How to set up your kit

Getting started

When you register to take part in Zika Mozzie Seeker, we’ll send you a free mosquito egg collection kit when the next round starts. This is also called an ovitrap.

You'll need to set up your ovitrap and leave it out for 2 to 3 weeks to collect urban mosquito eggs.

We’ll send you SMS and email reminders during the round, including when to check your kit for mosquito eggs.

What’s in your kit

Your kit includes the following.

Egg collection strip - female urban mosquitoes lay eggs on this
Lucrene pellet - attracts female urban mosquitoes ready to lay eggs
Blotting paper - helps mop up extra water from your strip
Paperclip - attaches your strip to the lip of your container
Sealable bag with barcode - put your strip in this before sending to us.

We'll also include a postage paid, pre-addressed envelope for you to send the strip back to us.

How to set up your kit

Watch our video to learn how to set up your ovitrap. You can also read and print out our how to assemble your DIY ovitrap [PDF 137.73 KB] instructions.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the following video contains images and voices of people who have died.

Duration: 4:11

Show transcript

Hi, I'm here to show you how to put together your Zika Mozzie Seeker kit you would have received in the mail in an envelope like this addressed to yourself. Let's have a look inside and see what you would have received. You would have received a reply paid envelope back to Queensland Health and of course your starter kit.

We have the strip, which can be cut down to the size to fit your container. We have our blotting paper, in which to put the strip into to dry before sending it back. We have our paper clip, and we also have our pallet of lucerne.

Select your container. Dark coloured containers are most attractive to female domestic mozzies. A larger 2 litre container is ideal because it should hold water for up to 2 3 weeks without drying out, and it's less likely to fall over. Or recycle a milk carton, soft drink bottle, ice cream bucket, or similar.

Place in a light or clear container inside a dark coloured container. For example, a dark pot plant holder, which may not be waterproof, is also a great option.

Create your Mozzie egg trap. If necessary, cut the top off your container to create a wide opening. Make sure it's very clean, washed thoroughly, then double rinse your container with clean water. Hang the long white egg collection strip on the inside of the container so that it touches the bottom. Fix it to the side using a paper clip or similar.

Trim off any excess strip that hangs over the outside of the container. Add room temperature tap water to your container to about three quarters full. This should be enough water, so you don't have to top it up. Add the green pellet, the lucent, to the water. One pellet is sufficient. There is no need to mix or break up the pellet.

Once your trap is ready, leave it out in your backyard, front yard, or balcony for two weeks. The trap should be placed away from disturbances by pets or children, out of direct sunlight and away from the rain, wind, and away from hoses or sprinklers. Ideal locations for your trap are under eaves, under a veranda, or close to a fence.

The mozzies will lay their eggs on the paper egg collection strip in the trap just above the waterline. Mozzie eggs are small, less than one millimetre in size, and black. Remember, once the trap is set, do not refill the water or splash water over any eggs. After two weeks, remove the paper clip, take out the strip, fold it over once, twice, place then into the blotting paper that was supplied to help dry out the strip, and then place in the plastic bag with barcode that had been supplied.

Flatten it out, seal it up, place into the reply paid envelope as such, which also has a barcode, seal it up, and mail back to Queensland Health.

Step 1 – Find a container

Choose a container that's 1 to 2 litres in size so it doesn't need to be refilled. Rinse it out with water twice before you use it.

Black or dark coloured containers are ideal because urban mosquitoes are attracted to them. You can use things like old coffee jars, ice cream containers or soft drink bottles with the tops cut off.

If you don't have a dark container, you can put yours in something darker like a black plant pot.

Step 2 – Attach your egg collection strip

Hang your egg collection strip inside the container so it touches the bottom. Trim off any extra strip that's outside the container.

Step 3 – Secure your egg collection strip

Use the paperclip in your kit to keep the egg collection strip in place.

Step 4 – Fill the container with water

Use cold tap water to fill your container about 3/4 full. There needs to be enough water to last 2 to 3 weeks without refilling it.

Step 5 – Add the lucerne pellet

Add the lucerne pellet to the water. This helps attract female urban mosquitos to the ovitrap.

Step 6 – Wait for 2 weeks

Female urban mosquitoes that visit your yard will lay their eggs on the egg collection strip. The eggs are very small - 1 mm in size or less.

After 2 weeks, if you can see eggs on the collection strip, it's ready to send back to us.

If you can’t see any eggs, leave the trap out for one more week before you send it back to us even if you can't see any eggs. Recording zero eggs is also an important result.

Keep your ovitrap dry

Mosquito eggs only hatch when they're re-flooded. If they hatch in your ovitrap, there won't be any eggs to test so make sure you:

keep your ovitrap out of the rain and wind so it doesn't collect any more water
don't splash water inside your container when you check it
don't add extra water after you've set it up
put your ovitrap where it won't be disturbed by pets, children, hoses or sprinklers.

Updates and support

During the round, we’ll keep in touch with you by sending the following SMS or email reminders.

Confirmation that you’ve got your egg collection kit
Week 1 reminder to confirm your ovitrap is set up and check if you’ve collected any eggs
Week 2 reminder to return your egg collection strip to us or leave your ovitrap out for another week
Final reminder to send your egg collection strip to us.

When the round is finished, we’ll let you know how many eggs were in your trap.

How to send your egg collection strip back

Step 1 – Remove the strip

Remove the strip from your ovitrap. It'll be wet so let it air-dry or use the blotting paper in the kit to mop up the water. Wrap the damp strip in the paper.

Step 2 – Use the sealable bag

Put the strip (dry or still wrapped in blotting paper) in the barcoded bag. Make sure the bag is tightly sealed.

Step 3 – Send the strip back to us

Put the barcoded bag into the postage paid and pre-addressed envelope and send it back to us.

Contact us

Email MSPHU-Med-Ent@health.qld.gov.au for help or if you have questions about your kit.