Mosquito Control Season Update for 2010

Objective
To control nuisance mosquitoes, reduce the potential of mosquito-borne disease transmission and provide a comfortable and healthy atmosphere for residents.

Program Summary
The City of St. Charles has contracted with Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management, Inc. for our mosquito abatement program. Environmentally compatible mosquito control is accomplished utilizing an integrated pest management approach, including larval control, biological control and the strategic use of U.S.Environmental Protection Agency labeled and registered pesticides for adult control. The key is to concentrate on larval control, scientifically assess the adult population, and perform adulticiding only as needed.

Larval Control
Clarke employees conduct ongoing inspections to determine larval activity. Three helicopter prehatch treatments of historical breeding areas are scheduled for early May, mid June and early July. Hand equipment and helicopters distribute Vectolex or 5% Abate Pellets. Larval development of mosquitoes in storm water catch basins generally begins in early June and takes about 10 days. Right-hand drive trucks and bicycles are used to place Altosid pellets, an insect growth regulator, into the 4,700 street catch basins, subdivision drains, roadside ditches, flood channels, ravines and other public rights-of-way. The season long pellets will be distributed in early June. The treatment lasts 120 days and prove very effective in controlling mosquitoes. Larvaecide spraying of retention ponds and other standing water areas is also conducted about every 10 days and proves very effective in controlling the mosquito population.

Adult Control
Once mosquito larvae development is controlled, there is still the factor of mosquito broods migrating into the community. Mosquitoes can migrate 15 to 20 miles. Because of the spread of West Nile Virus, many surrounding communities that previously did not control mosquitoes have now initiated abatement programs. Ultra-Low Volume (ULV) adulticide is also used to spray insecticide concentrates into microscopic particles that penetrate residential areas and contact-kill adult mosquitoes 300 feet downwind. These treatments are especially important during public health emergencies and when mosquitoes become intolerable. Mosquitoes are collected from 4 collection stations throughout the City. Two new Gravid traps will collect only the type of mosquitoes that carry the virus and will help detect and monitor the populations of this variety of mosquito, When the number of mosquitoes caught in the traps reach a certain level, additional spraying may be conducted.

Residents may call Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management’s Mosquito Hotline at 800-942-2555 (or the City at 377-4400) to report extreme mosquito annoyance, request information, report stagnant water or request notification of when trucks will be spraying in their neighborhoods. Standing water reports are referred to field inspectors.

What You Can Do

• Eliminate standing water in bird baths, ponds, pet bowls, wading pools, clogged gutters, hollow stumps, pool covers and other places in which mosquitoes might breed (it only takes 10 days).
• Avoid being outdoors at dawn, dusk and early evening when mosquitoes are most active. If outdoors at these times, loose-fitting, light colored clothing is best. Wear shoes and socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt.
• Apply mosquito repellent containing 25% to 35% Deet sparingly to exposed skin or clothing. Use a weaker solution on young children and do not spray directly on them – spray your hand and wipe it on exposed skin.
• Check and repair holes or tears in window and door screens, including porches and patios.
• Remember to protect pets that spend time outdoors. No vaccine is currently available for domestic animals. Although there is no evidence of human infection from animals, it is best to avoid barehanded contact with sick animals.
• Dead birds should be handled with gloves, sealed in plastic bags and disposed of with regular trash. It is not necessary to report the dead bird to the Health Department or Animal Control.
• Keep informed. WE will do our best to pass along new developments, but also watch for updates in newspapers and on the web.

Where to get more info

• Clarke Mosquito Abatement Program Brochure
• West Nile Virus News and Alerts, DuPage County Health Department - dupagehealth.org
• West Nile Virus News and Alerts, Kane County Health Department - kanehealth.com
• Mosquitos and West Nile Virus, Centers for Disease Control - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
• Mosquitos and West Nile Virus, Illinois Department of Public Health - http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnv.htm

Residents may also call Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management, Inc., at 800-942-2555 for additional information. Questions on the City’s program may also be directed to the Public Works office, at 630-377-4405, which administers the program.