhD and MD's, as well as the Director of Disaster Relief for Central America, have signed a letter suggesting that this should be investigated.

What evidence supports this proposition? The project initiator, who is an inventor with an engineering degree, in the winter lives in a desert area with an average of 3 inches of rain per year. This area of the Baja Mexico has mosquito problems, including the mosquito-bourn dengue fever. The initiator had no mosquito problem until he built a septic system on his property. Inspection of the properly sealed septic system produced mosquitoes flying out of the inspection cover into the initiator’s face demonstrating the habitat or breeding source. After a screen was placed on the air vent to the septic system, the mosquitoes virtually disappeared from the property within a few days. This experiment was duplicated numerous times in a nearby campground. When the screen was placed on the 4-inch septic tank vent in the campground, several hundred to thousands of mosquitoes were seen trapped on the septic system side of the screen. The screen has been missing almost every year at the campground, and each time the sequence reoccurred: people were eaten alive in the campground, then the vents were screened, and the mosquitoes disappeared within a few days. This has been duplicated numerous times.

A recent Naples Florida newspaper article 3/27/04 by the Collier Mosquito Control District discussed a problem, a homeowner who was a seasonal resident was finding dead and live mosquitoes in their home bathroom and kitchen when returning after being away for months. This full article link is posted on my web site and is critically important to demonstrating that mosquitoes breed in septic systems and can enter the house via vents/drain systems. This was with a mosquito district inspecting the exterior, how did mosquitoes get into a closed up home. Their conclusions also a link on my web page came to the conclusion to screen the vents and more. Here is one of their answers;

Answer to #1 & 2 (How did they get in, and where were they breeding?):
Mosquitoes were flying down the vent stack, into the septic tank where they were breeding. The water in the toilet bowl and drains would evaporate over time, allowing some mosquitoes to find their way into the house.

Checks of the CDC and WHO websites showed that while both note that mosquitoes breed in septic systems and the septic system should be checked for leaks and damage, neither suggests the screening of septic system vents. This needs to be changed and add vents. Web searches likewise showed that only one U.S. site, (for Stinson Beach, CA.), and only about 4 other cities worldwide (in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, India, ), recommended screening septic system vents to control/eradicate mosquitoes and the diseases they carry. This implies that simple screens over septic system vents hold the potential for controlling mosquito-bourn diseases, including dengue fever and malaria. Logic follows since it is written up in these 4 regions plus the Florida example this can not be a co-incidence and should suffice to investigate. We must also keep in mind that septic systems are not a natural part of the ecosystem, they are man made so the presence of man has contributed to the increased volume of mosquitoes.

Further thought suggested that if screens are good in this application, a trap would be better. Many mosquitoes, including those which carry dengue fever, fly to the nearest source of standing water – generally within 20 meters of the person bitten. They lay their eggs and go for another feast and if any previous person was infected with a vector disease this next bite will spread the disease. A trap would use the septic system water vapor to attract the mosquito, and would prohibit both the adult (which now could be infected) and the offspring from escaping to bite (again and again). The result would be even more effective than the screens noted above. See the demonstration drawing.

The goal of this site it to bring attention to society that they need to put 10 cent screens on house and septic vents to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in their septic systems. All we need to do is put metal screens on the septic systems for now.

Another major goal is to get the CDC and World Health Organization to change/modify their web sites and notify all appropriate government agencies to modify and disseminate this information to put 10 cent wire screens on all septic vents and house vents in areas where there are mosquitoes.

The evidence I have will be posted on this site in the future when I have time.
We have numerous PhD’s and MD’s that have agreed and signed a support letter for this mission.

I have a large file I have compiled on mosquitos found in septic systems. note the file named “screen on septic” is the most applicable evidence written by an organization in India. There is a link to it below or I can send it. Then look at the typical recommendations by Ohio State and WHO, they do not see the correlation with screens on septic vents. This is true of the CDC recommendations, they all miss the mosquitoes breeding in septic systems escaping through the vent.

Second to this goal I am trying to get funding to develop a one way funnel trap that allows a mosquito to fly in the vent tube but then the mosquitoes can not fly out after they lay eggs or once they hatch. Very similar in concept to fly and bee type traps that work. We have the natural attractant the vent so lets make use of it.

contact me at devolpi@cs.com Contact me and I can send a large file of documents demonstrating mosquitos do live in septic systems.. about 4 meg if you would like the info I will send it..

Below are some links I have found from around the world that have noticed mosquitoes live/breed in septic systems.

105, Babu,C.J., Panicker,K.N. and Dass,P.K. Breeding of Aedes aegypti in closed septic tanks. Indian J Med Res 77 (1983) 637.

- http://www.ptreyeslight.com/stories/dec18_03/mosquito_district.html Marin County on target telling people to seal off septic vents. Again not screen but seal. “Wandersheid said one problem that occurs especially in West Marin results from the fact that most homes here use septic systems. Homeowners need to completely seal off vent pipes to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in septic systems, Wandersheid said.” Also in Marin http://www.msmosquito.com/cpipiens.html