For the fourth year in a row, two Los Angeles County vector control districts are tackling potentially dangerous, invasive mosquitoes and the Pasadena Health Department is asking residents for help.
The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District (GLACVCD) and the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District (SGVMVCD) have been working together since 2011 to control these invasive mosquitoes.
“It’s not a matter of if, but when,” says Susanne Kluh, Scientific-Technical Services director for GLACVCD. “It takes just one traveler infected with chikungunya or dengue fever to be bitten by the invasive mosquitoes in L.A. County to start local transmission.”
Vector control officials actively monitor and control invasive species wherever they are found through grassroots door-to-door inspections, source reduction, mosquito control, and education programs. Year-round population monitoring yields crucial data necessary to determine the best control options.
“Our focus is to suppress populations of these mosquitoes wherever they are detected and to limit their expansion into surrounding cities,” says Dr. Wakoli Wekesa, Scientific Programs Manager at SGVMVCD. “It’s critical we utilize all the tools and resources available to us – from traditional management techniques to the latest, environmentally-friendly technology – to combat this urban threat.”
Vector control is calling upon all residents to do their part by following these steps:
- REPORT any sightings of small, black-and-white mosquitoes, or if you are being bitten by mosquitoes during the day! Residents can contact SGVMVCD at 626-814-9466 or GLACVCD at 562-944-9656 or online at www.ReportMosquitoes.org.
- Dump and drain all water around your home. Eliminate plant saucers and other unnecessary containers and thoroughly scrub outdoor pet water dishes weekly to remove eggs.
- Do not transport or share plant stems rooted in water. Do not keep outdoor buckets full of water.
- Use insect repellent containing CDC-approved active ingredients, such as DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, to avoid bites.
For more information please visit the districts’ websites at www.glacvcd.org andwww.sgvmosquito.org