Improving community knowledge and participation in mosquito control efforts

The effective control of many mosquito species in urban and suburban areas cannot be achieved without the active participation of county residents. Urban mosquito species often use artificial water-holding containers for egg-laying and larval habitats (these might include tires, buckets, flower pots, old boats, tarps, in fact anything that can hold water, even bromeliad plants and bamboo stems). These mosquitoes are not just a backyard nuisance, but are also important as potential vectors of new and re-emerging diseases such as Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. As they live and reproduce in residential backyards, areas often inaccessible to mosquito control workers due to locked gates and loose dogs, we are reliant on residents to help minimize the problem by emptying and removing water-holding containers on a regular basis.

Mosquito control employees will visit residents to identify what might be the source of their mosquito problems, and will leave educational flyers on doors in the neighborhoods advising on steps they can take. Mosquito and mosquito control education is also achieved through participation of our employees at community events such as the County Fair, presentations to home-owner associations, civic groups and school events such as science-nights and classroom lessons.

Links to other sources of mosquito control educational information are also provided below:

https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/index.html
https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol
http://npic.orst.edu/pest/mosquito/index.html
https://fmel.ifas.ufl.edu/media/fmelifasufledu/7-15-2018-white-paper.pdf