The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the primary carriers of the Zika virus. They are able to breed in the smallest amounts of standing water. There's another mosquito that hasn't been getting much attention that can also carry the Zika virus. Its name is Aedes albopictus, and the Pan-American Health Organization recently reported that tests of the mosquito done in Mexico came back positive for Zika. In a study done in 2013 the Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, was successfully infected with the Zika virus in a lab in Singapore.

       Mosquitoes and humans have a symbiotic relationship called parasitism. Mosquitoes are harmful and carry diseases that can cause minor irritation and major illnesses such as the Zika virus. Zika is a disease that causes birth defects like microcephaly and usually shows symptoms of fever, rash and joint pain. Zika spreads through the bite of these mosquitoes.

       The Asian tiger mosquito is a similar species that we currently have in our home State of New Jersey that has been known to be able to carry Zika. The reason we are building our mosquito traps is to stop the mosquito population from growing and. causing many people to die from this deadly disease.