Getting the Buzz? Report Mosquito Problems

If mosquitoes are bugging you at your home, business or neighborhood park, there is a solution.

You can help ensure the problem gets attention by calling the county Vector Control Division at (858) 694-2888 or email them at vector@sdcounty.ca.gov.

 The county’s program to control mosquitos is aimed at curbing the spread of West Nile virus, which can be harmful to birds, other wildlife and humans.

Vector Control allocates its resources based on several “data points,” one of which is complaints from the public.  Bottom line: Calling will help the county pinpoint  the location of mosquito problem areas.

Aerial drops of anti-mosquito larvacide pellets from helicopters usually start in May and continue through the summer.  However, the county can deploy additional mosquito abatement resources before, during and after the aerial program.

Buzz Kill: Aerial Mosquito Abatement This Weds

A helicopter working for County Vector Control will be disbursing a granular mosquito larvicide this Wednesday, Sept. 26 at various wetlands in the county, including the San Diego River in Santee.
The larvicide contains bacteria which, while harmless to humans and wildlife, prevents mosquito larvae from reaching adulthood. The granules, which are about one-eighth of an inch long, “will not generate a fog, mist or cloud,” county officials said in a press release.

The larvicide drop is the seventh so far this year. The aerial drops are aimed at preventing the spread of the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases.

County Combats Mosquitoes

A helicopter under contract with the county will be dropping anti-mosquito larvicide this Wednesday, July 20, over wetland areas countywide, including along the San Diego River in the city of Santee.

The larvicide, which kills mosquito larvae before they grow into biting adults, is made from bacteria and is not toxic to humans or wildlife.

The aerial deposition is being done by the county Department of Environmental Health vector control division to reduce the mosquito population and the risk of West Nile virus.

The larvicide drops used to be conducted once every month during the summer, but county officials increased that to once every three weeks in response to requests from residents asking for more frequent action.

For more information on the San Diego County Vector Control Program, and the application locations or the material used, please view the San Diego County West Nile Virus web page and aerial drop sites.

Fighting the Bite

If you spotted a blue helicopter hovering over Santee today (June 1), you were seeing a contractor for the county dropping a larvae-killing pesticide to combat mosquitoes that reproduce in the ponds of San Diego River.

The pesticide, two types of bacteria that are mixed with corn meal and pressed into granules, is not harmful to humans or wildlife, and doesn’t affect any insects except mosquito larvae, county officials said. The objective is to reduce the mosquito population as well as the risk of West Nile virus.

Before the helicopter arrives, County Vector Control officials drive to the mosquito-prone areas to warn hikers and pedestrians so they can avoid being near the drop zones when the anti-mosquito granules are released, she said.

Each month during mosquito breeding season, the county commission’s helicopters drop the anti-larvae agents at 43 locations countywide, including four drop sites in Santee, in a single day.

Vector control agents are scheduled to return to Santee on June 7. They’ll be using a boat to spray a liquid larvicide at the ponds at Mast Park West, where, in the past, mosquitoes have been especially prolific.

More information is available on the County website.