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Eight Reasons Why Spraying Pesticides is Not the Solution to West Nile Virus

Reducing mosquito breeding sites (standing water), known as source control, is the most effective mosquito control method. Since adult mosquitoes seldom travel more than 1 kilometer, source control in a neighborhood can be extremely effective and quite non-toxic. Experts stress the value of source controls such as mechanical flushing of sewer catch basins, and introduction of dragonfly larvae in nearby ponds and lakes. These methods have been practiced with great success in Wells, Maine for 26 years. Maintaining healthy mosquito predator populations is an important part of a mosquito control strategy. Eliminating mosquito larvae, through predators and biological means and if absolutely necessary…

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 It’s warming up and mozzies are coming. Here’s how to mosquito-proof your backyard

Here are five ways you can mosquito-proof your backyard that don’t rely on spraying insecticides.

 Mosquito Management’s Role in Protecting Public Health

There are really only two reasons to control mosquitoes; to avoid nuisance biting, and to preclude the spread of mosquito-borne disease. Everyone recognizes that mosquitoes can be a terrible blood feeding nuisance, but most people do not realize the magnitude of the health threat that they represent. Some of the world’s most deadly diseases are carried and transmitted by mosquitoes.

Articles of Interest

A New Way to Keep Mosquitoes From Biting

An appetite-suppressing drug makes them act as if they’ve already feasted on blood.

A Pivotal Mosquito Experiment Could Not Have Gone Better

An extremely common microbe can stop the insects from spreading the virus that causes dengue fever.

Are mosquito coils good or bad for our health?

The sight and smell of smouldering mosquito coils is a mainstay of summer. But is all that smoke really keeping away the swarms of mosquitoes, and is breathing in the smoke worse than mosquito bites for our health? The burning of aromatic plant material to keep away swarms of mosquitoes is an integral part of many cultural traditions around the world. But it wasn’t until the early 1900s that the distinctively shaped mosquito coil was born, thanks to Japanese entrepreneurs Eiichiro and Yuki Ueyama and their katori senk (mosquito-killing incense).

Can a bold new plan to stop mosquitoes catch on?

With pests growing resistant to insecticides, and climate change creating a bug boom, towns consider a lab-bred mosquito with a killer gene.

Citronella Candles Don’t Really Work. Stop Buying Them

Mosquitoes are relentless. They swarm and buzz and bite, leaving you covered in itchy red welts. Some spread diseases, such as Zika and West Nile viruses. There are countless mosquito deterrents on the market that promise to keep the little pests at bay, but much of what’s said to be effective doesn’t actually do anything to stop mosquitoes from biting.

Disorganized Mosquito Control Will Make US Vulnerable to Zika

And though no one is yet talking about it publicly, that presents an enormous problem. In the United States, mosquito control — the tracking, spraying and surveillance that, in the absence of a vaccine, provides the best defense — is conducted by a crazy quilt of local districts that are dependent on cities and counties for funding and personnel. Some belong to local health departments, and others to departments of agriculture, transportation, or parks and recreation; almost none of them answer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency that directs US response to new disease threats.

Do Bug Zappers Work? Yeah—About As Well As Any Other Indiscriminate Wildlife Slaughter.

Bug zappers kill bugs by the thousands. But there’s a problem: They kill the wrong bugs. They are ineffective against mosquitoes and other biting flies, and their otherwise indiscriminate killing can disrupt pollination and generally throw the environment out of balance. Plus, the force of their electrocution can spew a mist of disease-ridden bug parts out into the air. All of the mosquito experts we spoke with and every relevant university extension office we could find unanimously condemned bug zappers

Do Not Fear the Drones Air-Dropping 50,000 Mosquitoes From Above

These horny buggers are actually here to help us fight the spread of disease

Genetic engineering may help control disease-carrying mosquitoes

It produces fit and healthy eunuchs.

Here's Why It's a Very Bad Idea to Wipe Mosquitoes Off the Face of the Earth

For humans, it's likely the most lethal animal in the world, spreading malaria, Zika, dengue, and other fatal diseases, but killing off all the world's species of mosquitoes would likely have far reaching consequences.

Hitting Mosquitoes Where It Hurts

In Maryland and the rest of the U.S., mosquito season begins with a new species, a new disease, and new strategies for pest control.

How can we control mosquitos? Deactivate their sperm.

This method of biological control could help manage populations of mosquitoes that carry deadly viruses.

How to keep mosquitoes away

Mosquitoes are small, but dangerous, and climate change is making the threat of mosquito-borne diseases far worse. Pretty much everyone wants to keep skeeters away, and with a bit of work, you can evict them from your lawn, your town, and almost anywhere else.

The Best Mosquito Control Gear for Your Patio or Yard

After spending 65 hours researching a category full of marketing hype and debunked methods (including popular options like citronella candles), we found that the E90 stands out by actually being effective. Its rechargeable nine-hour battery lasts long enough to odorlessly keep a bedroom-size area mosquito-free for an entire evening—as long as there’s no breeze.

The Best Mosquito Repellents for Your Yard, Tested and Reviewed

Is there really a product out there that will keep these bugs away from our food? We were looking for the holy grail of bug repellers, but to be honest, unfortunately it seems there really is no perfect solution out there to keep mosquitoes away.

The first US trial to release GMO mosquitoes just ended. Here’s how it went

The mosquitoes, all male, were designed to produce only male offspring.

The head of the U.S.’s largest mosquito control program has science on her side

Holeman has more than a personal interest in these pests. She’s the scientific-technical services director at Fresno County’s Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District and leads the field team of Debug Fresno, the largest experimental mosquito sterilization and control program in the United States.

This Teenager Found a Way to Control Mosquitoes Using Essential Oils and Baker’s Yeast

Aseel Rawashdeh’s inexpensive larvicide kills disease-spreading species and spares beneficial ones.

Unleashing a New Weapon on the Mosquito: A Mosquito

Aedes aegypti spreads arboviruses, including dengue and yellow fever, which can severely sicken or kill people. But these are special Aedes aegyptis: They carry a type of bacteria that can neutralize those deadly viruses.

Watch: As Zika concerns spread, a top mosquito control district gets to work

Across hot, humid Harris County, mosquitoes are trapped and hauled to a facility south of downtown here. After being dunked into a freezer and sorted, the females — the ones that bite — are crushed, sampled, and tested for signs of disease like dengue and West Nile.

Why Is Mosquito Control Important?

Some mosquitoes are harmful and can spread viruses like West Nile, dengue, Zika, and parasites like malaria. Other mosquitoes bother people and are considered “nuisance” mosquitoes. Nuisance mosquitoes bite people, but don’t spread germs. Of the over 200 types of mosquitoes in the United States and US territories, about 12 types spread germs.

Resources

VDCI

Vector Disease Control International (VDCI) is a world leader in Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) services. Our efforts support the public health goals in cities, counties, states as well as established mosquito abatement programs across the United States. We also provide our services to commercial businesses and conduct services for international customers.

American Mosquito Control Association

Driven to enhance health and quality of life through the suppression of vector-transmitted diseases and the reduction of mosquitoes and other public health pests by providing leadership, information, collaboration, tools, and education.

CDC

Learn about the importance of mosquito control, community-level control efforts, and what you can do to make a difference at home. If you’re a mosquito control professional, find resources and training opportunities.