Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control
In This Issue
Dead Men Tell No Tales, But Dead Birds Do
Frequently Asked Questions
It's West Nile virus and Mosquito & Vector Control Awareness week
Quick Links
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Scheduled Events & Presentations 

First Five
Antioch
512 West 5th Street  
May 6
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
 
Farmer's Market
Danville
Railroad & Prospect Streets
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Contra Costa County Fair
Antioch
Antioch Fairgrounds
May 29 - June 1
 
King of the County BBQ 
Martinez
7 N. Court Street
June 14-15
11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m
 
Friends of Marsh Creek
Brentwood
20 Oak Street
June 19
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
 
Farmer's Market
Brentwood
July 12
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 
 
Farmer's Market
Concord
August 5
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
 
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  

Contact us now to schedule an event or presentation.

 
We speak to groups, associations, school children and business personnel about mosquitoes, ticks, skunks, rats, and yellowjackets. FREE. 

 

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?

 

Check out our Mosquito Control Matters video. You'll see fantastic mosquito life cycle footage and learn why mosquito control matters in California.

 

Historical.

Fascinating.

Educational.

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.  
We STILL Need Your Empty Coffee Cans for our Mosquitofish Program

You recycle, we save tax payers' money, and the fish have safe transportation to your home. Win! Win! Win!

 

This informative video details how to properly apply mosquito repellent to your skin and/or clothing, proper precautions to take, and how to apply these products to children.

 

  

 
An excellent video courtesy of Bayer that details the importance of mosquito control in your community.
 
 
 
This video explains the importance of dead bird surveillance and reporting in the fight against West Nile virus in California. It explains how to report and safely dispose of a dead bird, whether you find it at home or in a public place. The video provides both the dead bird hotline number 1-877-968-2473 and the website.
 
 
Volunteering your own arm to blood-thirsty mosquitoes - do people really do that?
Indeed. And it is all in the name of science.

  

 
One mosquito. One bite. That's all it takes to change someone's life forever. The threat of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis has risen in recent years and the effects on human life can be devastating. 
 
Watch this powerful, incredibly moving video about people whose lives were impacted by mosquito-borne illness and told through their personal stories.

 

 
Learn how our free services pertaining to rats and mice can benefit homeowners in Contra Costa County who have issues with rodents in or around their property. 
 
 
A brief video detailing the amazing life of a disease-transmitting insect - the mosquito! 
 
 
Mosquito Bytes 
April 2014
   
  
Mosquito season is in full swing so it's appropriate that it's California's West Nile Virus and Mosquito & Vector Control Awareness week. It's an official announcement to remind everyone that mosquito and vector control matters. Of course, we know why it matters, and you know why, but what about your friends and family? Feel free to share our information using the Forward Email link at the bottom of this email. This month's newsletter is teeming with great information everyone is sure to find useful. We answer the most popular questions, and as a special treat, we list our most popular videos below as well. Wait. You never saw the video of our entomologist feeding his blood to our mosquito colony or heard West Nile virus survivors tell their story? Powerful, moving experiences and "aha!" moments are just a click away.

DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES, BUT DEAD BIRDS DO

Dead birds reveal crucial information about West Nile virus to scientists
American Crow
Reporting dead birds to the state dead bird hotline helps mosquito and vector control districts in surveillance, control, and response efforts

 

West Nile virus is a disease of birds, particularly crows, jays, and other birds in the corvidae family.  Mosquitoes acquire the virus when they bite infected birds. Infected birds that die from the virus are often the first sign that the disease is present in a particular location. That's crucial information for the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District because it allows the District's state-certified public health inspectors and technicians to focus their mosquito control efforts in those locations. Mosquitoes, after all, are the main method of virus transmission to people.

 
The District typically learns about the site of a potential West Nile virus-positive bird by members of the public who report them to the hotline by phone (1-877-WNV-BIRD) or by an online submission . The dead bird program is managed by the California Department of Public Health who notifies the local mosquito and vector control district that is closest to the bird's location. Here in Contra Costa County, District employees examine the reports and test birds that meet certain criteria. The District's Scientific Program Manager Steve Schutz, Ph.D. says without these birds, the District would be at a disadvantage.

 

"Because birds develop the disease before mosquitoes and humans, knowing where these birds die is a critical way to pinpoint where to focus our control and surveillance efforts. Without this information, we would most likely have to wait for mosquitoes to test positive for infection and that delay would mean people would be at an increased risk of disease."

 

As of the writing of this article, no birds in Contra Costa County have tested positive for West Nile virus in 2014, but in 2013, 68 birds tested positive for the disease. That information helped identify areas most in need of mosquito surveillance and control last year and as it turned out, many of the birds that tested positive for West Nile virus were located in areas of the county where the risk of West Nile virus transmission was highest. 

 
That is why it is so important for county residents to continue to report dead birds. Even if the District does not pick up the reported bird and test it, the report itself still reveals valuable information for surveillance and control efforts. For more information on West Nile virus, dead birds, and the rest of the District's free services, please visit the District's award-winning website

ASK THE DISTRICT

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 Q.  How many employees do you have at the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District?

 

The District currently has 36 employees which include 12 mosquito inspectors and technicians, three rat and mouse inspectors, and two skunk inspectors. Thirty four of the District's employees are full time, and two are seasonal employees who provide assistance to the District's laboratory staff. During West Nile virus season, we plan to bring at least three more seasonal employees on board to help us respond to the increasing demand for services during the peak of mosquito season.

 

Contra Costa County has 1.08 million residents according to the 2012 U.S. Census. 

 

Q.  How can only 17 or so inspectors protect more than a million people in a 736-mile area?

 

Preventing vector-borne disease is something each of us can do. That is why we ask every Contra Costa County resident to do his or her part. It's been that way since county citizens first created the District in 1926. Maintaining a partnership with residents has always been a cornerstone of the public health services we provide and an important part of the Integrated Vector Management program the District utilizes.  

 

Integrated vector management is an ecosystem-based strategy which focuses on long-term prevention of vectors through a combination of biological control, physical control, vegetation management, public education, vector surveillance, and chemical control. The District's state-certified public health inspectors and technicians work every day to monitor public areas such as creeks, storm drains, marshes, and agricultural land that can produce mosquitoes. We also partner with other agencies and organizations that let us know about mosquitoes and other vectors within the county.

 

While public areas can and do produce mosquitoes and other vectors, backyards are one of the most common locations for vector activity. Of course, there's no way District employees could enter every single backyard in the county. That is why District employees work to educate the public about the simple things we all can do at home including dumping out any amount of standing water to prevent mosquitoes, moving pet food inside to prevent skunks, and sealing holes around cables and antennae to prevent rats and mice. And if, in spite of their best efforts, residents still experience mosquitoes, rats, mice, ground-nesting yellowjackets, or skunks on their property, a District inspector or technician can provide a residential property inspection and provide advice on what to do to remove the vector and reduce the risk of vector-borne disease. To receive a free inspection on your own property or to alert us to a neighbor's property where you have witnessed a vector-related issue like a neglected swimming pool, simply contact the District.

 

Q.  With this year's drought, I want to save rainwater so I can water my plants this summer, but I don't want to have mosquitoes. How can I prevent mosquitoes in the rainwater I collect?

 

Saving rainwater is a wonderful idea. We addressed this popular subject in our last issue of Mosquito Bytes. Mosquitoes need very little water in which to lay their eggs. The mosquitoes that can transmit West Nile virus need only two tablespoons of water to lay up to 400 eggs at a time. Other mosquitoes need even less water, so it's true, a bucket of water can potentially produce thousands of mosquitoes.

 

For a typical bucket or container that can hold less than 30 gallons of water, use a product containing the biological mosquito larvicide Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (B.t.i.) such as Mosquito Dunks� or Mosquito Bits�. B.t.i. is a naturally occurring bacteria that is deadly to mosquitoes, but is harmless to other living things. Once the mosquito eggs in the water develop into young larval mosquitoes, they eat the B.t.i. and die before they can develop into adult mosquitoes capable of transmitting disease. Each dunk lasts one month, and as long as the directions on the package are followed, the dunks are effective.

 

If your container is larger, holding 30 gallons of water or more, please visit the District to pick up free mosquitofish. Each fish can eat up to 500 mosquito larvae per day. A barrel generally only needs about four fish. If the container that holds rainwater does not contain B.t.i. or mosquitofish, install a screen over any opening to prevent mosquitoes from having access to the water.

 

Whether you use Mosquito Dunks� or Mosquito Bits�, mosquito-eating fish, or screens, the key is to prevent mosquitoes from having a place to lay their eggs.

WEST NILE VIRUS AND 

MOSQUITO & VECTOR CONTROL

AWARENESS WEEK IS NOW

The District joins the state-wide effort to raise awareness about vector-borne diseases and the agencies that control them

 

 

2014 in California has thus far been a year notable for mild temperatures. Statistically, California has experienced above average temperatures January through the first half of April. Anyone with at least a window can attest that those warmer temperatures prompted Mother Nature to signal the start of spring, complete with budding plants and buzzing insects, long before the official date of the vernal equinox.

Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District employees are out in force actively looking for sources of mosquitoes and other vectors across the county. Certainly, the warmer weather is prompting the more than 60 other mosquito control agencies in California to do the same. It's perfect timing to talk about the important work happening to protect public health. This week, the state of California is recognizing the mosquito-borne disease West Nile virus and the California mosquito and vector control districts who keep Californians healthy.

 
State lawmakers have declared this week to be Mosquito and West Nile Virus Awareness Week and by doing so, California is calling statewide attention to the life-altering impact mosquito-borne illnesses can have on Californians. West Nile virus, for example, can lead to death in the most serious cases, but even in non-fatal cases it can lead to paralysis and other long-term consequences. And now, with the discovery of two new mosquito species in California over the last three years, it's more important than ever for every citizen across the state to be aware that mosquito-borne illnesses pose serious risks to a person's life and how important it is to prevent the mosquitoes that can transmit disease.

 
Today, mosquito and vector control employees in Los Angeles County are in the midst of a three-year fight against the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) which is a known transmitter of dengue fever. Dengue fever can cause such severe pain it has the nickname "breakbone fever".  Closer to Contra Costa County, mosquito and vector control employees in San Mateo, Fresno, and Madera Counties are working to reduce the risk of the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) which was discovered last summer in the three counties. Both mosquitoes are a triple threat with the ability to transmit not only dengue fever, but also yellow fever and  chikungunya virus.

Here in Contra Costa County where we already have  23 different species of mosquitoes, District employees are on the lookout for any signs of the yellow fever mosquito in an effort to prevent the insect from establishing a population in our county. The District's state-certified public health technicians and inspectors will be placing these traps in various locations around the county. Periodically, they will collect the special paper inside the cups as part of the District's ongoing mosquito surveillance program.

 
Through surveillance, treatment and the other components of the District's overall Integrated Vector Management Program, the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District seeks to reduce the risk of vector-borne illnesses so that the people of Contra Costa County can live, work, and play in a healthy environment.

Though mosquito control activities should be practiced daily, we're thrilled to be part of this special week where we can bring attention to our public health cause. 
 

 

We hope you enjoyed this issue of Mosquito Bytes. Please contact us with your thoughts, questions, concerns, or ideas for future articles. We always love hearing 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