July 3, 2009 Update
For Week Ending July 3, 2009
MOSQUITO COUNTS - Over the past three weeks, our all-volunteer trapping crew has been out identifying the types and numbers of mosquitoes in areas throughout the district. Most trap counts are fairly low (<15), but there are pockets of outbreaks with much higher counts (50 - 100). The good news is that in these areas we have been able to locate and treat the nearby breeding sites, greatly reducing the number of mosquitoes in the area.
WEST NILE VIRUS - As of July 1, there has been 1 confirmed case of WNV in Colorado, in Jefferson County. Although most of this year's cases won't be identified until later in the season, now is when people are likely to begin being exposed to the virus if they are bitten by an infected mosquito. Culex numbers remain low in the North Fork Valley, but they're out there, so don't forget your mosquito repellent.
FOGGING - With limited manpower and a limited budget, we are focusing our efforts on the safest, most economical, and most effective methods of mosquito abatement. Eliminating standing water where possible is the first line of defense, and we will be happy to partner with landowners to help them do that. If we can't eliminate the breeding sites, then killing the mosquito larvae in the water is much safer, more targeted, and more effective than trying to spray mosquitoes with pesticides after they're in the air. In our community, if we honored everyone's request to be fogged or not to be fogged, the result would be such a patchwork that it would be rendered much less effective than the 50% kill rate estimated to be achieved by fogging under optimal conditions. Nevertheless, we retain the ability to use adulticides when necessary, such as for very large, localized outbreaks or if disease threatens the area.
