June 22, 2006

• We received 4.10 inches of rain from the last week. This was our first heavy rainfall of the summer season.
• Mosquito activity is a 2 for most of the city. We still have some problem areas on the city’s margins where mosquito numbers are significantly higher.
• After a major rain event, container breeding mosquito numbers are likely to greatly increase due to flooded containers. It is extremely important to remember to dump containers at least once a week.

• 9 CDC style light traps were set this week, a total of 1,390 mosquitoes were caught, for an average of 155 per trap. Average trap counts were up slightly this week. Trap counts could increase substantially next week as adult mosquitoes emerge.
• 7 Gravid style traps were set this week, a total of 58 mosquitoes were caught, for an average of 9 per trap. Gravid mosquito trap numbers are still low for the entire city.

• We have received 4 complaint calls this week. We anticipate calls to increase as container breeding mosquitoes become more of a problem for residents.

• Crews are currently treating standing water throughout the city from the heavy rains. This includes roadside ditches, catch basins, and any other depressions which can hold enough water to breed mosquitoes.
• Adult spray operations have begun, and we are planning to spray the entire city before the weekend. Remember, Mosquito Truck Fogging can only be conducted when winds are less than 10 miles per hour and there is no rain. If your neighborhood gets rained out, we will reschedule the spraying for the next night.
• Mosquito Spraying information is posted on the Mosquito Spray Hotline at 393-8666.

• After any heavy rain it is important to dump out any collected water to prevent container breeding mosquitoes from being produced in your yard. This must be done weekly. Truck fogging has only limited effectiveness on container breeding species of mosquitoes. No matter how much we spray we cannot eliminate the source of these mosquitoes without your help.
• Also remember to wear insect repellant. This is not only effective for mosquitoes, but also for gnats, ticks, and biting flies, all of which can be troublesome this time of year. Any product that contains DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus are effective and are EPA and CDC approved.