Matthew Hileman

Title: Application of the Sterile Insect Technique within Existing Mosquito Control Programs in Riverside County, California

Abstract:

Aedes aegypti control is challenging due to its adaptation to urban settings, where themosquito species breeds in container habitats near homes. This report evaluates IntegratedVector Management (IVM) in Riverside County with emphasis on the Sterile Insect Technique(SIT) for Aedes aegypti. IVM includes sanitation and other cultural controls that includebreeding site removal, larval surveillance, and targeted larvicide disbursement. SITcomplements these measures by releasing sterilized male mosquitoes that mate with wildfemales, producing eggs that do not hatch. This approach helps address the many small,hard-to-treat containers where Aedes aegypti thrive.This report describes how the Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control Districtconducted its 2025 SIT pilot in Lake Elsinore. Three treatment plots and a control area weremonitored with routing trapping to assess male survivorship, dispersal, and female abundanceas indicators of program effects. As SIT requires time for dispersal, mating and egg laying,measurable population changes were not observed within the short observation window.During the internship, a widely shared Facebook post mischaracterized the pilot byclaiming “millions” of mosquitoes would be released and using an image that suggested a massdumping of mosquitos. In reality, operations involved planned releases of thousands per weekand within defined sections of a Lake Elsinore neighborhood. The post drew substantialengagement, with many comments ranging from mild frustration to hostility and conspiracyclaims. To avoid future incidents, this report recommends plain-language, image-accurate,frequent and informative updates for the public, and same-day corrections to third-party errorsto limit misinformation.