The Colusa Mosquito Abatement District is gearing up for the upcoming mosquito season. The effort consists primarily of a spray program to control adult mosquitoes using truck mounted foggers in both the urban and rural areas of the District, starting in late May, officials said.
Meanwhile, people living in and around Colusa are encouraged to help control the breeding of two new invasive mosquito species to California that can transmit Dengue Fever and Chikungunya virus by inspecting homes and yards thoroughly and removing any standing water that may cause mosquito production.
“These new species prefer breeding in very small containers that do not require much water, so this would be a very important part of helping the District reduce mosquito numbers,” said District Manager Dan Kiely, in a news release. “Water is necessary for three of the four life stages of the mosquito. The egg, larvae, and pupae are aquatic. The fourth stage is the adult mosquito. In the summer, the four stages of the mosquito life cycle may require as few as three to four days to mature, while in cooler periods of the year they require several weeks to become adults.”
The two non-native species, which have been discovered as far north as Sutter County, are known to be aggressive daytime biters that feed mostly during the day, both indoors and outdoors, and prefer biting people – as opposed to birds – but also feed on other domestic animals, mostly mammals.
Abatement officials said anything that can hold water for more than a few days has the ability to produce mosquitoes – and backyards are the No. 1 source for mosquito production.
The public is encouraged to maintain, manage, or eliminate all types of standing water on a regular basis, including some places that may not be as obvious as others: discarded bottle caps, empty cans, bottles, sprinkler heads, and so forth.
Residents are asked to eliminate water in plant saucers, fish ponds, bird baths, water cans, buckets, and tires. Various standing water situations can also be found as the mosquito season progresses in abandoned pools, boats, ornamental ponds, watering troughs, rain barrels, rain gutters, house cooler units, tree holes, leaking faucets, and water in basements or under the house.
The Mosquito Abatement District also requests that people refrain from over watering their lawns to the extent that water will run off into the street gutters and remain standing.
“If any problem is too large for the resident to correct, they may call the District for help in resolving the problem,” Kiely said.
Kiely said abatement control measures will only take place within the boundaries of the District, namely Colusa and outlying areas around the town. Aerial control of adult mosquitoes will be conducted by aircraft in the wetland and duck club areas within the District.
“As in the past, the spray program will use materials registered with the Environmental Protection Agency,” Kiely said. “The District also has a Larvacide program to control the immature stages of the mosquito, and will place larvicides in the catch basins throughout the District during the later spring months. Catch basins that maintain standing water throughout the mosquito season can be a major source of urban mosquitoes.”
The District does have a limited amount of mosquito fish available to residents within the District boundaries. Anyone wishing to receive fish is asked to call the District in advance and to bring their own containers for transportation.
To protect yourself from mosquitoes avoid spending time outside when mosquitoes are most active, especially at dawn and dusk, wear long pants and long sleeve shirts, and apply insect repellent containing DEET according to label instructions. The public should also make sure that doors and windows have tight fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.
Informational material is available to the public upon request at the District Office 713 D Street, Colusa, or contact the District at (530) 458-4966 or visit colusamosquitoabatementdistrict.com. ■