Skamania County Mosquito Control District

mosquitoboard — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:49:17 +0000

The Skamania County Mosquito Control District supports management of vector populations when and where necessary by means of an integrated program designed to benefit or to have minimal adverse effects on people, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment. This Integrated Mosquito Management policy recognizes that vector populations cannot always be eliminated, but often must be suppressed to tolerable levels for the well being of humans, domestic animals and wildlife. Selection of scientifically sound suppression methods must be based upon consideration of what is ecologically and economically in the long-term interest of humankind.

The following principles are to be followed:

Vector control measures should only be undertaken when there is adequate justification based upon surveillance data.
The combination of methods for vector control should be chosen after careful consideration of the efficacy, health effects, ecological effects and cost versus benefits of the various options; including public education, natural and biological control, elimination of the breeding sources, and pesticide applications.
Vector breeding sources, whether natural or created by human activity, should be altered in such a manner as to cause the least undesirable impact on the environment.
Pesticides and application methods should be used in the most efficient and least hazardous manner in accordance with all-applicable laws, regulations and available scientific data. The registered label requirements for pesticide use should be followed. When choices are available among effective pesticides, those offering the least hazard to non-target organisms should be used. Pesticides should be chosen and used in a manner that will minimize the development of resistance in vector populations.

All methods and materials used by the District are based on these principals.

Information on Adulticiding

mosquitoboard — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:38:01 +0000

As a reminder the adulticiding (fogging) schedule will be posted under the “Adulticiding Schedule” heading on this website.

Please take some time and walk around your yards and or property to check for any standing water. This can be water in cans, tires, planters , etc. mosquitoes THRIVE in these areas and MUST have water to lay their eggs in. We appreciate you doing your part in controlling the mosquitoes/larva in your area.

PESTICIDE USE PRACTICES

mosquitoboard — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:31:14 +0000

Decades of testing and field use demonstrate that the larvicides used by the Districts are safe for people and for the environment. They have high selectivity and low toxicity to non-target organisms, are applied in low concentrations and have low persistence resulting in no potential significant post-application residues. They are generally recognized as the “least toxic” of the effective available materials (Figure 1). They are used in small quantities as a portion of highly regulated IPM programs and their application rates are sufficiently low to leave the physical parameters of the environment (i.e., temperature, salinity, turbidity and pH) unchanged.

All of the materials currently in routine use by the Districts can be considered “less toxic” or “least toxic” according to US EPA acute toxicity data (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Relative toxicities of pesticides used by mosquito and vector control programs based on rat LD50 data from product labels, in comparison with some common household chemicals. “Less toxic” or “least toxic” according to US EPA acute toxicity data (Fig. 1).

MOSQUITO SEASON IN FULL FORCE

mosquitoboard — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 05:07:19 +0000

The mosquito season is in full swing. We all know that mosquitoes love water and this year we have a lot of water. We have high water in areas that are normally dry at this time of the year and other areas that haven’t seen water levels like this in many years. As a result we will start to have more mosquitoes move into our resident areas and town. As these numbers cross a certain threshold, the District will begin its adulticide program. By reducing the numbers of mosquitoes, the odds of being bitten diminish. More importantly, when disease is present, the chances for transmission are lowered.

Adulticiding must be done during a temperature inversion. During the mosquito season, temperature inversions typically occur at dawn and dusk. So fogging is either done in the late evening, after 9:00pm or early in the morning before most people are awake or active outdoors.

Mosquito activity peaks at both dawn and dusk. Fogging at one of these times allows for the best chance of impacting mosquitoes while decreasing the chances for an exposure in people.

The District posts the fogging schedule each week on the website so residents can be aware of spray operations. Residents are encouraged to avoid sprays by staying indoors and by keeping doors and windows closed between the hours of 9:00 PM and 6:30 AM.

While adulticiding can be an effective tool and generally provides a certain level of control in a timely manner, it is susceptible to a number of factors. Wind speed (too high), temperatures (too cold or too hot), access (being able to physically drive to areas where the mosquitoes are located) and timing (maximizing mosquito exposure while minimizing exposure to people, pets, etc) are all considerations that can affect the performance of adulticiding. Consequently, these and other factors may prevent us from performing an adulticiding event on the night and in the location that we have listed below.

MOSQUITO SEASON IS HERE!!

mosquitoboard — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:31:06 +0000

Its that time of year again, MOSQUITO SEASON! The Skamania County Mosquito Control District is in need of your help, we are experiencing some of the HIGHEST water levels in the past 12 years, which of course relates to numerous areas with mosquito larva. Mosquito larva can lay dormant for up to 20 years and just needs the right water conditions to activate it. We now have “the right conditions”. We are asking everyone in the county and especially within the District to PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN BACK YARDS. The flower pots, water fixtures, buckets, traps, cans, etc MUST BE EMPTIED AND disposed of if possible to reduce mosquito larva. PLEASE, PLEASE do a walk around your home and yards and look for any possible breeding sites that YOU CAN CONTROL in your own environment. If you have a large problem area and you are within the District boundaries, call or email us to come and assess the area.

Remember, standing water means mosquitoes. Any standing, stagnant water that remains for 7 to 10 days after a rain can, and usually will, produce mosquitoes. For example, one coffee can full of water has been shown to produce in excess of 10,000 mosquitoes over an entire summer season. We have listed below several ways to help:

Empty all water holding containers in your yard on a regular basis, at least once a week, children’s wading pools, rain barrels, buckets, bird baths and stored boats are prime examples of mosquito breeding sites.
Over-watering and poor irrigation practices are common producers of mosquitoes around the home, in parks and on golf courses. Report standing water to appropriate maintenance personnel.
Clean out eaves troughs and down spouts of leaves and other debris that slows drainage.
Ditches must be kept free of vegetation and other debris to promote rapid drainage, and pond edges should be kept clean of cattails and other aquatic vegetation. This is where mosquito larvae develop and mature. To reduce the number of adult mosquitoes in your yard:

Keep your lawn mowed as short as is practical.
Keep all ornamental shrubs and bushes trimmed and pruned to open them up to light and air flow. This will not only give mosquitoes one less place to hide, but will promote growth and vigor in the plant.
Cut back as far as possible, all low, dense under-growth surrounding your yard. This is where mosquitoes go to hide during the day.
Have large trees trimmed to allow sunlight to penetrate dark, damp areas.
Plan outdoor activities and parties during daylight hours or later in the evening. Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and for about an hour after dusk.
Tires, birdbaths, flower pots, rain barrels, children’s toys, abandoned pools, tarps, and boats can all breed mosquitoes if they are holding water. It is important to empty these items every 7-10 days in the summer

FREE DUMP DAY – SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011 – 8AM TO 5PM

mosquitoboard — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:00:12 +0000

ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION

FREE DUMP DAY – APRIL 23, 2011 FROM 8:00AM TO 5:00PM.

Now is your chance to get rid of all those old tires and miscellaneous cans free of charge. Remember, standing water means mosquitoes. Any standing, stagnant water that remains for 7 to 10 days after a rain can, and usually will, produce mosquitoes. For example, one coffee can full of water has been shown to produce in excess of 10,000 mosquitoes over an entire summer season

Mark April 23rd on your calendar to help us celebrate Earth Day and to encourage the citizens of Skamania County to help cleanup littered areas within the County. Litterbags will be provided by the County free of charge to Skamania County residents.

On April 23rd from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, the following items listed will be taken free of charge at all three County Transfer Facilities:

• Refuse in the litterbags that are provided by the County. (No other refuse qualifies for free disposal unless it is in the provided bags).

• All appliances and all passenger type tires will be accepted and only deliverable by the standard size pickup load.

• Any tires sized 8.25 X 20 or larger will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made. No commercial disposals will be accepted during this event.

Beginning the week of April 12th, litterbags will be available at all three Transfer Facilities, the Public Works Office in the Courthouse Annex, as well as the Rock Creek Center in Stevenson.

Fees will not be waived for any business, commercial or out of county waste; and proof of residency will be required for all patrons.

As always, recyclables are free. Please collect and distribute the recyclables to the appropriate bins at our facilities.

Mt Pleasant Transfer
1111 Mt. Pleasant Road
Friday – Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Stevenson Transfer (map it)
1332 Ryan-Allen Road
Thursday – Sunday
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Underwood Transfer (map it)
1402 Little Buck Creek Road
Saturday
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Public Notice of Mosquito Control Activities

mosquitoboard — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:10:55 +0000

Public Notice of Mosquito Control Activities

The Skamania County Mosquito Control District will begin seasonal activities around March 20^th. Only when mosquito larva is found will they use one of the following larvicides.

AquaBac G (Bacillus thuringiensis, subspecies Israelensis): specific for mosquito larva
Altosid (S-Methoprene) a growth inhibitor active on early stages of mosquito larva
Agnique (poly-alpha –w-hydroxy): a monomolecular surface film used for later stages of larva and pupa

Later in the season and only in those areas where adult mosquitoes reach thresholds as specified in District IMM plan or if mosquito transmitted disease is detected, will the district adulticide using:

Aqua Reslin (permethrin) which is fogged at a rate between 0.0015 and 0.007 ounces per acre.

Mosquito control activities will continue throughout the season until mid to late October depending on weather conditions Phone or email the Mosquito Control District for further information or to report mosquito problems within the District –(360) 904-4345 or SCmosquitocontrol@gmail.com . Additional information and schedule changes will be posted on our website http://mosquitoboard.wordpress.com or http://www.skamaniacounty.org/government/boards-and-commissions .

MOSQUITO CONTROL IN YOUR YARD

mosquitoboard — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:51:55 +0000

Please refer to the “Adulticiding page” for an update of potential fogging around the District

Source Reduction is removing breeding sites or making them inhospitable for mosquitoes. This can be as simple as changing out water in a birdbath every 7 days, or can entail extensive drainage practices to reduce the amount of stagnant water available.

One female mosquito may lay 100 to 300 eggs at a time and may average 1,000 to 3,000 offsprings during her life span. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so eliminating standing water on your property reduces your risk. Areas like rain gutters, tree holes, old buckets or tires with stagnant water are breeding sites. However, although you may have taken steps to clear your property, you are subject to the actions – or inaction – of your neighbors, not to mention

UPCOMING Adulticiding Schedule

mosquitoboard — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:41:45 +0000

ADULTICIDING SCHEDULE CAN AND MAY BE EFFECTED BY THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND CANCELLED WITHOUT NOTICE

Wind speed (too high), temperatures (too cold or too hot), access (being able to physically drive to areas where the mosquitoes are located) and timing (maximizing mosquito exposure while minimizing exposure to people, pets, etc) are all considerations that can affect the performance of adulticiding. Consequently, these and other factors may prevent us from performing an adulticiding event on any given date/night and in the location that we have listed below.

Scheduled Dates for Adulticiding – REFER TO THE ADULTICIDING TAB

The vast majority of adulticiding will be conducted around sunset, during nighttime hours and/or possibly early morning (around sunrise).

We Need Your Help To Control Mosquitoes In Your Yard

mosquitoboard — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:31:55 +0000

The Mosquito Control District has been busy with surveillance, monitoring, and larvacide treatments around the District. We have noticed many, many tires, buckets, ornamental ponds, plant containers, etc. that are FULL of mosquito larva in area yards. WE NEED YOUR HELP, there are many places around your residence where mosquito breeding can occur. Anything that holds water for 72 hours or more will probably breed mosquitoes. The best way for you to combat mosquito breeding around your home is by removing the source. If source removal is not possible change or empty water holding containers every week.

If you are not able to change/drain or eliminate sources please contact the SCMCD for assistance or other options.

SCmosquitocontrol@gmail.com