Which option best describes the purpose of dipping in mosquito surveillance?

• A. To collect mosquito larvae and assess their numbers.
• B. To trap adult mosquitoes.
• C. To measure air humidity.
• D. To sample adult blood for species identification.

Answer: (A)

Dipping is used to collect mosquito larvae from water bodies so you can assess their numbers and breeding activity. By sampling water from containers, ponds, or other stagnant sites with a dipper and counting the larvae found per dip, you gauge larval density and identify productive breeding habitats. This information helps target control measures like larviciding or habitat modification and, in some programs, determine which species are developing in those sites. It’s about immature stages, not adult mosquitoes.

This method isn’t used to trap adult mosquitoes, measure air humidity, or sample adult blood for species identification, which require different techniques.