BROWNSVILLE, Texas — How do you capture the deadliest animal on Earth, one that has been responsible for the death of more people than any other species in history? Here at America’s southern border, it’s not with high-tech weaponry, but with a black plastic tub of stinky water tucked under a bush.

Surrounded by tall, yellowing grass near a sports complex, the bait water reeks of damp soil and decaying vegetation. And on top of the basin is the trap: a gray toolbox with a small battery-powered fan sucking air into a mesh net.

This simple, humble device is called a gravid trap and its fetid smell is meant to mimic the ideal breeding site for mosquitoes. On a recent, humid Texas summer day with triple-digits on the thermometer, it proved to be very effective: Ensnared inside are dozens of

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