Hi neighbors,

It finally feels like fall, but mosquito season isn't over yet! Mosquitoes will slow down as temperatures consistently dip below 60, but  they won't die off until a hard frost. With lots of rain in the forecast, keep tossing and treating standing water and maintaining your traps. If you have a portal account, we'll send a notification with instructions when it's time to put away traps and store leftover Bti for the season.

🔬 18 sites sampled! The mosquitoes are being counted in the lab

The UMD research team just finished sampling mosquitoes at 18 sites around Capitol Hill, each with a different level of Itty Bitty participation. Once all of the data is analyzed we'll get to see what difference neighbor effort makes, and hopefully which kinds of effort matter most. It's a first look, and it'll help us design a more comprehensive study for next year.

The team is now busy identifying and counting the mosquito samples they collected. We hope to share results in the next couple of months, and you'll be one of the first to see them. Huge thanks to everyone whose yard, trap, or block was part of this!

✈️ Got feedback or questions for the Biogents scientists? Send them my way

In two weeks I'm visiting Biogents HQ in Germany to meet the team that designs and tests the traps. It's a rare chance to share what we've learned this season and ask them questions directly.

I'm planning to share feedback that's popped up throughout the season, including confusion around setup instructions, that a screen over the GAT trap's funnel would keep critters out, and the GAT's dome needs a more secure fit on the base. What would you add? Hit reply to share! Photos welcome.

🦇 If you're curious: Battling Bloodsuckers at the new Nat Geo museum, Oct 1

Epidemiologist and Nat Geo Explorer Ryan Carney is talking mosquitoes, bats, and other bloodsuckers, plus how AI and citizen science are advancing human health. The event is on Thursday, Oct 1 at 7:30 pm, and a good excuse to check out the new museum space. Tickets are $30 and Itty Bitty members get 10% off with the code IttyBitty. Event details

Thank you for jumping into this experiment with us. We've learned a lot this season, and I can't wait to see what the results tell us. In the meantime, enjoy these first cool evenings outside!

Michelle

Click here to unsubscribe