A Permanent Pond for Studies of Mosquitoes and Other Aquatic Insects

Permanent ponds of plastic sheeting and wood were built for field trials of the infection of woodland species of Aedes by entomophilic nematodes. The ponds are well adapted to both short— and long—term studies because it is possible to change the pond location, contour, and lining, to alter water levels, and to subdivide the ponds for both chemical control and biological control agents. Soon after the construction of the ponds in the summer of 1961, they were invaded by a wide variety of animals that became permanent residents. The ponds permit easy measurement of temperature, solar radiation, and chemical attributed including pH and oxygen and carbon concentrations.