mosquitoes - rosemead school district · tips found in this brochure, you can reduce your risk and...

Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Diseases

•WestNileVirus

•MosquitoesofConcern

•EnvironmentalMosquitoControl

•RepellentUseandSelection

•CanineHeartwormandTreeholeMosquitoes

•InsectsthatResembleMosquitoes

Protecting the Public from Vector-Borne Disease since 1989

Mosquitoes SanGabrielValleyMosquito&VectorControlDistrict

2 www.sgvmosquito.org

Mosquitoes & DiseAseMosquitoescanbeannoying,buttheyaremostimportantasvectors(transmitters)ofdisease.Nearly70%ofemergingthreatstopublichealthworldwidearediseasesofanimalstransmittedtohumans.DiseasesoncenearlyeradicatedaremakingacomebackintheUnitedStatesandaroundtheworld.

VirusesthatcauseWestNile(WNV)andotherencephalitidesarenormallyfoundinbirds,butalsocauseillnessinpeopleeachyear.Sinceintroducedin2003,morethan600peoplehavebeensickenedbyWNVinLosAngelesCountyalone.Thankfully,mostpeoplebittenbyaninfectedmosquitowillnothavesymptoms.Approximately20%willdevelopWestNilefever.Symptomsmayincludeheadache,fever,bodyaches,vomiting,nausea,swollenlymphglandsandskinrashonthechest,stomachandback.Rarely,thisviruswillinvadethebrainand/ornervoussystemleadingtoamoresevereformofillnesstypifiedbymentalconfusion,coma,paralysis,andinextremecases,death.

ThereisnocureforWNV,butbyfollowingsimplemosquito-proofingandbitepreventiontipsfoundinthisbrochure,youcanreduceyourriskandprotectyourfamilyfrommosquito-transmitteddisease.

Mosquitoes can transmit a variety of viruses and parasites to people and animals including West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, and western equine encephalomyelitis viruses, canine heartworm, and malaria.

Out for Blood

Mosquitoesaresmallbitingflies.

Bothmaleandfemalemosquitoesfeedonplantjuicesforfood.

Onlyfemalesbitetogetbloodfrommammals,birds,amphibians,andreptilesusingspecializedmouthparts(proboscis).

Proteinsinbloodareneededtoproduceeggs.

www.sgvmosquito.org 3

SanGabrielValleyMosquito&VectorControlDistrict Mosquitoes

egg

Adultfemalemosquitoeslayapproximately100-250eggseitherinclusterscalledraftswhichfloatonthesurfaceofthewater,orsinglyonoratthewater’sedge.Larvaehatchfromeggswithindaysaftercontactwithwater.

LArvA

Larvaeareoftenfoundatthesurfaceofthewaterwheretheybreatheandfeed.Theyliveinawidevarietyofwater-filledsourcesincludingneglectedswimmingpools,ditches,stormdrains,householdcontainers,treeholes,ponds,horsetroughs,anddiscardedtires.Larvaefeedonalgaeandbacteriainthewaterandshedtheirskinfourtimesastheygrowoverseveraldaysorweeks.

PuPA

Aspupae,mosquitoestransformintheircocoon-likeshell.Pupaedonotfeedbutmustcometothewater’ssurfacetoobtainoxygen.Oncefullydeveloped,thepupalskinsplitsandtheadultmosquitoemerges.

ADuLt

Newlyemergedadultmosquitoesrestonthesurfaceofthewateruntiltheyarestrongenoughtofly.Aftermating,femalemosquitoesflyoffinsearchofabloodmealnecessaryfordevelopingeggs.

Femalemosquitoesareattractedtoheat,odors,andcarbondioxidegivenoffbyhostssuchashumans,mammals,reptiles,andbirds.Adultmosquitoesliveanaverageof1-3weeks.

Life Cycle of the MosquitoTheentirelifecyclefromeggtoadulttakesanaverageoffivetoseven(5-7)daysformostspecies.



species of ConcernThereareapproximately3,500speciesofmosquitoesworldwide.Californiaishometo53differentspecies,15ofwhicharefoundinLosAngelesCounty.Thoseofgreatestconcernfallintooneoffourgroupslistedbelow.

Culex

ThemostprevalentmosquitoesinurbansouthernCalifornia,Culexthriveinnaturalandman-madesourcesofhighlyorganicwaterincludingdrainages,undergroundsumps,dirtyswimmingpools,andcontainers.Mostcanmaturefromeggtobitingadultin5-7days.

Somespeciesflyonlyshortdistances,butothersmayflyupto10milesinsearchofabloodmealandareactivefromdusktodawn.

Thesemosquitoesfeedprimarilyonbirds,butalsobitehumansandaremajorvectorsofWestNile,St.LouisencephalitisandWesternequineencephalomyelitisviruses.

AnOPheles

ThemostcommonAnophelesinsouthernCaliforniatransmittedmalariaamongearlysettlers.WhilemalariaisnolongerendemicinCalifornia,localoutbreakscanoccurwheninfectedtravelersarefeduponbylocalmosquitoes.

Anopheleslarvaeareoftenfoundinriversandcanyonstreamsinalgaematsandcattailstands.

Femalesarestrongfliersandaggressivebitersatdawnanddusk.Anophelesmosquitoesprefertofeedonhumansandlargemammals.

Culex are often brown or reddish and feed oriented horizontally

Anopheles feed head down at a characteristic 45-degree angle.



AeDes

ManyAedesinhabitcoastalmarshesandirrigatedpasturesorbreedincontainersandtreeholes.Aedesfeedaggressivelyduringthedayandaresignificantvectorsofdengueandothervirusesworldwide.InCalifornia,thetreeholemosquitoisresponsiblefortransmittingcanineheartwormandisoftenfoundinwoodedareaswheretreeholecavitiesarecommon.SeveralspeciesofAedeshavebeenintroducedintoCaliforniabuthavenotbecomeestablished.Ifyounoticeday-bitingmosquitoes,pleasereportthempromptly.

CulisetA

These“cool-weather”mosquitoesaremostcommonbetweenfallandspring.TypicallylargerthanCulexmosquitoes,Culisetaprefertobitelargemammalsinsteadofhumans.Larvalhabitatsincludebothsunlitandshadedponds,puddles,andartificialcontainersholdingrelativelyclearwater.Thesemosquitoesmaybeimportantinthemaintenancecycleofcanineheartworm.

Many Aedes have striking black and white banding

Culiseta are larger and darker than other common species

What can i do to avoid being bitten?

ApplyarepellentthatcontainsDEET,Picaridin,IR3535®,orOilofLemonEucalyptus.Makesureyoufollowlabeldirections!

Wearprotectiveclothing,suchaslong-sleevedshirtsandpants.

Checkandrepairallscreensandscreendoorstokeepmosquitoesoutofyourhouse.

Minimizeoutdooractivitiesatdawnandduskwhenmosquitoesaremostactive.

Actual size

Mosquitoesaregenerallyabout1/2”atfulladultsize.

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A Bit ABout the Bite! Thatitchybumpyougetafterabiteisareactiontothesalivaamosquitoinjectswhenitfeeds.Virusesandotherpathogenscanalsobetransmittedthroughmosquitosaliva.

FinD sourCes! Lookforanythingthatcanholdwaterformorethanafewdays.Buckets,dirtyswimmingpools,tires,trashcans,andothercontainersshouldbedrainedand/orcleanedweekly.

AvoiD theM! Trytolimitoutdooractivityatduskanddawnduringpeakmosquitoseason(springthroughfall).

BLoCk ‘eM out! Makesurewindowsanddoorshavetightfitting,intactscreens.Thiswillhelpkeepotherunwantedcrittersouttoo!

use MosquitoFish! Thesesmall,hardyfishcaneathundredsofmosquitolarvaeadayinabackyardpondorothermanmadesourceofwater.

Callus,weprovidethematnochargetoourresidents.

WeAr rePeLLents! Wearlongsleevesandpantsanduserepellentswhenoutdoors.Remembertoreadthelabelsandcarefullyfollowinstructionsonallinsectrepellents.

Change WaTeR in biRdbaThs

CLean gUTTeRsRemove vegeTaTion

keep debRis fRom ReaChing CaTCh basins

RepoRT negLeCTed pooLs

dUmp sTanding

WaTeR

Fight the Bite! Don’t Breed Mosquitoes



Common residential Mosquito sourcesResidentialyardsareoftenthe#1sourceofmosquitoproductioninacommunity.Anythingthatcanholdahalfinchofwaterformorethanfivedayscanbeasourceofmosquitoes.Thisincludespuddlesinlawnsandgardens,flowerpotsaucers,neglectedswimmingpoolsandspas,birdbaths,cloggedraingutters,andmore.Maintain,manage,oreliminatealltypesofstandingwaterregularly.

trash bins:Keeplidsshuttightlyandremovewaterthataccumulatesinside.Drillseveraldrainholesinthebottoms.

Boats:Checkandremovewaterweeklyfromboatcovers.

Fountains and bird baths:Cleanorhoseoutweekly.

rain gutters:Keepclearofleavesandotherdebris.

Potted plant saucers:Don’toverwater.Flushoutsaucerswithahoseordrillholesinthebottomtoallowforbetterdrainage.

tires: Drillholesintireswings.Recycleusedtiresorstoreinacoveredarea.

Water bowls for pets:Rinseandfillwithfreshwater1to2timesaweek.

Water troughs:StockwithfreemosquitofishfromtheDistrict.

Leaky hoses:Replacedamagedhosesandfixleakyfaucetsandpipes.

Low areas:Donotoverwaterlawnsorgardens.

Ponds:Stockornamentalpondswithmosquitofish.Keeppondsclearandfreeofexcessvegetation.

neglected swimming pools and spas:Maintainevenwhennotinuse.Removestandingwaterontopofcovers.ReportneglectedpoolsorspasbycontactingtheDistrict.

Containers:Storecontainersupsidedown,coverorplaceinashelteredarea.

rain barrels:Covertightlywithafinemeshscreen.

Chain link fence:Coverhollowchainlinkfencepostswithcaps.

Drains:Makesurethatdrainsarenotcloggedbydebrisandflowfreely.

Flat roofs:Watermaypuddleonflatroofsduringtherainyseason.Inspectweeklyandremoveanystandingwater.

Lighting:Checkgardenlightsandeliminatewaterfromtopsoffixturesandfrominsidefloodlights.

sculptures:Checkforwaterthatmaycollectinlawnornaments.Drainorflushoutweekly.

screens:Installandmaintaintightfittingwindowanddoorscreens.

rot hole in trees:Beawarethatwatercancollectintreeholes,crotchesanddeadtreestumps.Checkwithanarboristforbestwaytomanagewaterorfillcavities.

Water under home:Useasumppumptoremovewater.

septic tanks: Screenventpipeswithafinemeshscreen.Coverexposedtanksormanholelidswithplasticorasimilarmaterialandsecureinplace.Placeseveralinchesormoreofdirtorsandoverthetopofthearea.

Wheelbarrows:Removewaterthatcollectsinsideorstoreupsidedown.

Use this home & garden checklist to help make your activities around your home safer & more enjoyable.



environmental Mosquito ControlOncemosquitoesreachadulthood,controllingtheirpopulationsbecomesdifficult.Removingsourcesofstandingwaterandtargetingimmaturemosquitoesarebyfarthemostenvironmentallysensitiveandeffectiveapproaches.

iMMAture MosquitoesEliminatingsourcesofstandingwaterremoveshabitatwheremosquitoeslaytheireggs.Immaturestagesmusthavewatertosurvive.Overturningbucketsandothercontainerswillpreventmosquitoesfrommaturingintobitingadults.Inareaswherewatercannotberemoved,mosquitoescanbemanagedusingbiologicalorchemicalcontrol.

Biological Control Mosquitofish(Gambusia affinis)aresmall,surfacefeedingfishusedthroughouttheworldtocontrolmosquitolarvae.Theyarewelladaptedtoartificialpondsandareavailablefordeliveryorpickup,freeofchargetoresidentsofourDistrict.Theyareonlyusedinartificialcontainers(backyardponds,fountains)andshouldnotbereleasedintonaturalareasorswimmingpools.

Goldfishandkoimayincidentallycontrollarvaebutarenotefficientpredatorsofmosquitoes.Pondsthatareinhabitedbypredatoryinsectssuchasdragonflies,damselflies,andaquaticbeetlesoftenhavefewermosquitoproblems.

To help mosquitofish adjust to a new home, place the container of fish directly into the pond for 10-15 minutes before release. In established ponds, extra food is not needed. If necessary, fish food or crushed dry pet food can be provided.

BioChemical/Chemical ControlThesafestandmostcommonlyusedproductsforlarvalmosquitocontrolareformulationsderivedfromnaturalsources.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bti) and Bacillus sphaericus (Bs)arenaturalsoilbacteriathataretoxictofeedingmosquitolarvae.

Methoprene isaninsectjuvenilegrowthhormonethatpreventsmosquitoesfromsuccessfullymaturingtoadulthood.

Bothproductsselectivelycontrolmosquitoes,midges,andblackfliesandaresafetouseinpondswithfish,inhorsetroughs,andinnaturalareas.Thesearetheproductsofchoiceformosttreatments.



surface filmsareusedtocontrolmosquitopupaebypreventingimmaturestagesfromobtainingoxygenfromthewater’ssurface.

Theseproductsdisruptthewater’ssurfacetensioncausingmosquitoestodrownandareidealsolutionsforswimmingpoolsandman-madecontainers.

ADuLt MosquitoesControllingadultmosquitoesismoredifficultandrequirestheuseofnon-specificproductsthatmayimpactotherinsects.Adultcontrolmaybecomenecessaryifmosquitopopulationsarehighanddiseasetransmissionisoccurringinanarea.Vectorcontroldistrictsselectproductsshowntobesaferfortheenvironmentandrequireuseoftheleastamountofpesticide.

Pyrethrumsortheiranalogsareappliedasanultra-lowvolumefogintotheairintheeveningsorearlymorninghourswhenmosquitoesaremostactive.

Becausedropletsizeissosmallanditisappliedwhenmostotherinsectsareinactive,fewernon-targetspeciesareimpacted.

Adult Aedes mosquitoes are aggressive daytime-biters and significant vectors of disease like dengue virus, yellow fever, and chikungunya worldwide.

BACkYArD reMeDies FACTORFICTION?• Manyelectronicdevicesclaimtorepelmosquitoeswithhigh

frequencysoundsthatmimictheirnaturalpredators;howeverthereisnoscientificsupportfortheseclaims.

• Bug‘zappers’,eventhoseusingmosquitoattractants,arenoteffectiveagainstmosquitoes.

• Citronellacandles/oillampsmayprovidebenefitoveralimitedareabutshouldnotbereliedupontoprotectusersfrombites.

• Mosquitotrapswillattractandcaptureapercentageofthemosquitoeshowevertheyareexpensivetopurchaseandmaintain.Theyworkbestwhenplacedattheperipheryoflargepropertiesinareaswheremosquitonumbersarehigh.

• Mosquito-repellingplantsarenoteffectiveatkeepingmosquitoesfromyouryard.


10 (626)814-9466

ir3535® IR3535®,alsocalledMerck3535,isregisteredwiththeEPAasabiopesticide,buthasbeenusedasasyntheticrepellentinEuropeforover20yearswithnosignificantharmfuleffects.

IR3535®wasapprovedforuseintheUnitedStatesin1999,andiscurrentlyavailableinaerosol,pumpspraysandwipes.

WhileEPArecognizestheuseofIR3535®assafeforadultsandchildren,be advised that it is an eye irritant.

RepelsMosquitoes Yes

RepelsTicks Yes

AgesforChildren Over6months

hours of Protection

Against Mosquitoes

Against ticks

Lessthan10%formula

2–4hours* 2–4hours*

15–20%formula

4–6hours* X

20%ormoreformula

6–8hours* 8–12hours*for some products

About repellentsChooseandusearepellentcontainingoneofthefollowingactiveingredientssoyoucanspendtimeenjoyingtheoutdoorsknowingyouareprotectedfrombitinginsectsandthediseasestheymaytransmit.

Deet DEET–basedrepellentshaveprovidedeffective,dependableprotectionsincethe1950s.

RepellentscontainingDEETareavailableinvariousconcentrationsthatrepelinsectsequallywellforthelengthoftimetheyareneeded.

DEET–basedproductsareavailableinawidevarietyofforms,includingaerosolandpumpspraysaswellaswipes.

DEET is the most effective and best–studied repellent available.


RepelsTicks Yes

AgesforChildren Over2months

hours of Protection

Against Mosquitoes

Against ticks

Lessthan10%formula

1–2hours*† 1–2hours*for some products

15–20%formula

2–6hours*† X

20–25%formula

5–8hours*† X

25–95%formula

6–10hours*for most products

2–4hours*for some products

95%ormoreformula

8–10hours* 5–10hours*for most products

* Theseprotectiontimeshavebeenapprovedforproductlabels.ThesetimesarebasedonthetechnicalinformationprovidedtotheEPAbythecompaniesontheeffectivenessoftheproductagainstmosquitoesand/orticks.Timeframeswereconsolidatedforallbrandswiththesamepercentageformulas.

X An“X”indicatesthatthemajorityofrepellentproductinthiscategoryhasnotbeenregisteredforprotectionfromticks.

† InformationprovidedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.



oil of Lemon eucalyptus/PMD OilofLemonEucalyptusisanaturalplant–basedrepellentthatisderivedfromtheoiloftheleavesoftheEucalyptus citidoratree.

RepellentscontainingoiloflemoneucalyptusprovideprotectionsimilartothatofproductscontaininglowconcentrationsofDEET.

Theseproductstendtohaveastrongbotanicalsmellandareavailableinawidevarietyofformulations,includingpumpspraysandlotions.


RepelsTicks Yes

AgesforChildren Over3years

hours of Protection

Against Mosquitoes

Against ticks

20%ormoreformula

2–6hours*† 6hours*for some products

Picaridin/kBr 3023 PicaridinisasyntheticrepellentdevelopedInthe1990sthathasbeencommerciallyavailableintheUnitedStatessince2005.Picaridiniscolorless,nearlyodorless,andisavailableinmultipleformulations.Itprovideslong–lasting,effectiveprotectionsimilartothatofproductscontainingidenticalconcentrationsofDEET.

BeadvisedthatnospecificrecommendationsregardingtheuseofPicaridinonchildrenhavebeenissuedbythemanufacturersortheCDC.


RepelsTicks Maybe

AgesforChildren n/a

hours of Protection

Against Mosquitoes

Against ticks

Lessthan10%formula

1–2hours† X

15%formula 2–4hours* X

Choose the right repellent for your activity

DEET,IR3535®

• ExtendedHikes

• OvernightCamping

OilofLemonEucalyptus

• SittingatthePark

• LightYardWork

• StrollAroundtheNeighborhood

PICARIDIN,DEET,IR3535®

• HeavyYardWork

• Barbecues

• LateNightOutdoorActivity

• OutdoorFestival

SomeformulationsofDEET

• Waterplay



reduce, reuse & recycle Water resPonsiBLYCapturingandstoringwaterhasbecomeincreasinglyimportantascommunitiesfacethethreatofwatershortagescausedbydroughtandwaste.Mosquitoeswillreadilyreproduceinwatercapturedevices,increasingtheriskofdiseasetransmissiontohumansandanimalsinthearea.Wemustconsiderallfactorsaswestrivetomaintainasustainableandhealthyenvironment.

Privatepropertyownersandhomeownerassociations(HOAs)mustmaintainwaterstorage/infiltrationdevicesinstalledontheirproperty.Toensureregularinspections,pleasereporttheirlocationandanymosquitoproblemspromptlytotheDistrict.

rAin BArreLs•Tightlyscreenallopeningsonrainbarrelswith1/16thinchmeshtoprohibitmosquitoentry.Checkregularlyandreplacetornordegradedscreens.

•Removewaterthatpoolsonthelidatleastonceweekly

•Keepguttersanddownspoutscleanandfreeofdebris

WAter tAnks (Cisterns)•Cisterns(aboveandbelowground)mustbetightlysealedtokeepmosquitoesout.

•Coverallinlets,outlets,andventswithtight-fitting1/16thinchmeshscreening.Inspectregularlytoensuretherearenocracksandsealsremainintact.

• Thecisternmustbeaccessibleforperiodicmaintenanceandinspectionformosquitobreeding.

Best MAnAgeMent PrACtiCes (BMPs) For Mosquito ControLStormwaterretention/treatmentdevicesmustbedesignedandproperlymaintainedtominimizemosquitoproduction,useofmosquitolarvicides,mosquito-bornediseasetransmission,andotherpublichealthissues.

•Selectandmaintainproperslopeforallwaterconveyances

•Ensureswales,ditches,andraingardensaremaintainedproperlyanddraincompletelywithin3-4days

•Thinemergentvegetationandremovesiltannuallyfromstormwaterdetentionbasins.

•Selectnative,low-growingvegetation.Avoidcattailsor

otherinvasivespeciessuchascreepingwaterprimrose,waterhyacinth,andparrotfeatherwhichgrowrapidly,canbedifficulttomaintain,andprohibiteffectivemosquitocontrolandinspection.

•Undergroundvaults/sumpsmustbecleanedoutregularly.Selectdevicesdesignedtodraincompletely.



Canine(Dog)HeartwormDiseaseisaseriousandsometimesfatalconditionindogscausedbytheroundwormDirofilaria immitisthatliveswithinthedog’sheartandlungs.Heartwormaffectscoyotes,foxes,dogs,andrarelycats,andistransmittedbymosquitoes,particularlytheWesterntreeholemosquito(Aedes sierrensis).

Mosquitoes Can Make Your Pets sick too!

BioLogY Adultheartwormsare6-12incheslongandcanreducebloodflowtothepointthattheheart,lungs,liver,andkidneysofcaninesaredamaged.Symptomsareusuallynotapparentuntilafterdamagehasbeendone.Advancedsymptomsofheartworminclude:rapidtiring,panting,chronicsoftdrycough,listlessness,andweightloss.

Mosquitoesbecomeinfectedandcantransmitheartwormafterfeedingonaninfecteddog,fox,orcoyote.Humanscannotdevelopheartwormevenifbittenbyaninfectedmosquito.

Prevention Itisusuallyimpossibleformosquitocontrolagenciestoeliminatetreeholemosquitoesfromaproblemareabecauseofthedifficultyinlocatingandaccessingbreedingsources.Immaturetreeholemosquitoesdevelopinthewaterthatcollectsinrotholesofmaturetrees,oldtires,cans,buckets,andothercontainers.Treeholemosquitoesaremostcommoninheavilywoodedareas.

Homeownersshouldexaminetreesandtreestumpsontheirpropertyforrotholes,cavities,andcrotchesthatcanholdwater.Ifholesarefound,consultanarboristtodeterminethebestwaytocorrecttheproblem.Holesmaybefilledwithsandorwaterabsorbinggelpolymers(polyacrylamide).Eliminateotherbreedingsourcesbyemptying,turningupsidedown,orthrowingawaycontainersthatholdwater.

Pet Prevention

Petownersshouldconsultwiththeirveterinarianabouttestingandpreventativemedicationsfordogs,especiallythosethatfrequentlyspendtimeoutdoors.

Canineheartwormiscurableifdiagnosedintheearlystages.

Dog heart with heavy worm infestation.



insects that resemble MosquitoesTheSanGabrielValleyishometonumerousinsectsthatcloselyresemblemosquitoes.Manyoftheseinsectsemergeinlargenumbersduringtheearlyspring,alarmingthepublic.Thefollowingareinsectsthatareoftenmistakenformosquitoes.

MiDges

Midgesaresmall,grayishcoloredfliessimilarinsizetomosquitoes.Mostspeciesdonotbiteorposeahealthrisk,butcanbeaseriousnuisance,particularlyincommunitiesadjacenttolargeaquatichabitats.Tiny“no-see-ums,”however,arewellknownfortheirpainfulburningbites.Somepeoplemaybesensitivetomidgesandexperienceallergicreactions.

Immaturemidgesliveindamporsubmergedsoilsandareoftenanimportantsourceoffoodforaquaticpredators.Adultmidgesareshort-livedandweakflyers.Duringpeakemergence,massiveswarmsmayappearlikecloudsofsmokefromafar,andwhenatrest,cancoverhouses,cars,andotherstructures.

Personalprotectionisthebestdefenseagainstbitingmidges;wearprotectiveclothingsuchaslongsleevesandpants,andapplyrepellenttoexposedskinwhentheseinsectsarepresent.Todiscouragecongregationsofadults,movelightsawayfromdoorways,windows,andpatios,andreplacemercuryvaporlightswithyelloworsodiumvaporlights.

Midge

Actual size

Midgesaregenerallyabout3/8”atfulladultsize.

Swarming Midges



CrAne FLies

Oftencalled“mosquitohawks,”harmlesscranefliesaremuchlargerthanmosquitoesandcannotbiteortransmitanydiseasestopeople.Cranefliesaretan,brownorreddishincolorwithlonglegsandslenderbodiesreaching1

to3inchesinlength.Thelarvaeliveinmoistsoil,muddywater,ordecomposingmaterial.

Thesenon-bitinginsectsareshort-livedanddonotconstituteahealthproblembutcanbeannoyingwhenfoundinsidehomesorinlargenumbers.Iftheygetindoors,theyshouldbereleasedbackoutsidesincecranefliesareanimportantseasonalfoodsourceforbirds.

BLACk FLY

Oneofthemostirritatingpests,thesesmallbitingfliesoftenappearinourfoothillsingreatnumbersduringthespringandsummermonths,andhavemovedintourbanareaswiththeproliferationofbackyardpondsandwaterfeatures.

Likemosquitoes,theseinsectsbitehumansandothermammalstoobtainbloodproteinsnecessaryforeggdevelopment.Locally,blackfliesdonottransmitdisease,butcancauseextremediscomfort,allergicreaction,andirritationduetotheirbitinghabitsand/orgreatnumbers.

ControL AnD ProteCtionBlackfliesbreedinflowingriversandstreams,irrigationditches,andbackyardwaterfeatures.ControleffortsaredirectedattheblackflylarvaebyinterruptingwaterfloworusingBti/Bsproductswhennecessary.Inpondsandfountains,turnoffpumpsonceaweekfora24hourperiodtohelpcontrolpopulations.

AvoidbitesbywearingprotectiveclothingandusingDEET-basedrepellents,especiallyalongthehairlineandaroundears.

Crane Fly

Black Fly

Actual size

Blackfliesaregenerallyabout1/4”atfulladultsize.

Actual size

CraneFliescanbefrom1”to3”dependingonspecies.

About the san gabriel valley Mosquito & vector Control DistrictThe District was founded in 1989 to protect residents frommosquito-bornediseasethroughpubliceducation,surveillance,andcontrolofmosquitoes.

AstheDistrictevolved,additionalprogramswereadded.In1997,the Board of Trustees approved a full vector surveillance andcontrolprogram.

Surveillance for vector-borne diseases include St. Louisencephalitis,westernequineencephalomyelitis,WestNilevirus,plague,murinetyphus,hantavirus,arenavirus,andLymedisease.

District services are provided through an Integrated VectorManagement (IVM) approach which incorporates significantmeasures aimed at protecting the environment. The Districtpromotescooperationandcommunicationwithpropertyowners,residents, social and political groups, and other governmentalagenciestoaidinthoseefforts.Astrongcommitmenttopubliceducationiscriticaltoachievingthesegoals.

san gabriel valley Mosquito & vector Control District1145N.AzusaCanyonRoad•WestCovina,CA91790(626) 814-9466 • www.sgvmosquito.org

Printed in an environmentally sensitive manner on paper containing 50% recycled content, 25% post consumer waste, Forest StewardshipCouncil (FSC) certified recycled stock which promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Cert no. SCS-COC-00xxxx

The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District is concerned about protecting and preserving the environment. We strive to cut down on waste and use eco-friendly materials wherever possible.

We have printed this publication on recycled paper with post-consumer waste content using vegetable-based inks.

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mosquitoes - rosemead school district · tips found in this brochure, you can reduce your risk and...

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