Disease Carrying Insects Program- What We Do Adult Mosquitoes -
Each mosquito season (May to October), the Disease Carrying
Insects Program (DCIP) sets nearly 4,000 traps to collect
mosquitoes. Many of the mosquitoes collected from these traps
are tested for West Nile virus. Larval (Immature) Mosquitoes –
Larval surveillance is used to monitor mosquito “breeding sites”
or larval habitats for evaluation and control purposes. It is
important for us to establish mosquito presence and determine
which species are present in a larval habitat before control is
performed. Mosquitoes are easiest to control in their aquatic
larval stage. Ticks – The DCIP collects ticks and then tests
them for pathogens such as Lyme disease . The tick surveillance
data help define public health risk according to tick
populations and infection rates of the diseases that they may
transmit. Proactive Mosquito Control – Stormwater catch basins
are treated with a larvicide in three cycles during the West
Nile virus season in order to reduce