If you see this around your house, here’s a PSA: IT’S NOT A RUBBISH BIN.
These are actually mosquito traps meant to monitor the Aedes mosquito population around Singapore. There’s about 50,000 of them around the island, with 14,000 more to come. In the second half of 2019, some of them will be going to landed estates too.
NEA has released a video explaining how it works, which you can watch:
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Traps mosquitos for data
The bin attracts female mosquitoes looking to lay eggs, traps them in, then is monitored by the NEA. Officers can then go to places with higher mosquito population to eradicate mosquito habitats.
There are sticky inner linings that prevent mosquitoes and the laid eggs from escaping.
It’s all good in theory. Except it is pretty vulnerable to sabotage and accidents.
And so, NEA has to answer some FAQs.
No fines for knocking it over, the water inside is safe
When I first saw the left picture, I immediately thought: damn, that’s a weird basketball colour. Until I saw the right and realised that’s because that’s a tennis ball and not a basketball. The bin isn’t actually that huge.
Size aside, there won’t be fines if the trap becomes toppled, but you’ll be making a lot of people’s life a pain in the ass. Water in the trap is hay infused water + BTI insecticide, which should be safe for the most part.
If you see any of these rolling sad on the ground, contact 1800-CALL NEA (1800-2255632) for follow up.
I assume depending on the circumstances, just putting them back up might not be the best. They are using these for data collection, so if it was toppled and say some mosquitoes escaped somehow, tell them that.
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I don’t think I need to tell you this, but it’s also probably a pretty dumb move to put your hand inside and play with the thing.
Actually introduced in 2014
But these weren’t actually that new; in 2014 they used it in construction sites.
And there was a study published in 2013 about the use of Gravitraps for dengue in Singapore.
But that’s not all for dengue
If there’s anything that governments like to do, it’s planning. There’s about 10 Smart Gravitraps on trial that will cover an extra step of identifying what species and gender the mosquitoes they capture are.
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I call myself smart sometimes, but I have a functioning brain and even I can’t do that.
All these are actually part of an operation with a name as scary as it sounds – Project Wolbachia. How scary is scary? Phase three coming up next involves releasing the mosquitoes.
Relax, it’s not bio-attack. These are controlled release of sterile male mosquitoes so more mosquitoes won’t breed with sexy times.
And if you need a refresher as to why we are doing all these, check out our earlier mosquito article.
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