It’s That Time of the Year Again

            Summer is here and so are the insects. Insects are an essential part of the environment we live in and the ecosystem that sustains us. Most insects are beneficial because they pollinate many of the plants that produce the foods we enjoy. Insects are also an essential link in the food chain that higher life forms feed upon. There are, however, a small percentage of insects that man and his animals could live without. They are the blood feeding insects such as horse flies, yellow flies, sand flies, dog flies, mosquitoes, fleas, lice, etc. These insects transmit disease, parasites and discomfort with mosquitoes being the most proficient at accomplishing this. In fact, the mosquito has caused more death and misery than all the wars throughout the history of mankind, combined. There are about 70 species of mosquitoes in Florida and over 3,000 worldwide. Mosquitoes create economic and medical consequences because the adult female, of most species, requires a blood meal to obtain protein to produce viable eggs. Because of this need to obtain blood, many mosquito species transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, heartworm, encephalitis viruses and many other human and animal diseases. Consequently, mosquito control programs have been established in many areas throughout the world. In Florida, mosquito control is serious business, primarily because of tourism but also because of the potential for mosquito-borne disease. Most programs in Florida are integrated pest management programs of IPM programs. This means that several approaches to control mosquitoes are integrated with each other. A good IPM program involves source reduction, surveillance, larviciding, and adulticiding, public education and research.

Source Reduction

            Source reduction, the elimination of habitat that produces mosquitoes, is the most effective method for controlling mosquitoes. It can be as complicated as creating extensive drainage systems to drain water and dry up vast areas of land or as simple as emptying water holding items such as buckets, bird baths, filling tree holes with sand, dispose of old tires, and cleaning rain gutters. Any item that holds water around the home has the potential of breeding mosquitoes, so good cleanup around the yard will avoid the creation of your own mosquito problem.

Surveillance

            There are many forms of surveillance to confirm the presence of mosquitoes Some of the most common are landing rate counts, utilizing light traps, citizen complaints, and doing larval dips. Surveillance is done to determine when and where mosquitoes are and to justify the application of pesticides.

Larviciding

            Larviciding, the killing of mosquitoes in the larval stage, is the next most effective means of control. Today, the products used for larviciding are safe for the environment, to the public and the applicator when applied according to the product label. Gambusia affinis, the mosquito fish, is widely used for larval control. This guppy-like fish is an aggressive, hearty, predator of mosquito larva. This little fish can live in freshwater or saltwater, cold water or warm water, polluted water or clean water and reproduces rapidly. It is probably the best biological control agent we have in the battle against mosquitoes.

Adulticiding

            Adulticiding, the killing of adult mosquitoes, is the most noticed activity of a mosquito control program. An effective adulticiding operation depends upon a competent surveillance program in order to apply the pesticides in the right place at the right time. Adulticiding can be accomplished by several methods. Some programs use aircraft to disperse pesticides, while other programs use spray systems mounted on pickup trucks. The spray systems most commonly used today are ultra low volume cold aerosol generating spray systems or ULVs . These systems produce an aerosol droplet that is designed to remain in the air. When the mosquitoes fly through this cloud, they contact the pesticide and die. Another form of adulticiding that can be done for specific areas is barrier spraying. Barrier spraying is the application of a pesticide to the vegetation on the perimeter of an area such as a park site. When the mosquitoes rest on the vegetation they contact the pesticide and die.

Education

            Education of the public is another approach that can be used in mosquito control. When people understand what can cause and produce mosquitoes, they can help to control them. Presentations on mosquito control to local civic organizations, newspaper and magazine articles, school presentations, exhibits at local fairs, etc. contribute immensely in making the public aware. Understanding what causes a problem is the first step to solving it.

Research

            With the ever increasing concern of maintaining a safe and natural environment, research into how to control mosquitoes without harming ourselves or our environment, is an ongoing effort. Advances in genetic engineering, computer science, molecular chemistry, material science, and mechanical engineering are constantly changing the face of mosquito control. Researching the integration and application of these technologies is essential in order to get the job done in the safest, most effective way possible.

The Future

            The future of mosquito control will be one of change. Governmental regulation, research, public education, and applicator training will be major players in the game. In Florida, the expanding residential growth is causing the development of marginal lands and putting people closer to habitats that are producers of mosquitoes and other blood feeding insects. Basic design changes need to be made in residential developments. Catch basins need to be designed to catch debris but allow water to percolate out. Drainage retention areas need to be designed to act as mosquito fish reservoirs. Access roads on the perimeter of subdivisions need to be incorporated into their design. These roads would allow easier access to adjacent wetlands for larviciding and adulticiding spray trucks. Such roads would allow mosquito control operations to be less intrusion to the community they serve. Alas, many developers don’t want to spend monies they don’t have to. Therefore, government would need to legislate regulation into development for such changes to become a reality. But it is all within our capability. With education, understanding and cooperation, mosquito control can become a safer, more effective service in Florida and around the world.