12
Determination of Counting Accuracy
Catch bag
For routine operation, it is
not
recommended to use a catch
bag as it might fill up too quickly and result in counting er
-
rors. For routine operation with the BG-Counter 2, the BG-Pro
is used without a catch bag. Mosquitoes are sucked through
the ventilator and end up dead at the bottom of the trap.
A catch bag can be installed when the BG-Counter 2 runs
only for a few hours in order to check if the number of coun-
ted mosquitoes by the BG-Counter 2 corresponds with the
actual number of collected mosquitoes. In this way the accu-
racy of the BG-Counter 2 can be determined.
Protect the trap from predators
When comparing manual catch bag counts to electronic
counts, note that mosquitoes can “disappear” from the catch
bag:
Mosquitoes and other insects may be “stolen” by ants, spi-
ders, or geckos. Therefore, make sure for all calibration ex-
periments that ants or other predators have no access to the
catch bag. You can protect the trap by placing a water sur-
face around it, or by adding glue or PTFE to all trap parts that
might be accessible for predators.
Check CO
2
settings
The accuracy of the BG-Counter 2 strongly depends on the
presence of CO
2
. Make sure that CO
2
is turned on during the
whole time range that you select for determination of the
Counter‘s accuracy. We recommend a flow-rate of 50 g/h.
Compare
If you make sure that mosquitoes do not leave the catch bag
after they have been sucked in, the accuracy of the BG-Coun-
ter 2 for correctly counted mosquitoes is expected to range
between 80% and 90%.
Make sure to compare the catch bag results with the electro-
nic results reported for the
same time interval
!
This means, that you should install and take out the catch
bag as close as possible to a round 15 min intervall. Make
a note of the exact time range in which your catch bag was
attached to the BG-Counter 2 (e.g. the time range of your
manual counts. After downloading the raw data of the BG-
Counter 2 (p. 30), make sure to only consider the number of
mosquitoes that were counted in the same time range!
The BG-Counter 2 is reset every time the power is disconnected and re-connected, and the start-up sequence commences as
described above.
Daily
Check the dashboard of the BG-Counter 2 web app for
warnings or error messages. If a fan or voltage problem is
indicated, or there are no new transmissions, take corrective
actions immediately.
Every 2 weeks
Inspect and clean the counter and trap, as necessary:
•
Remove everything that deters mosquitoes from ente-
ring the trap such as spider webs, leaves, and dirt.
•
Empty the catch bag.
•
Wipe the counter housing and the inside of the funnel
to remove dust or other contaminants.
Depending on local conditions, more frequent service
may be required.
CO
2
• Replace or fill CO
2
tank as necessary.
•
Access the web app and update the CO
2
trap settings at
each replacement (blue “Fill CO
2
” button).
BG-Lure
•
Replace the BG-Lure every 5 months.
Reset
Maintenance
