Question:
Two years ago, I called the extension service about these nasty
little critters. They said I was the only one with a problem.
These hungry boogers are out all day long and bite repeatedly.
They are very small, and if you look closely...you can see
somewhat of a striped appearance. They are capable of carrying
three nasty diseases...the names of which I forget.
Two years ago, I read they were as far north as Maryland.
Washington DC has a nasty problem with them...per an article that
appeared in the Washington Post last year.
I sent a copy of the article to WRAL since I thought they might
check out this health menace.
I keep my gutters clean, have made sure that I have no standing
water under my house, there is no water in any pots outside (they
don't need much, evidently). Two pest control companies have not
been able to help.
Does anyone else have this problem?
I have a pond (more of a puddle) that I use mosquito dunks in and
it has a recirculating pump/cleaner which I maintain frequently
to keep the water moving (mosquitoes prefer still water). It is
also stocked with mosquito fish and goldfish. I had the problem
before I built the pond/puddle.
Does anyone else have a problem with them?
Answer:
I'm not sure why the Extension Service told you that you were the only
one experiencing this problem because we know the mosquitoes are in
the Triangle area and many other counties in the state. We found them
in a lot of areas after Hurricane Floyd, but they were not the major
component of the mosquito population that we observed.
Asian tiger mosquitoes have a flight range of about 1/4 mile (they
probably fly a lot shorter distances then that if there is "food"
available), but you still have to keep in mind that mosquito control
requires a neighborhood or community effort not simply 1-2 residents in
an area. The fact that you had them before you built the pond points
to the other important aspect of their behavior. These mosquitoes and
several other common species in this area tend to breed in temporary
water situations, such as objects (gutters, pots, etc. as you mentioned)
along with tree holes, drainage ditches and similar impoundments.
So, you have to think beyond your own property line when it comes to
finding sources of mosquitoes. The 'Mosquito Dunks', which contain a
type of BT that kills mosquitoes, biting flies and fungus gnats, are
very helpful. Since you mentioned mosquito fish (are these Gambusia?)
you might consider attracting other mosquito-eating critters, such as
purple martins. They eat more than just mosquitoes, but every little
bit helps!. Bats are another useful skeeter-eater, but a lot of
people tend have negative opinions of them. The standard 'bug zapper'
is a waste, since the vast majority of insects killed in them are
either beneficial or of no consequence (from a human perspective).
Spraying your yard (e.g., the shrubs where mosquitoes might be resting)
has some impact, but it's a lot of work, a lot of chemical and marginal
satisfaction to you after you're finished.
We have some information available at:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/Insects/Urban/mosquito.htm
As for the disease issues, the major concern here is encephalitis,
mostly eastern equine, LaCrosse (in far western NC), St. Louis,
and now West Nile (the problem that hit NY last year). The state
surveys for these diseases by monitoring "sentinel" flocks of
chickens around the state.
You might want to check out these two web sites:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/West_Nile_QA.htm
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/westnile/prevresp.htm
