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[This study was funded by IVCC through support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-

007509), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) (Grant: 81067480) and UK Aid (Grant: 30041-105). The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of IVCC, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, SDC or UK Aid.].

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007509), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) (Grant: 81067480) and UK Aid (Grant: 30041-105). The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of IVCC, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, SDC or UK Aid.]

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

Reviewer #1: The manuscript is well-structured, scientifically rigorous, and highly relevant to the field of malaria vector control as it reports a robust field study that evaluates the sugar feeding behavior of malaria vectors using Attractive Sugar Baits (ASBs) in western Kenya. The research fills an important gap in understanding vector behavior in regions with abundant natural sugar sources and informs deployment strategies for ATSBs in subsequent large-scale trials. There are few suggestions made in my reveiw comments for consideration, including suggestions of the inclusion of some important data into the manuscript.

Reviewer #2: There are typos that need to be corrected before publishing,

Progress of malaria vector control has not stalled since 2015. It is ongoing

Instead of using understand use Assess

Where it is statistically insignificant indicate the statistic result

Exophilic malaria vectors are known

Reviewer #3: The authors report on a field validation study of Attractive Sugar Baits (ASBs) in western Kenya using uranine dye to measure mosquito feeding rates. While methodologically sound, the manuscript requires revision to address critical gaps and improve clarity.

1. The study predicted sufficient feeding rates for epidemiological impact, yet subsequent trials showed no efficacy. The authors inadequately explain this fundamental disconnect. The manuscript can benefit from detailed review of the modeling assumptions, potential validation methodology limitations, and specific comparison with epidemiological trial outcomes.

2. The crossover design is missing a key period effect analysis to test for differences in outcomes over time, independent of the treatment. This is particularly important due to the use of different ASB versions, seasonal variation, and time-dependent confounders. The statistical analysis should also be adjusted for multiple comparisons

Abstract

Line 30: rephrase

Line 54-56: Consider breaking it down for better readability, e.g., "The predominant malaria vector was An. funestus sensu lato (s.l.) with an overall dye feeding rate of 11.2%, followed by An. gambiae s.l. at 3.5%. These corresponded to daily feeding rates of 4.8% and 1.2%, respectively."

Introduction

Line 73 replace “falling” with “lies”.

Line 114-115: This sentence is a bit passive rephrase.

Methods

Line 121: consider replacing “non-clustered” with “non-contiguous” for better clarity.

Line 122: Explain the terminology “fried egg” earlier.

Line 136 replace “which” with “that”.

Line 145: rephrase “was maintained” with a more active phrase such as “was used”.

Line 159-161: The sentence is a little clunky please rephrase.

Discussion

Line 425: Consider including in the methods and results the laboratory comparison of the two versions of ASBs.

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what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

Reviewer #3: No

**********

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Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: Reviewer comments_Jackline et al. 2025.docx

Quantification of Anopheles daily sugar feeding rates in Siaya county, western Kenya using Attractive Sugar Baits

PONE-D-25-29347R1

Dear Dr. Kosgei,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

James Colborn

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #3: All comments have been addressed

**********

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

Reviewer #1: I am satisfied with the authors’ responses and the revisions made to the manuscript titled “Quantification of Anopheles Daily Sugar Feeding Rates in Siaya County, Western Kenya Using Attractive Sugar Baits” (PONE-D-25-29347R1). I have no further comments. Congratulations to Mrs. Jackline Jeruto Kosgei and co-authors on their excellent work!

Reviewer #3: I have read through the reviewers' response, and I'm confident that the author has adequately addressed the comments raised.

**********

what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #3: No

**********