Two more in the can

We continue our sampling of tire sites around the state, with stops now completed in Gulf Port and Natchez.  The Gulf port site was a collection of tires near some residences that likely represent an older illegal disposal.  Most of the tires were off in a wooded area, but some were also distributed along a road adjacent to some homes.  These tires were filled with leaf detritus as a result of their prolonged location under trees.

Our site in Gulf Port, MS, with tires along a road.  Many of the tires we sampled came from a wooded lot across the street from this area.

Our trip yesterday was to the far west of the state, in Natchez.  Once a major harbor for steamboats using the Mississippi river, Natchez still remains a popular destination for tourists seeking antebellum charm.  We originally planned to sample a large site that was once owned by the now defunct Armstrong Rubber Co, who used the property to dump surplus and damaged tires.  The site holds perhaps 3,000 tires, scattered among several deep ravines,  that were deposited within the last 40 years. 

The large tire cascade near Natchez, MS, that while filled with tires, was low on water (and mosquitoes).  Stephen and Jeff (L to R) shown for scale.

We often think that tires are great habitats for mosquitoes, given their ability to catch rain water and detritus.  However, given enough time, tires can slowly be filled to the brim by detritus, making water (and therefore mosquitoes) less common.  We found this to be true for this site, as we only were able to located a few moist tires, and none with larvae.

Which came first, the tire or the tree?  One of the old tires at the large pile near Natchez, MS.  This tire obviously proceeded this tree, and give us a sense for how long this pile has been around.

We did manage, with a little scouting, to located a couple of active tire businesses from which we could sample.  Both locations had ample tires (and mosquitoes!). The larval data is starting to accumulate from all 4 sites so far, and although we are seeing the usual players (Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Toxorhynchites rutulis), we are finding some interesting species, including the earliest encounter with Culex coronator.  We'll keep posting some patterns as they become apparent.

Alisa, Jeff (L to R) and a four legged friend sample tires at an active tire business in Natchez, MS.

So it begins.....Tires across Mississippi

We've started our summer long sampling of tires in Mississippi as part of my NIH funded research.  We will be sampling at least 7 sites scattered across the state to answer a number of questions related to the tire mosquito fauna.  Our first two sites are located in Ohlo and Jackson.  Both are commercial businesses that have good sized tire piles.  At each of these sites we are collecting data on not only the mosquitoes we encounter, but other organisms in tires (other invertebrates, bacteria, and protozoans), and other factors that are likely to influence the tire community (e.g., tire size and volume, canopy cover, pH, nutrients).  

One of our tire locations (Ohlo, MS).  This location has a number of small to large piles scattered around auto salvage.

This was our first trip (of 3-4 to each site), and at each site we are collecting data from about 40 tires.  Although that may seem like small potatoes given the density of tires available, we have some specific criteria that we need each tire we select to have in order to answer our questions.

Francis (in white) and Alisa sample tires at our Jackson, MS site.

For instance, because we wish to understand some of the factors responsible for the distribution of mosquitoes in tires, it's important that most of our tires contain mosquito larvae.  We also are interested in understanding how nutrients affect the presence of larvae, so we need to have the major types of detritus present (i.e., animal, leaf).   Once we identify a tire, we begin taking data about the tire environment, and we conclude with removing the contents.  We've found that cutting a hole in the sidewall works best.

A view from the top!....of the large tire pile in Jackson, MS.

This project should yield a rather large data set (perhaps > 800 tires) and will represent one of the largest and most complete investigations of tire food webs in existence.  I'll be posting more updates as we hit other sites and learn more about the tire fauna, and occasionally I'll throw in some of our other moves (arriving in the post that hurts the most):