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After a massive increase in mosquitoes last year – four of which tested positive for West Nile virus in Winston-Salem – Forsyth County Vector Control is preparing to fight mosquitoes this summer.
Last year was the largest increase in mosquitoes that Ryan Harrison saw in his 20 years as a county vector control specialist. It has moved from regular trapping and monitoring of mosquitoes to the use of larvicide to try to control the population.
"Last year was probably the worst mosquito year I've ever known," said Mr. Harrison. "We caught 21,000 mosquitoes."
He has also had positive tests for West Nile virus since 2012. The virus usually has no symptoms or causes flu-like illness, but in rare cases can cause fatal diseases. Culex pipiens mosquitoes are the most likely to transmit the disease. Traps in some areas where 250 of them are caught every night.
Up to now, this year has been much better, with a population of normal mosquitoes and traps nesting one or two Culex pipiens per night. Harrison was not sure if last year was an anomaly, was part of a cycle or if his efforts to control the population were working. He said that he should wait and see if the amount of mosquitoes will be more normal this year.
"These things do not follow the rules, everything could change," Harrison said. Forsyth County has found only a few cases of West Nile in mosquitoes, largely due to the behavior of Culex pipiens. They tend to feed on birds, which can transmit the virus, but rarely feed on humans. They also go out later in the night, usually between 9:30 pm. and at 2:30 in the morning, another species, the Asian Tiger Mosquito, constitutes the overwhelming majority of complaints received by Harrison because she is active during the day.
Harrison says he sees a strong mosquito activity in the older parts of the city. Mosquitoes need water to hatch their eggs, so anything that collects or holds water on the outside can be a breeding ground including tires, toys, hoses wavy evacuation, bird baths, barrels and barrels. He said that he saw a ketchup cork with less than one ounce of water with many larvae. He said that anything that contained stagnant water on the outside should be emptied once a week from July to September.
"Mosquitoes, they do not come from ponds, they do not come streams," Harrison said. "They come from stagnant water in containers, nine times out of ten."
He said that the use of a picaridine-based repellent as an active ingredient and long-sleeved shirts and pants is the best way to prevent mosquito bites. Harrison said he regularly monitors mosquito breeding grounds and treats them with a larvicide, which only kills mosquito larvae. It very rarely uses pesticides that target adult mosquitoes, which should be applied with caution as this could harm the bee population in the area. He also studies the complaints of mosquitoes on the properties, determine the source of the problem and how to eliminate it.
Forsyth County Vector Control, part of the County Public Health Department, can be reached at (336) 703-3225.
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