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Ada County Weed Pest and Mosquito Abatement
GIS and Mapping Program - Mosquito Abatement
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West Nile Virus is an emerging health concern that is spread by mosquitoes. To combat West Nile Virus, Ada County Mosquito Abatement attempts to minimize the mosquito population. Each year, field crews trained to inspect water bodies, both new and old, that foster breeding mosquitoes. In Ada County, approximately 2,500 mosquitoes breeding sites have been mapped. When a new site is located, the inspection crew uses ArcPad, enabled with GPS, to record the perimeter of the site. Additionally, this preliminary inspection records important data such as the type of site (catch basin, barrow pit, and etc.), the date and time of the survey, as well as other factors. When the crew returns to the office, the mobile devices are synchronized with the mapping computer, and the new sites are automatically appended into a master site inventory of the county.
Using mobile GIS for navigation, every known site is inspected in the spring, and the necessity of mosquito control activity and/or re-inspection is assessed. When each site is inspected, the inspector records their activity (described below) and recommends a date for the next inspection. Each week, only those inspections requested during that week are downloaded into the mobile GIS. This streamlines the efficiency of the inspection process.
When a mosquito site is inspected and found to contain mosquito larva or pupa, treatments are applied to the site to control the mosquitoes. Using the ArcPad software, these treatments are recorded by first selecting the site, then pressing a treatment button, which activates a series of forms querying what was found (larvae, pupa, etc), and what action was taken, recording the products and quantities used.
Because many mosquito breeding sites exist on private property and/or in obscure locations (such as in old tires, water in tarps, over watered plants, etc), even with an aggressive larvaciding effort, the adult mosquito population will still exist. When adult mosquitoes become severe, airborne pesticides can be applied through misters mounted in the back of a small pickup. Ada County Mosquito Abatement has developed an ArcPad application that records the locations of all airborne control applications in ArcPad. Utilizing equipment that dynamically controls the product application rate and GPS data collection, applicators are no longer required to turn the pump or GPS on and off while the vehicle is in motion. This ensures the most accurate records possible. When the applicator returns to the office, these locations are automatically downloaded, appended, and archived in geodatabases for future use.
Mosquito Abatement | Roadside Herbicide | Weed Mapping | NWFFS
|
Ada County Weed Pest and Mosquito Abatement
GIS and Mapping Program - Mosquito Abatement
|
West Nile Virus is an emerging health concern that is spread by mosquitoes. To combat West Nile Virus, Ada County Mosquito Abatement attempts to minimize the mosquito population. Each year, field crews trained to inspect water bodies, both new and old, that foster breeding mosquitoes. In Ada County, approximately 2,500 mosquitoes breeding sites have been mapped. When a new site is located, the inspection crew uses ArcPad, enabled with GPS, to record the perimeter of the site. Additionally, this preliminary inspection records important data such as the type of site (catch basin, barrow pit, and etc.), the date and time of the survey, as well as other factors. When the crew returns to the office, the mobile devices are synchronized with the mapping computer, and the new sites are automatically appended into a master site inventory of the county.
Using mobile GIS for navigation, every known site is inspected in the spring, and the necessity of mosquito control activity and/or re-inspection is assessed. When each site is inspected, the inspector records their activity (described below) and recommends a date for the next inspection. Each week, only those inspections requested during that week are downloaded into the mobile GIS. This streamlines the efficiency of the inspection process.
When a mosquito site is inspected and found to contain mosquito larva or pupa, treatments are applied to the site to control the mosquitoes. Using the ArcPad software, these treatments are recorded by first selecting the site, then pressing a treatment button, which activates a series of forms querying what was found (larvae, pupa, etc), and what action was taken, recording the products and quantities used.
Because many mosquito breeding sites exist on private property and/or in obscure locations (such as in old tires, water in tarps, over watered plants, etc), even with an aggressive larvaciding effort, the adult mosquito population will still exist. When adult mosquitoes become severe, airborne pesticides can be applied through misters mounted in the back of a small pickup. Ada County Mosquito Abatement has developed an ArcPad application that records the locations of all airborne control applications in ArcPad. Utilizing equipment that dynamically controls the product application rate and GPS data collection, applicators are no longer required to turn the pump or GPS on and off while the vehicle is in motion. This ensures the most accurate records possible. When the applicator returns to the office, these locations are automatically downloaded, appended, and archived in geodatabases for future use.
Mosquito Abatement | Roadside Herbicide | Weed Mapping | NWFFS