Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control
In This Issue
Farewell to our Operations Manager
The CSI of rat & mouse control
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Events & Presentations 

  

Contact us now to schedule an Event or Presentation for 2013!

 
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.

 

Planning an event? 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.  

Got empty cans and lids? We need them for our mosquitofish program

 
You recycle. We save tax payers' money. Fish have safe transportation to your home. Win! Win! Win!
Mosquito Bytes 
December 2012
Greetings!   
  
This month we bid a fond farewell to our Operations Manager, Carlos Sanabria who is retiring after 31 dedicated years at the District. His story below allows us to follow his career and to get a first-hand look at the evolution of the District over a great time span. To Carlos we say, "Thank you" and "Best Wishes" in your retirement!

This cold and damp month we also give you an interesting look into our rat program where we illustrate that there is more to rat invasion investigating than meets the eye. Think you have rats at your home? Where's the evidence? 

TIME TO SAY FAREWELL

District operations manager retires; provides a fascinating look back at the District's evolution over 31 years

 

Carlos Sanabria
Carlos Sanabria
Operations Manager

Dynasty was the most popular American television program, the rotary dial telephone was still in the majority of American homes, and the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer was the most widely covered news story of the year in 1981. That was also the year new college graduate Carlos Sanabria began what would be a 31-year career at the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District. This month, Sanabria says goodbye to the District and his job as Operations Manager. But with so many years of experience under his belt, we can't let Carlos leave without one last look back at his many accomplishments and the many ways he has witnessed the District change over the years.

 

Click here to continue the article and learn of Carlos' journey over the past 31 years, as well as the evolution of the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District.

 

THE CSI OF RAT & MOUSE CONTROL

The detective work of a Vector Control Inspector

 

Picture of a crime scene for rats "An intruder has been here," screams the resident upon arriving home. And sure enough there's sign of forced entry and a trail of evidence. Who was here? How did he get here? Where is she now?  All questions for a detective-of sorts, but not the kind that comes from a police department. In this case the intruder is a rat or mouse and the detective is a vector control inspector from the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District.

 
"When we get a call from a member of the public, we approach each case like a member of a Crime Scene Investigation team because we are looking for evidence and signs that will lead us to a suspect," says District Program Supervisor Jonathan Rehana.

"But rather than looking for someone who's committed a crime, of course we're looking for the  rat or mouse that has trespassed on a home or property and stolen food or caused property damage. We are actually more like Rodent Scene Investigators."

EVIDENCE

The key to a vector control investigation focuses on five things (click here for further information on these items): 

Like any good detective, a vector control inspector starts an investigation by looking and listening. He looks for evidence. She listens to what the resident describes (video). Are there signs of gnawing on walls, cabinets, around pipes and electrical lines? Are there signs of rodent pathways? Usually when a rat or mouse has traveled in a particular area repeatedly, the naturally occurring oil in its fur combined with dust will leave rub marks on the pathway.

Then, there is the clear sign of a rat or mouse -- the dreaded rodent droppings.

"Droppings are important evidence because
 they represent how long the rat or mouse has been present and how many rodents may be present," says Rehana.

 

Click here to continue reading this article.

 

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