Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate handmade ovitraps as a sustainable auxiliary strategy to control Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. METHODS: Black and white ovitraps were designed using 0.95 L plastic containers, paper towel, and plastic film. Three treatments were tested: water, water with birdseed, and water with birdseed plus diflubenzuron, for 15 weeks, in Monteria and Ayapel, Colombia. The data were analyzed with Python(®), using ChatGPT. Manual egg counts were compared with counts done by an artificial intelligence (AI) system, and ovicidal methods were evaluated in the laboratory. RESULTS: Ovitraps with birdseed, costing less than USD $0.20, achieved test positivity rates (TPR) above 78.0%, and captured an average of 385 eggs per trap per week. Over the entire study, approximately 100 ovitraps eliminated 67 868 eggs and prevented the development of 48 458 adults (47.2% female). Black traps (TPR: 54.47%) outperformed white traps (TPR: 41.24%), although no significant differences were due to color. Treatment with birdseed and diflubenzuron was the most effective. Manual egg counts were more accurate than AI counts. In addition, the use of hot water (80-100 °C) achieved 100% ovicidal efficacy, outperforming diflubenzuron. The community showed a high level of acceptance and reported significant benefits through mosquito reduction. CONCLUSION: Handmade ovitraps with paper towel immersed weekly in hot water, are a cost-effective, accessible, environmentally friendly strategy that can be easily integrated into vector control programs in urban and rural areas endemic for arboviral diseases, minimizing the use of insecticides and reducing environmental impacts.