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Ada County Weed Pest and Mosquito Abatement
Mosquito Surveillance and Control
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Ada County Mosquito Abatement District's (ACMAD's) integrated pest management plan encompasses all aspects of mosquito control from surveillance and testing to using ecologically sensitive control agents. Public outreach and education is key to helping to control the threat of West Nile. Learning about the district's abatement plan is a great way for residents to arm themselves with the education needed to Fight the Bite. If you have additional questions about the county's integrated pest management plan, explore this Web site, and feel free to call us using the contact information below.
Mosquito Population Surveillance:
During the summer, adult mosquitoes are trapped and collected weekly from 50 traps strategically placed throughout Ada County. Mosquito Abatement crews count and identify the trapped mosquitoes to determine the population of the Culex mosquito species. Culex mosquitoes are the primary vector for West Nile virus in Ada County. The Ada County Mosquito Abatement District (ACMAD) has the equipment and personnel to test the collected mosquitoes for the presence of West Nile virus antibodies. In situations where we cannot confirm the presence of the West Nile virus, Ada County submits our collected mosquitoes to a state operated laboratory for additional testing. This allows us to confirm that we are correctly determining whether or not we are accurately testing for the presence of infected mosquitoes. Results from this surveillance are posted to Ada County's Online Mosquito Tracker Web site. Click to see if West Nile has been found in a trapping location near you.
Mapping of Breeding Sites and Site Remediation:
Ada County Mosquito Abatement District maintains more than 2,700 bodies of water that are known mosquito breeding locations. Information about these lakes, ponds or pools is digitally submitted to field crews using GPS technology for accurate and efficient location of individual sites. This technology enables field crews to dynamically update existing sites and collect new sites as conditions change. Whenever possible, sites that foster breeding mosquitoes are remediated to permanently prevent any future larvae production.
Larviciding (killing mosquito larvae in bodies of water)
Larviciding is the first priority of mosquito control. Ada County Mosquito Abatement District uses two forms of larvicide control. The first essentially uses a biological pesticide, BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelenis), a bacteria, to target mosquito larvae in infested bodies of water. The bacteria produce protein crystals that essentially stunt the growth of mosquito larvae to prevent the larvae from maturing into flying adults. BTI has selective action; only mosquitoes, black flies and some midges are susceptible to the control agent. Aquatic animals and other insects are unaffected by BTI applications. The second larviciding treatment affects mosquitoes in the pupae and larvae stage. A natural wetting agent may be applied to the infected body of water that changes the water's surface film tension so the young mosquitoes cannot get oxygen they need to survive and mature. These larviciding agents are as environmentally sensitive as possible and do not accumulate in the air, soil or water of a treatment site, nor are they harmful to non-target insects.
Adult Mosquito Control:
Ada County's integrated mosquito control plan acknowledges that, while larviciding is the district's first priority, there will be times when the larvae escape and can develop into flying adults. To control these adult mosquito populations, ACMAD is prepared and equipped to apply mosquito adulticides using ultra low-volume application equipment to apply an environmentally sensitive pesticide. The district will treat areas as determined necessary from surveillance activity or other thresholds such as mosquito complaints from area residents. Only in the event of a health emergency, declared by public health officials in conjunction with the Office of the Governor, will the district make arrangements to have adulticide products applied by air, in threatened portions of the county. For information about the products that are used in the control of mosquitoes, please read what the United States Environmental Protection Agency has concluded about the safe use of larvicides, adulticides and oils.
|
Ada County Weed Pest and Mosquito Abatement
Mosquito Surveillance and Control
|
Ada County Mosquito Abatement District's (ACMAD's) integrated pest management plan encompasses all aspects of mosquito control from surveillance and testing to using ecologically sensitive control agents. Public outreach and education is key to helping to control the threat of West Nile. Learning about the district's abatement plan is a great way for residents to arm themselves with the education needed to Fight the Bite. If you have additional questions about the county's integrated pest management plan, explore this Web site, and feel free to call us using the contact information below.
Mosquito Population Surveillance:
During the summer, adult mosquitoes are trapped and collected weekly from 50 traps strategically placed throughout Ada County. Mosquito Abatement crews count and identify the trapped mosquitoes to determine the population of the Culex mosquito species. Culex mosquitoes are the primary vector for West Nile virus in Ada County. The Ada County Mosquito Abatement District (ACMAD) has the equipment and personnel to test the collected mosquitoes for the presence of West Nile virus antibodies. In situations where we cannot confirm the presence of the West Nile virus, Ada County submits our collected mosquitoes to a state operated laboratory for additional testing. This allows us to confirm that we are correctly determining whether or not we are accurately testing for the presence of infected mosquitoes. Results from this surveillance are posted to Ada County's Online Mosquito Tracker Web site. Click to see if West Nile has been found in a trapping location near you.
Mapping of Breeding Sites and Site Remediation:
Ada County Mosquito Abatement District maintains more than 2,700 bodies of water that are known mosquito breeding locations. Information about these lakes, ponds or pools is digitally submitted to field crews using GPS technology for accurate and efficient location of individual sites. This technology enables field crews to dynamically update existing sites and collect new sites as conditions change. Whenever possible, sites that foster breeding mosquitoes are remediated to permanently prevent any future larvae production.
Larviciding (killing mosquito larvae in bodies of water)
Larviciding is the first priority of mosquito control. Ada County Mosquito Abatement District uses two forms of larvicide control. The first essentially uses a biological pesticide, BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelenis), a bacteria, to target mosquito larvae in infested bodies of water. The bacteria produce protein crystals that essentially stunt the growth of mosquito larvae to prevent the larvae from maturing into flying adults. BTI has selective action; only mosquitoes, black flies and some midges are susceptible to the control agent. Aquatic animals and other insects are unaffected by BTI applications. The second larviciding treatment affects mosquitoes in the pupae and larvae stage. A natural wetting agent may be applied to the infected body of water that changes the water's surface film tension so the young mosquitoes cannot get oxygen they need to survive and mature. These larviciding agents are as environmentally sensitive as possible and do not accumulate in the air, soil or water of a treatment site, nor are they harmful to non-target insects.
Adult Mosquito Control:
Ada County's integrated mosquito control plan acknowledges that, while larviciding is the district's first priority, there will be times when the larvae escape and can develop into flying adults. To control these adult mosquito populations, ACMAD is prepared and equipped to apply mosquito adulticides using ultra low-volume application equipment to apply an environmentally sensitive pesticide. The district will treat areas as determined necessary from surveillance activity or other thresholds such as mosquito complaints from area residents. Only in the event of a health emergency, declared by public health officials in conjunction with the Office of the Governor, will the district make arrangements to have adulticide products applied by air, in threatened portions of the county. For information about the products that are used in the control of mosquitoes, please read what the United States Environmental Protection Agency has concluded about the safe use of larvicides, adulticides and oils.