Feeling the bite in Lodi
Wet winter boosts mosquito population
One side effect of historic rains and flooding in the Lodi area this winter: a booming mosquito population.
“If you look at the numbers that we got in last week from the traps that are put out to capture mosquitoes, we’re triple the amount that we had last year,” said Aaron Devencenzi, public information officer for the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District.
The district is reaching out to the Lodi community and surrounding area to help “fight the bite” during California Mosquito Awareness Week.
The annual awareness week runs through Saturday, and the mosquito district is hoping to spread the word about steps local residents can take to help cut the number of mosquitoes in the county.
For example, removing standing water from buckets, containers or debris like old tires is one way to reduce the number of pests.
These items can be discarded or emptied of water and moved to a dry area.
Clearing clogged rain gutters, repairing leaking sprinklers and treating swimming pools will also help to block breeding areas for the buzzing bugs.
Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing
“As little as a tablespoon of water in a container — it could be a bottle cap — (mosquitoes) can develop in.” AARON DEVENCENZI SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY MOSQUITO AND VECTOR CONTROL DISTRICT
water; if there’s nowhere for their larvae to grow, then their population will shrink.
“As little as a tablespoon of water in a container — it could be a bottle cap — they can develop in,” Devencenzi said.
The mosquito population is booming right now because of all the standing water in the county, he said. The district is working to treat river flooding leftover from this winter’s storms, but they need the public’s help to help get rid of other sources of standing water.
With warm weather approaching, removing standing water is becoming more urgent, Devencenzi said.
“The warmer the weather, the faster their life cycles,” he said.
For standing water that cannot be treated, such as ornamental ponds without other fish, neglected (and untreated) pools, or watering troughs, the district offers mosquitofish.
The mosquitofish program is supported through property taxes, so county residents can get the fish for free. They can be picked up at the district’s office at 7759 S. Airport Way in Stockton, Devencenzi said. “We readily deliver,” he added. The district will also come out to areas where mosquito activity is unusually high and determine the cause and a course of action, Devencenzi said.
“A few mosquitoes are normal, but when it’s many, it can be a problem,” he said.
Controlling the mosquito population is important not just because the biting pests cause itchy welts on most people. They can also carry diseases like West Nile virus and Zika. The best prevention of these dangerous viruses is to prevent mosquito populations from growing as much as possible.
The mosquito district is already working overtime to monitor mosquito activity in the area, and has begun testing dead birds for West Nile and other mosquito-borne illnesses.
“We have not found West Nile virus in the mosquitoes or the dead birds that have been tested,” Devencenzi said.
However, the district will continue to test captured mosquitoes and dead birds in the coming months as activity picks up, he said.
Residents are encouraged to call the district at 800-300-4675 if they discover any birds that have been dead no more than 24 hours.
The district is also monitoring for the invasive species of mosquito that can carry the Zika virus. They have not been seen in San Joaquin County yet, Devencenzi said, and have not been seen north of the Fresno area.
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