A few students and volunteers were bitten by unknown insects during a summer camp at Tataka in July 2004, causing intense itching and one person’s allergic reaction was so severe that they even had to see a doctor. The purpose of this project is to figure out what kind of insects may bite humans or wild animals at elevations over 2,500 meters.
Six different members of the mosquito family and a Culicoides genus were found during this research project. The process was conducted on two days per month from April to October, included setting a Black-light trap, a BG-Sentinel mosquito trap, a DIY-trap, collecting mosquito larva and using large nets when feeling insects approach.
The low capture rate of specimens indicates that it is rare to encounter blood-sucking insects at Tataka, but visitors still need to be reminded of the possibility.
This project comes with immediate and long-term strategies.

For immediate strategies:
1.List piercing and blood-sucking insects with images from the results of this investigation. If someone gets bitten, staff will note the time and location of the event, and ascertain what the suspected insects maybe.
2.Encourage colleagues at Tataka to take part in this project and establish a larger insect database, especially at dusk during summer.

For long term strategies:
1.Find the hosts of these blood-sucking insects in order to evaluate the health of wild animals while minimizing human disturbance