The Metro South Public Health Unit recently put the call out to budding citizen scientists to take part in a buzzing competition to create their own Mozzie Monster mosquito traps.
Lydia was crowned the winner of the competition and took home her very own portable microscope to continue her citizen science adventures!
When asked why Lydia wanted to take part in the Mozzie Monster competition, she explained that she likes doing craft – it’s her favourite!
“I like science and I liked making a monster and his eyes from a mask,” Lydia said.
“I was so excited to win because I was really proud of my monster, and I have never won a competition before.”
Lydia and her sister Margot are loving the portable microscope and have been keenly inspecting their backyard to see what they can find.
“I am using the microscope to look at the bugs and beetles I collect in the gardens to see all their colours and shapes,” Lydia said.
The Mozzie Monsters are part of the long-running Zika Mozzie Seeker project where the Metro South community partners with our Public Health Unit to ensure our region has not been invaded by ‘Zika mozzies’ – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
Since 2017, more than 5,600 DIY mosquito traps have been deployed with 600,000 eggs from 172 suburbs collected.
To date, there has been no detection of Zika mozzies in our region, increasing our confidence that we are not at risk of exotic disease outbreaks like Zika, dengue or chikungunya.
If you, like Lydia, are interested in taking part in a future round of Zika Mozzie Seeker, please register here.
And keep an eye out on our socials in early-2025 for the next Mozzie Monster competition!