Mosquitoes are out, so don’t get bit

Despite nonstop news about the Zika virus, which is transmitted through mosquitoes, another concern is West Nile virus. Many Americans remain dangerously unaware of how to protect themselves from mosquitoes.

Jefferson County is using an abatement program to keep the mosquito population under control, and is using preventative measures to keep the viruses that come from mosquitoes from reaching Idaho.

Head Larvicider Damien Smith goes out weekly to take water samples from ponds, fields and areas whose water is stagnant.

Once he spots mosquito larva, he uses a larvacide, which is environmentally friendly and does not hurt or kill any other insects or wildlife.

“It’s a 30 day chemical Four Star, it’s in a pellet form. It sits in the water, and larva eat it, and the larva dies before it gets a chance to fly,” Smith said.

Smith said the chemical won’t hurt fish or birds.

“It’s a natural chemical compound,” Smith said.

A fog truck is also used at night to put out a mist in the air that kills adult mosquitoes.

Mosquito traps are also collected from areas that are near water. The mosquitoes are then taken out of the nets and put into a freezer.

“We count them and put them in bags, and send them off to Eryn, so she can test them for different types of diseases like West Nile,” Smith said.

Skyline High School biology teacher and Book Keeper for Jefferson County Abatement program Eryn Price said Jefferson County has more sub water, which shows up when water rises from the ground.

“What we do is as an abatement district, our job is to try and eliminate or reduce the population of mosquitoes from a public health stand point,” Price said.

She also said not all mosquitoes carry West Nile Virsus.

“There’s only one type of mosquito that does,” Price said.

If a mosquito does test positive, Price sends them to the state for further tests.

“We look at their different anatomy, and are able to determine what kind of mosquito it is based on their anatomy. Then we further test them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also conduct tests on the mosquitoes we send to them.” Price said.

Jefferson County has three mosquito abatement districts within the county.

“We service pretty much the west side. You can look at Jefferson County’s website and find out which abatement district serves you. So if you do have a mosquito problem, you can contact them,” Price said.

Price recommends homeowners check their homes for sitting water.

“A lot of time, water can sit in an old tire, and what people don’t understand is that is a perfect place for mosquitoes to breed. They only need a little bit of water and a ton can be produced,” Price said.

To learn more about the Jefferson County abatement program visit co.jefferson.id.us/mosquito.php.

More facts about mosquitoes:

All mosquitoes MUST have water to complete their life cycle, which is why it is extremely important to drain any standing water from around your property.
During warm weather, it takes three to seven days for a mosquito to complete its life cycle (from egg to adult).
Only the female mosquito bites.
Some female mosquito species can survive over the winter to lay her eggs in spring. Female mosquitoes can lay hundreds of eggs at one time. This is called a “brood”.
Mosquitoes are attracted to people from exhaled carbon dioxide, odors and body heat.
Some mosquitoes live their lives close to their breeding source, but others can fly up to 15 miles in their lifetime.