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How A Small Program
Attacks a Big Problem
“It’s a concept I believe needs
to be incorporated into every
mosquito control program. It fills
the void between air and ground
applications. If you can’t have
someone go around with a spray
can, this is the next best thing.”
Ralph Strano, Bureau Chief of Union County
Mosquito Control, is referring to his district’s
latest mission to control Aedes albopictus, by
applying a low volume application of Altosid
SR5 through a ULV fogger, misting hard-to-find
larval habitats, followed by an ultra-low volume
(ULV) adulticide application with Zenivex® E20,
targeting the adult mosquitoes.
Union County Mosquito Control is the first
program in New Jersey to attempt Aedes
albopictus control with this method. Building on
efforts pioneered in Delaware and Florida by
Chris Lesser, Union County has been fortunate
to partner with Rutgers University’s Department
of Entomology, and namely its senior program
coordinator, Scott Crans, to conduct an applied
scientific study that tracks this approach to
controlling the Asian tiger mosquito. Crans
explains, “The novel aspect of this approach
is the application technology — running the
larvicide through a ULV machine to deliver the
active ingredient into the numerous but cryptic
larval habitats out in the environment.”
Described by Strano as a “relentless biter,
anytime of day,” Aedes albopictus is quickly
becoming the number one mosquito pest
throughout the state of New Jersey, primarily
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because of the difficulty in finding and eradicating
its breeding sources. Breeding sources can be
found all around citizens’ properties and they
are extremely difficult to keep up with, from
birdbaths to buckets, and even tree holes.
Considering the number of breeding sites on one
property alone, the difficulty becomes multiplied
on a community level. There’s no realistic way
to treat every possible source, so Union County
needed a way to achieve better coverage and
be more efficient in the process. Further, Aedes
albopictus has the affinity to pick up viruses,
such as West Nile, amplify it and pass it on.
Fueled by complaints from residents, the study
conducted by Union County, Hunterdon County
and Rutgers is powered by a Guardian 95 ES
sprayer, plus Monitor LT (larvicide tracking) and
GeoPro Data Center from ADAPCO, technology
which Strano says, “proved to be a valuable
asset in illustrating the area we sprayed and
helped us perfect the application route.”
The early stage of the experiment put Aedes
albopictus in the most common larval habitat
found in residents’ backyards – a bucket of
standing water. This first step aimed to gauge
whether the mosquitoes’ life cycle could be
interrupted via this application method. The
artificial larval habitats were placed in the field,
treated with Altosid SR5 from a truck-mounted
ULV machine operating from the streets, and left
in the community overnight. A scientific analysis
of both the treatment (SR5) and control (nontreatment) sites showed the majority of treated
mosquitoes failed to emerge as adults, thus
proving the initial approach a success.
The following season, with continued collaboration
from the Florida colleagues, the experiment area
was expanded to include approximately 200
acres, and planned to hit the larvae in the water
as well as the adults in the air, in an attempt to
reduce nuisance while curbing laying of new
eggs. The goal was to demonstrate population
level reduction of Aedes albopictus within a
heavily infested community. The same larvicide
application technique was used, and this time,
Mosquito Control Operations from
A to Z in the South
Jeff North
MS and South LA Rep
(800) 844-6116
[email protected]
it was followed up with an adulticide application
of Zenivex® E20 on the same evening. The
County is currently evaluating the results by
taking BG-Sentinel™ trap counts, which are
noted as efficient at catching Aedes albopictus.
So far, by measuring Aedes albopictus mosquito
populations in both the control and treatment
sites, there appears to be a significant and
sustained reduction in adult mosquitoes. This
phase of the study will be completed by the end
of fall, when the County hopes to see the adult
mosquitoes in the control site remain at a higher
level than in the treatment area.
For now though, it seems to be making an
impact as far as the citizens of Union County
can tell. Strano claims, “People in the treated
neighborhoods are now able to sit out on their
porches. They haven’t been able to do that for
quite a few years without dousing in repellant.”
From Crans’ perspective, “Union County is a
relatively small program with a big problem. If you
equip a small program with the right tools, they
can have an impact on this problem. The sprayer,
software and insecticides are the raw tools
-- using these at the right time and in the right
places is where the novel methodology comes
into play.” He adds, “If this approach is a success,
we’ll have fewer mosquitoes overwintering in
the egg stage, so fewer mosquitoes hatching
and fewer mosquitoes in the spring within the
treatment site. We have baseline mosquito
population data from the beginning of season
for the last few years and we’ll get another one
at the beginning of next; that will complete the
story. Fingers crossed!”
In my travels with ADAPCO for the past eight
years, I have been at times amazed, dazed,
amused and confused at all of the sights and
places and experiences I have been exposed
to. Coming from an agricultural background,
working with insects such as Mr. Boll Weevil, the
dreaded Tobacco Budworm, and various other
pests in the world of cotton, I really didn’t give
much thought to mosquitoes other than when
the plane flew over our rice crops to control
those dreaded Anopheles. I do remember those
five o’clock mornings on the Pearl River when
you couldn’t hear a turkey gobble because of the
constant roar of the wings from Aedes vexans
after a spring rain. People still don’t believe me
when I tell them this, but it’s true: you literally
could hear all the mosquitoes around the sloughs
of that river. I took some medical entomology
courses during my tenure at Mississippi State
University, but it wasn’t until Hoot Holiman
introduced me to the mosquito world that I truly
began to gain an appreciation for what this
insect has to offer, both good and bad.
The mosquito control operations in the MidSouth that I have the pleasure of working with
are as diverse as our country. I have seen oneman operations that handle both vector control,
animal control, and to some degree of people
control. On the other end of the spectrum, I have
the pleasure of working with huge mosquito
control districts with a vast staff of highly trained
Hurricaine Katrina damage
individuals. These districts are equipped with
state of the art equipment, laboratories for
identification and insecticide testing, all the way
to a fleet of aircraft capable of treating thousands
of acres quickly when the need arises.
to be at a facility and was asking what they did for
surveillance. The man in charge just pointed to the
telephone. “That’s the only trap I need. When they
get bad my phone starts ringing and I know what to
do.” That method worked for them.
Mosquito landing rates in the 100s
I have to mention some of my experiences for you
to fully appreciate the diversity of mosquito control
operations I am exposed to. The first experience
that comes to mind is the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005. There is
no way to fully describe what I saw in the days
following these storms. The damage physically,
psychologically and economically still haunts the
Gulf Coast today. Mosquito populations were
indescribable, with landing rates in the hundreds.
What amazed me even more was how resilient
these people were after everything they had been
through, and still are today. It was very inspiring to
say the least.
On a lighter note, I have to tell a few comical
stories involving mosquito control. One program’s
mosquito control arsenal consisted of a weed eater
and a sling blade. This individual would cut grass
and willow trees in the ditches to allow sunlight to
dry up the water. He had no foggers, larvicides,
nothing. He did a pretty good job with what he had
to work with. On another occasion, I just happened
One spring I was asked to check on a mosquito
problem that was completely out of hand. The
individual who had just recently taken over
operations described them as “bigger than birds.”
I was intrigued to say the least. When I arrived,
we took a stroll through the grass. They were big
alright; the problem was they were crane flies,
not mosquitoes. He didn’t care; he wanted to get
rid of them any way he could, so his phone would
stop ringing.
Yes, mosquito control programs are extremely
diverse. Everyone has their own way of
conducting operations and each program is
unique. At the various meetings I attend I always
pick up some novel idea someone has come up
with to battle our number one vector pest. I truly
enjoy seeing all of the operations and you are all
to be commended for the jobs you do. Keep up
the good work!
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