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Public Works - Mosquito Control 

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Threat Condition
Threat Condition

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THE BUZZ

Volume 6, 19   (Week 35)

August 30, 2007

 
Mosquito Activity (Scale from 0 to 5)
  • The heavy down pours last week provided for some very active mosquitoes early this week. The mosquito activity bumped up to a 3 early this week, thanks to the hard work of the mosquito control folks the activity is back to a 2. Mosquito populations should be at or below normal for the holiday weekend.
Surveillance
  • Rainfall last week averaged 1.75 inches; this was enough rain to fill containers around the homes and flood up some ditches city wide.
  • 5 CDC style traps were set this week, with a total of 686 mosquitoes caught for an average of 137 per trap. Trap counts increased as expected. Control activities have helped to drastically reduce mosquito populations.
  • 20 Omni-Directional Fay-Prince (OFP) were set this week, with a total of 931 tiger mosquitoes for an average of 47 per trap. Tiger mosquitoes reached the highest point of the season. Tiger mosquitoes are a direct result of citizens failing to eliminate standing water around their homes.
Weekly Average City-wide Asian Tiger Mosquito Counts
Service Requests
  • We had 55 service requests this week. Most of the calls were attributed to the salt marsh mosquito increase.
Control Efforts
  • Crews have been out inspecting and treating catch basins and back ditches during the day time and truck fogging for adult mosquitoes at night; crews truck fogged approximately 8,196 acres this week. All spray routes will a have been sprayed before the holiday weekend.
  • Mosquito Spray Information can be found on the Mosquito Hotline: 393-8666.
Federal Activities
  • The Air Force Aerial Spray Team from Youngstown Ohio sprayed approximately 5,800 Craney Island, Navy Fuel Terminal, Coast Guard Base, and portions of neighborhoods north of interstate 164 Wednesday night. Densely vegetated areas along the James River are scheduled to be sprayed again this evening.
  • Corps and city staff met this week and conducted an extensive joint survey of possible mosquito breeding habitats. Based on our surveys we have jointly adjusted our control efforts to better manage the salt marsh mosquitoes.
  • For more information about the mosquito control activities on Craney Island visit the corps web site at http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/Projects/Craney/Craney%20Mosquito/Homepage.asp

Mosquito Trap Counts

 
City of Portsmouth, Virginia - All rights reserved.

last updated August, 2007