Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control
In This Issue
Mosquito Control Matters. Here's why.
Call to Action: Forward this newsletter
Neglected Swimming Pools a Health Threat
Entomologist Endures 15,000 Mosquito Bites
Unwelcome Winter Guests
La Nina May be Responsible for Home Invasion of Vectors
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Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control
Events & Presentations 

  

We speak to groups, associations, school children and business personnel about mosquitoes, ticks, skunks, rats, and yellowjackets. FREE. 
 
Do you know the risks of West Nile virus? Did you know you can play a vital role in reducing the risk of this mosquito-borne disease by just a few easy activities? Your neighbors will thank you.
 
Got an event planned? Need expert mosquito and vector advice? Our team is ready!

For more information, please contact Nola Woods at
925-771-6158

 


 

  
 

 

Mosquito Control Matters video Have you ever seen a mosquito hatch from its egg and grow to a winged adult, morphing from its pupated state and rising majestically from below the water's surface to its top? We didn't think so! Or how about a visualization of West Nile virus crossing the country in just five short years? Introducing our Mosquito Control Matters video. You'll see fantastic mosquito life cycle footage and learn why mosquito control matters in California.

 

Historical.

Fascinating.

Educational.

 

Check it out! 

 

 

Call to Action: Forward this newsletter to a friend. 

Please help us fight the bite. Tell a friend!    

Neglected Swimming Pools are a health threat. 

Report them to us. Feeling shy? No problem! We take anonymous phone calls and electronic reports.
One neglected swimming pool, even partially filled, can produce more than 1 million mosquitoes and affect people up to five miles away.  
Mosquito Bytes 
January 2012
Greetings! 
  
No where is truth more stranger than fiction than at mosquito and vector control. This month we share with you the curious story about the entomologist who endures 15,000 mosquitoes bites a year - all for the sake of science - and ultimately all our health. Meet Dr. Schutz below and watch him 'feeding' the mosquito colony.

This winter month we also bring you skunk tales and rodent woes and steps you can take to keep these vectors away from you and your home.
ENTOMOLOGIST ENDURES 15,000 MOSQUITO BITES EACH YEAR TO SUSTAIN COLONY FOR SCIENCE 
Traditional methods "expensive or time consuming" 
    
Mosquito biting a person
A mosquito fills her abdomen with protein-rich blood

He never even flinches while more than 30 mosquitoes pierce his skin, injecting their itch-inducing saliva and then resting peacefully while they slurp his blood through their needle-thin proboscis, filling their abdomens bright red. Every week. Every month. Every year. In all, Entomologist Dr. Steve Schutz has endured an estimated 150,000 mosquito bites during his 16-years of employment with the District, all in the name of science and ultimately for residents' good health.

 Dr. Schutz maintains a colony of mosquitoes that have been "raised in captivity" so they are always free of disease. Other mosquito and vector control districts do that as well, but they often feed them with "blood sausages", which usually consists of a lamb skin membrane containing defibrinated bovine blood, or they use live animals such as birds or mice. But these tactics are expensive or time consuming so now Dr. Schutz simply donates his arm that naturally contains the preferred warm blood the female mosquitoes need to produce their offspring. Mosquitoes are needed for a variety of research and educational projects, but mainly to determine pesticide resistance levels or flight patterns of the 23 species of mosquitoes found in Contra Costa County.

 
Watch Dr. Schutz feed the captive mosquitoes, ensuring a healthy and long-lived colony - all in the name of science.

 
UNWELCOME WINTER GUESTS 
Preventing the seasonal arrival of skunks
    

Striped SkunkLike it or not, each winter unwelcome guests show up across Contra Costa County. No, we're not talking about unexpected friends or family, but animals that can create more than a nuisance; they have the potential for spreading disease. Skunks are searching for a new home because skunk breeding season is about to begin.

 

In preparation for breeding, skunks use these winter months to establish a den or sheltered area where they can safely protect their young. For homeowners, now is the time to discourage skunks from setting up shop on your property.

 

Skunks are often attracted to spaces under decks, sheds, or other structures. To prevent them from creating a den in these areas, first confirm there are no animals already in these locations, and then seal any holes larger than a softball. For larger areas including under decks, sheds or raised walkways, install an L-shaped screen constructed of hardware cloth that should be buried at least two feet deep and at least two feet away from the structure you are trying to protect. Skunks burrow up to two feet deep and as wide as six feet, so be sure the screen is long and wide. Also check that vent screens are in good condition, replacing or reinforcing them as necessary.

 

Wood or debris piles can provide shelter to skunks, so always store firewood at least 18 inches above the ground and clear of debris. Thinning dense vegetation and having lawns treated to eliminate grubs can prevent skunks from digging up and damaging landscaping. And because skunks are looking for both food and shelter, it is important to remove pet food and water dishes from outdoors, sweep up fallen bird seed and pick up fallen fruit from trees.

 

Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District Inspector Joe Cleope says he is already seeing signs that skunks are looking for possible den locations. He says skunks typically breed anytime between January and March, so prevention is key right now. "If a skunk sets up a den under a home or nearby structure, the odor can soon follow because females will fight males to protect the den. The skunk spray can be absorbed into many materials making homeowners miserable, so preventing skunks is critical." Skunks are the number one mammal to carry rabies in California, so as a public health agency, CCMVCD recommends preventing skunks from establishing dens in residential neighborhoods for both cosmetic and health benefits.

 

County residents who suspect a skunk has established a den on their property can contact the CCMVCD for free inspection and advice. For more information on skunk prevention and CCMVCDs free services, please visit the website

 

La Ni�a Forecast Prompts Warning of Potential Invasion

Cold Dry Winter Could Mean Springtime Invasion of Rats and Mice 

When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared winter 2012 to be the start of a La Ni�a year, Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District inspectors knew this forecast could spell trouble for homeowners when it comes to mice and rats. That's because a La Ni�a year can bring a colder, dry winter that leaves the rodents without their usual natural springtime water sources and vegetation that serves as food and habitat. In other words, they are likely to look for a new home - close to yours.

 

As a public health agency, CCMVCD advices residents to take necessary precautions to prevent these rodents from relocating to your property because they can spread disease and contamination through their waste materials. They are more than unwelcome guests; they are a risk to public health.

 

To reduce that risk, CCMVCD advises residents to eliminate food and shelter availability to rats and mice. Thin vegetation, inspect vent screens for proper installation, rips or tears, and seal all holes and cracks including the space surrounding cables or antennas that come into a roof or other location on the home. Rats and mice are attracted to outdoor pet food and water dishes as well as fallen fruit and nuts, and scattered bird seed. Removing these items are important ways to decrease the risk of rats and mice.

 

The Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District provides free inspections and advice for rat and mice issues around residential and commercial properties. Contact the District at

925-771-6184.

We hope you enjoyed this issue of Mosquito Bytes. Please contact us with your thoughts, questions, concerns, or ideas for future articles. We'd love to hear from you!

Be well!

Enthusiastically,

Deborah Bass

Public Affairs Manager

 

Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control

155 Mason Circle  *  Concord, CA  94520

925-771-6183

www.ContraCostaMosquito.com

http://twitter.com/CCMosquito

[email protected]

Protecting Public Health Since 1927