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No Spray News

James Irwin
PO Box 6393
Columbia, SC  29260

803-782-7114

March 11, 2002      Page 5

Say It, Don't Spray It
North Carolina Says Education, Not Insecticide
Is the Way to Control Tiger Mosquito

 

Public Education about Aedes albopictus and Disaster Response.

 

 

("ULV strategies" = Mosquito spraying)

 

   Public education for the control of the Asian tiger mosquito (Ae.albopictus) is crucial for a successful mosquito control response after a disaster. Distributing Ae. albopictus brochures before a disaster increases the public's awareness about mosquitoes in their community. Brochures also provide the public with a point of contact that can be used to address mosquito questions as mosquito activity increases during recovery efforts.

   Ae. albopictus survives hurricane conditions very well. The Tiger mosquito is considered an urban mosquito and is usually found in direct proximity to populated areas. Rainfall produced by a hurricane can increase Ae. albopictus production by filling containers around residences. The tiger mosquito is a daytime flyer and cannot be effectively controlled using routine ULV strategies.   It is usually the first mosquito to generate mosquito complaints after a disaster.

   Responding to mosquito complaints without considering the biology of the Tiger mosquito can confuse a program's adulticiding effort. Disaster assessments ot mosquito populations for ULV applications should exclude the Tiger mosquito. The most effective control strategy for the Tiger mosquito is public education.

http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/phpm/local_programs/Disaster_Response/Ae_albopictus_an...
10/20/01

What are you complaining about?
   Richland County bases its spraying decisions partly on spraying requests, but aren't most of these requests due to the tiger mosquito, which Richland County doesn't even claim to be controlling by spraying?

Sending the wrong signal -
   Don't our local spraying programs undermine public education efforts, by reinforcing the commonly held belief that spraying is the way to control our mosquitoes?

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