Tips to Prepare for Mosquito Season

Monitoring and controlling mosquitoes is a key public health task used to curb the spread of deadly disease. Mosquito abatement districts (MADs) work year-round to keep diseases like West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) at bay, and the preparation that MADs take before the start of each season plays a key role in keeping transmission of mosquito-borne illnesses to humans low.

Winter maintenance of vehicles, sprayers and other equipment is always crucial to the following season. Equipment must be properly calibrated to ensure that you are applying enough product to be effective, while at the same time not over applying. After your equipment is properly calibrated, make sure everything is operational and ready for the season.

Additionally, the winter and early spring offer MADs the opportunity to assess their product inventories. Due to ongoing social distancing guidelines, MADs should consider taking inventory on products with longer residuals to reduce the number of applications to aid in situations with reduced manpower or challenges acquiring PPE. For mid-to-late season, a high efficacy, reduced-risk adulticide should be used to immediately combat disease vectors and populations spikes. The most effective mosquito control programs often use adulticides in conjunction with larvicides.

Before active field surveillance and monitoring programs re-start this spring, now is the perfect time to brush up on the latest news and trends in the industry. From attending a virtual meeting to taking an online training program, there are countless opportunities to grow professionally while effectively preparing for peak mosquito season. Central Life Sciences is excited to participate in the first-ever AMCA virtual conference March 2-5. Click here to register for AMCA and be sure to stop by our virtual booth to enter our giveaway!

The early spring is a great time for MADs to inspect and calibrate equipment, take product inventory, and attend industry meetings so that when mosquito season arrives they can focus on keeping their community protected from mosquitoes.