Robert L Aldridge

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Technician at United States Department of Agriculture

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an alphavirus endemic in many parts of Central and South America transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti . Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment of Mayaro infection, and therefore it is essential to control transmission by reducing populations of Ae. aegypti . Unfortunately, Ae. aegypti are extremely difficult to control...

House flies are notoriously difficult to control, owing to their tendency to live in close relationships with humans and their livestock, and their rapid development of resistance to chemical controls. With this in mind, we explored an alternative chemical control, a spatial repellent to deter Musca domestica L. from points we wanted to protect (i....

The sterile insect technique (SIT) and the incompatible insect technique (IIT) are emerging and potentially revolutionary tools for controlling Aedes aegypti (L.), a prominent worldwide mosquito vector threat to humans that is notoriously difficult to reduce or eliminate in intervention areas using traditional integrated vector management (IVM) app...

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...

Control of mosquito vector populations is primarily intended to reduce the transmission of pathogens they transmit. Use of chemical controls, such as larvicides, can have unforeseen consequences on adult traits if not applied properly. The consequences of under application of larvicides are little studied, specifically the impacts on pathogen infec...

Background The sterile insect technique (SIT) is emerging as a tool to supplement traditional pesticide‐based control of Aedes aegypti, a prominent mosquito vector of microbes that has increased the global burden of human morbidity and mortality over the past 50 years. SIT relies on rearing, sterilizing and releasing large numbers of male mosquitoe...

Chemical control of vectors depends on the effective application of formulated insecticides. In this study we evaluated formulated larvicides using a larval bioassay against susceptible Aedes aegypti. The estimated larvicide lethal concentrations for 50% mortality (LC50s) were 25.7 μg/liter (Natular 2EC), 3.13 μg/liter (Abate 4E), 0.43 μg/liter (Al...

Mortality caused by passive resin transfluthrin diffusers (∼5 mg AI per 24 h release rate) suspended in small 2-person tents was measured for colony-reared sentinel pyrethroid susceptible Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus female mosquitoes, as well as a pyrethroid-resistant strain of Aedes aegypti, in a USA military field camp scenario. Mort...

Sterile insect technique (SIT) using irradiated mosquitoes is an effective control method capable of being assimilated into integrated vector management (IVM) programs. Chemical control of mosquitoes using ultra-low volume (ULV) spray applications of pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides is already an essential component of IVM programs. Prio...

Recent experiments suggest spatial repellents may significantly reduce biting pressure from host-seeking riceland mosquitoes, such as Anopheles quadrimaculatus, in a warm-humid open-field habitat. However, little is known regarding efficacy of these formulations in partially enclosed spaces where US military personnel may be sheltered or concealed...

Aedes aegypti is a prominent disease vector that is difficult to control through traditional integrated vector management due to its cryptic peridomestic immature-stage habitat and adult resting behavior, increasing resistance to pesticide formulations approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, escalating deregistration of approved pestici...

We investigated the capability of transfluthrin on US military camouflage netting to reduce collections of tabanid biting flies in a warm-temperate field environment on the Gulf Coast of Florida. We found that transfluthrin significantly reduced collections of a variety of medically and veterinarily important tabanids inside protected areas by up t...

Standard residual pesticides applied to US military materials such as camouflage netting can reduce mosquito biting pressure in the field but may contribute to the evolution of resistance. However, residual applications of a spatial repellent such as transfluthrin could allow mosquitoes the opportunity to escape, only inducing mortality if insects...

Residual pesticide treatment of US military materials such as camouflage netting and HESCO blast wall geotextile is an effective way to reduce biting pressure within protected perimeters. However, residual treatments eventually wane and require retreatment in situ, which may not be possible or practical in military scenarios. One solution is to ins...

The efficacy of CocoBear™ Larvicidal Oil and Aquatain ® AMF Liquid Mosquito Film against larval and pupal Culex quinquefasciatus was compared (at maximum label field application rates) when applied to concrete troughs treated with composted cow manure. At 1 h posttreatment, CocoBear provided significantly greater reduction of mosquito larvae than A...

Efficacy of public health pesticides targeting nuisance and disease-vector insects such as mosquitoes, sand flies, and filth-breeding flies is not uniform across ecological zones. To best protect public and veterinary health from these insects, the environmental limitations of pesticides need to be investigated to inform effective use of the most a...

United States military troops in the field are exposed to the environment and are thus at high risk for transmission of arboviruses, and degradation of mission from continual harassment from insects. Passive vector control, such as application of residual insecticides to US military materials common in the field such as tents and camouflage netting...

United States military personnel deployed in austere hot-arid, temperate, and tropical conditions in remote locations worldwide rely on the Department of Defense (DoD) Pest Management System measures such as application of pesticide residual and ultra-low–volume or thermal fog treatments for protection from routine exposure to nuisance and disease-...

Preemptive treatment of dry habitats with an ultra-low volume (ULV) residual larvicide may be effective in an integrated vector management program to control populations of container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes, key vectors of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses. We exposed dry, artificial containers placed in exposed and protected locations to N...

The invasive Aedes aegypti is an important disease vector increasing in frequency in hot-arid regions of the USA such as the Southwest. Within hot-arid surroundings this mosquito may be confined to peridomestic locations that tend to be cooler and humid, such as in lush, irrigated ornamental vegetation surrounding homes. However, to reach these hab...

We investigated the efficacy of a liquid larvicide, Natular 2EC® (spinosad), applied with ultra-low volume sprayer as a residual application during the dry season in southeastern Thailand against 4 medically important species—Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Anopheles dirus, and An. minimus. We found that this larvicide could be applied as a residual...

We conducted aerial fixed wing ultra low volume (ULV) spray trials with naled to investigate penetration of exposed and simulated cryptic habitat within opened buildings, partially sealed buildings, and outdoor locations targeting sentinel adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in north central Florida. Mortality was observed in open and closed buildings a...

Abbott-corrected sentinel adult Ae. aegypti mosquito percent mortality at 1, 4, and 12 hr post-spray following the 29–30 October aerial naled applications over the MOUT South site. Doors and windows were propped open at all structures unless indicated; Wax Candle and Bread Market structures had no doors or window shutters present and were left open...

Droplet analysis data from the 29–30 October aerial naled applications over the Transect and control sites (all outdoors, unprotected). The droplet spectrum for each location is partitioned into DV10, DV50 (VMD), and DV90. The symbol r denotes droplet density in droplets per mm2. (PDF)

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Abbott-corrected sentinel adult Ae. aegypti mosquito percent mortality at 1, 4, and 12 hr post-spray following the 29–30 October aerial naled applications over the Transect sites. All Transect sentinels were placed outdoors unprotected in the open at the top of 48-in high poles. (PDF)

Droplet analysis data from the 29–30 October aerial naled applications over the MOUT South, Village, and control sites. The droplet spectrum for each location is partitioned into DV10, DV50 (VMD), and DV90. The symbol r denotes droplet density in droplets per mm2. (PDF)

Abbott-corrected sentinel adult Ae. aegypti mosquito percent mortality at 1, 4, and 12 hr post-spray following the 29–30 October aerial naled applications over the Village site. All structures were unmodified with windows and doors completely open. Percent mortality at 1 hr marked in bold with dagger indicates ants present at time of sentinel cage...

Concentrations of malathion and permethrin typical in droplets generated from ultra-low-volume and low-volume applications used to control mosquito populations were evaluated for efficacy against multiple-aged Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae), using a topical bioassay. Although insecticide droplets will impinge on many exoskeletal bo...

Adulticides applied against mosquitoes can reduce vector populations during times of high arbovirus transmission. However, impacts of these insecticides on pollinators and other non-target organisms are of concern to mosquito control professionals, beekeepers and others. We evaluated mortality of Culex quinquefasciatus and Apis mellifera when caged...

Prior research in multiple insect species has demonstrated that insecticide-induced mortality varies according to the body region exposed on the insect. This variation has been demonstrated in Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae), but has not been quantified using dose–response curves. Applications of technical permethrin or malathion to...

Mosquito surveillance in remote areas with limited access to canisters of CO2 or dry ice will benefit from an effective alternative CO2 source, such as the natural production of CO2 from yeast fermentation. In this study, we investigate differences in mosquito capture rates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps baite...

Although insecticide spray droplets will potentially impinge on many exoskeletal body regions, traditional mosquito topical bioassays focus insecticide application to the mesothoracic pleural or dorsal area. Concentrations of permethrin and malathion found in droplets from ultra-low volume and low-volume sprays were evaluated for efficacy against a...

Emerging technology designed to kill mosquito larvae with sound waves may present a nonchemical and nonbiological alternative to reduce larval populations of key medically important mosquito species such as Aedes aegypti in containers or catchments of water. These devices could benefit integrated vector management programs facing public resistance...

Filth fly control measures may be optimized with a better understanding of fly population dynamics measured throughout the day. We describe the modification of a commercial motorized sequential mosquito trap to accept liquid odorous bait and leverage a classic inverted-cone design to passively confine flies in 8 modified collection bottles correspo...

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) continues to pose a threat to much of the world. Unlike many arboviruses, numerous mosquito species have been associated with RVFV in nature, and many species have been demonstrated as competent vectors in the laboratory. In this study, we evaluated two field-collected Psorophora species, Psorophora columbiae (Dyar an...

Multiple trials were conducted from 2006 to 2014 in an attempt to validate aerial spray efficacy at altitudes conducive to night spray operations using night vision goggles (NVGs). Higher altitude application of pesticide (more than 400 ft (121.9 m) above ground level (AGL)) suggested that effective vector control might be possible under ideal mete...

Multiple field studies conducted for the Deployed War-Fighter Protection (DWFP) research program have generated more than 80 specific guidance points for innovative combinations of pesticide application equipment, pesticide formulations, and application techniques for aerosol and residual pesticide treatments in 6 ecological regions against a range...

We evaluated Aedes atlanticus Dyar and Knab, Aedes infirmatus Dyar and Knab, Aedes vexans (Meigen), Anopheles crucians Wiedemann, Coquillettidia perturbans (Walker), Culex nigripalpus Theobald, Mansonia dyari Belkin, Heinemann, and Page, and Psorophora ferox (Von Humboldt) from Florida to determine which of these species should be targeted for cont...

A high-throughput bioassay system to evaluate the efficacy of residual pesticides against mosquitoes and muscid flies with minimal insect handling was developed. The system consisted of 4 components made of readily available materials: 1) a CO2 anaesthetizing chamber, 2) a specialized aspirator, 3) a cylindrical flat-bottomed glass bioassay chamber...

We describe an innovative aspirator gun designed to transfer individual anesthetized mosquitoes directly into glass bioassay tubes. The gun has been used for thousands of transfers with extremely low associated mortality and is the central component of a high-throughput bioassay system. The gun is constructed using readily obtainable materials and...

The current Department of Defense pest management system does not provide adequate protection from arthropod disease vectors to personnel deployed in support of US military operations. We hypothesized that military camouflage netting, ubiquitous around living and working areas in current US military operations in Africa and the Middle East, treated...