For the collection of adult female mosquitoes (male mosquitoes do not 'bite') BCMC uses dry ice CO2 traps. These traps are based upon a CDC (Centers for Disease Control) designed CO2 (carbon dioxide) trap. The top portion is a 1-gallon cooler with holes drilled in the bottom. Approximately 5 lbs of dry ice is placed into the cooler and as the dry ice sublimates carbon dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide is a long-range attractant for mosquitoes. A battery-powered fan hangs beneath the dry ice cooler and as the female mosquitoes approach the CO2 source, they are sucked into a catch bag. These traps are set out in the afternoon and then collected the following morning. The mosquitoes are then identified by species, counted, and some mosquito samples are tested for the presence of disease.

See the testing section for more details.