PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF MOSQUITO ANNOYANCE MEASURED BY A SURVEY AND SIMULTANEOUS MOSQUITO SAMPLING

For randomly chosen residents of the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, metropolitan area, survey responses, reported bites, and observed defe nsive behaviors (e.g., brushing, swatting) for a 5-min period in their yard were compared with simultaneous mosquito counts from a human-bai ted drop-net trap 6 m from the resident. When mosquitoes trapped, repo rted bites, or observed behaviors per 5 min were 3 or more, the majori ty of respondents described the mosquito levels as greater than ''mode rate'' and anticipated reduced outdoor time and/or possible repellent use. At 25 or more mosquitoes trapped, 11 or more reported bites, or 1 6 or more observed behaviors per 5 min, response was ''bad'', with mos t people anticipating a major reduction in outdoor time (without repel lent), ''probably'' or ''definitely'' planning to use repellent, and a nticipating some outdoor time loss even if using repellent. Levels of less than 3 mosquitoes trapped per 5 min were related to moderate anno yance in 20-45% of the population. Individual response was highly vari able, and the personal and environmental covariates measured did not a ccount for more than half the variability.