- Determine the Species Present. Monitor mosquito populations during the summer with light traps, biting counts, and other methods. (See “Mosquitoes in Illinois: Recommendations for Prevention and Control” by the Illinois Department of Public Health)
- Locate Larval Development Sites. Locate and map “mosquito breeding sites” both within and for at least 5 miles (preferably 15 miles) outside the city. Outlying flooded areas must be managed for successful suppression of floodwater (Aedes) mosquitoes. Continue to watch for new sites or sites overlooked in the initial survey.
- Eliminate Larval Development Sites. Make short-term and long-term plans to eliminate as many of the mapped sites as possible by levelling, filling, and draining. Pay particular attention to drainage ditches, catch basins, grassy depressions and lowland areas. Consideration must be given to the legal aspects of mosquito control in wetlands or wildlife habitats.
- Clean Water Margins. Remove vegetation and debris along the margins of ponds, lakes, and streams and fill or drain backwater pockets. Do not allow vegetation to overhang the water. Mow the grasses and weeds along the margin frequently. Stock the water with top-feeding minnows. Contact your local State Department of Natural Resources Office (usually located in the county seat) to determine which species of minnows can be released for control of mosquito larvae.
- Use Insecticides as a Supplement to Cultural Practices. Anyone who conducts mosquito control on property other than their own must have a General Standards (Operators) Exam license and be supervised by a Licensed (Category 8 ) Applicator.
The Illinois Department of Public Health supplies study materials for this test which is administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Training sessions are conducted in the winter by the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.
The study text used for the Category 8 examination, “Mosquitoes in Illinois: Recommendations for Prevention and Control”, is an excellent source for general insecticide information. It can be obtained from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.
In Illinois there are no legislated regulations governing decisions on when to apply insecticides for mosquito control, as long as pesticide label instructions are followed. Some communities have developed thresholds for various species beyond which action is taken.
With the appropriate experience, larval population numbers can be used to predict when resulting adult populations will rise beyond the level tolerated in a community. Although this sort of data may take some time to develop, it may be both a time and money saving technique in the long run. Some communities practice tighter larval control inside community environs than in the surrounding regions.
To control mosquito larvae or wigglers:
Check for the presence of mosquito larvae with a white dipper. Apply an insecticide treatment according to label directions to stagnant water areas when the determined number of larvae are found. Repeated treatments will be needed during periods of mosquito abundance.
A single treatment should stop the emergence of new mosquitoes for 10 to 14 days. Tree hole mosquito populations are more difficult to sample, but the best treatment remains the removal or drainage of artificial containers.
To control mosquito adults:
(for emergency relief when adult mosquitoes are numerous). Apply a fog to grass, weeds, and shrubs; along wooded areas, ditches, roadsides, and parking lots; and in parks and around the perimeter of playgrounds. Fogs kill only those mosquitoes hit by the chemical. Their effect is of short duration, usually a matter of a few hours to a few days.
Fogging is best done in the evening just before or just after dark when mosquitoes are most active and when atmospheric conditions are such that the fog will remain near the ground. Do not apply the treatment if the air temperature is below 60° F or as stated on the insecticide label. Fogging at other times of the day has an arguable psychological benefit but does not eliminate as many adult mosquitoes.
Repeated treatments will be needed, and their frequency will depend on the effectiveness of the larval-control program and frequency of rainfall. A control program aimed at only the adult mosquitoes is rarely satisfactory because not all the adults are killed and additional ones are produced or rapidly move into the treated areas.
Type of application equipment to use:
Thermal fog generators are available for applying fogs. Ultra-low volume (ULV) applicators are available, or existing equipment can sometimes be adapted to apply the undiluted concentrate as a fine aerosol or cold fog.
Power sprayers or small hand-operated tank sprayers can be used to apply larvicides, spray catch basins, or apply a residual “barrier treatment” along the margins of a woods. Granular and briquet formulations of mosquito larvicides are also available for treating small larval sites such as ditches or catch basins. All mosquito control personnel must be licensed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Precautions
KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED about mosquito control operations. Before any applications of fogs are made, notify the public of the date and time of applications whenever possible. Individuals with severe allergy conditions and persons with asthmatic problems may wish to stay indoors or plan to be away from the community during the treatment hours.
Car finishes may be spotted with certain insecticide sprays and owners may wish to house them in the garage during the treatment hours. The understanding and cooperation of the general public are necessary if the program is to be a success.
For individual homeowners:
A fact sheet on mosquitoes and their control in and around the home is available as NHE-94 from the your unit office of the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service. The efforts of individual homeowners to control mosquitoes on their properties can greatly enhance the success of a community in solving mosquito problems.
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