Spatial repellents are volatile or volatilized chemicals that may repel arthropod vectors in free space, preventing bites and reducing the potential for pathogen transmission. In a 21-week field study, we investigated the efficacy of passive transfluthrin-impregnated diffusers placed in two-person United States (US) military tents located in canopy and open field habitats in north Florida to prevent mosquitoes from entering. Mosquito collections with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traps baited with light and carbon dioxide were conducted weekly for weeks 0-4, every two weeks for weeks 5-10, and monthly for weeks 11-21. Our results demonstrated that these transfluthrin-impregnated devices did not function as spatial repellents as expected and did not create a mosquito-free zone of protection. Instead, we observed consistently higher collections of mosquitoes from tents with transfluthrin-impregnated diffusers, and higher rates of mosquito mortality in collections from tents with transfluthrin diffusers, compared to untreated control tents. Based on these findings we do not recommend the use of passive transfluthrin-impregnated diffusers for mosquito protection in two-person US military tents in warm-temperate environments similar to north Florida.
Keywords: Integrated vector management; Military operational entomology; Passive control; Resistance management; Spatial repellent.