| Summary: | This study was conducted to determine whether hay infusion and smaller ovipools could replace current oviposition surveillance methods. Female Culex tarsalis given a choice of oviposition sites in the lab showed a preference for standing tap water over hay infusion (X2 = 82.9; p<.05). Hay infusion (as described by Reiter in 1983) was not a suitable replacement for the conventional sod infusion in Manitoba. Field experiments were conducted to determine the minimum size of ovipool that could be used for surveillance of Culex tarsalis, Cx. restuans and Culiseta inornata. One point five per cent of egg rafts laid were collected from the smallest pools (10 cm X 10 cm X 15 cm), 47.8% were collected from the medium pools (30 cm X 15 cm X 15 cm) and 50.7% were collected from the largest pools (40 cm X 30 cm X 15 cm). When frequency of oviposition events were calculated, there was no significant difference in the efficacy of the small, medium, large and traditional meter- square pools used.
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