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!ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT
# **ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT**
The Ecological Management department manages the source reduction aspect of the District’s Integrated Pest Management program by actively eliminating or reducing mosquito development sites. The Department emphasizes the importance of implementing ecologically-based Mosquito Reduction Best Management Practices (BMPs) which reduce or eliminate the need for chemical control measures. Physical or environmental manipulation of aquatic sources is an important control tactic on its own, but can also enhance biological and chemical control measures.
# **MOSQUITO REDUCTION BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES**
In 2008, the District released the first Mosquito Reduction BMP Manual. This document provides specific information regarding our District policy, mosquito biology, and various practices that can be useful in reducing mosquito populations. Land-use specific sections provide guidance for landowners and land-managers who deal with managed wetlands, stormwater and wastewater systems, irrigated agriculture, rice production, dairies, swimming pools, cemeteries, and tire storage facilities. All programs within the Ecological Management Department strive to assist and encourage landowners with implementing BMPs, ranging from drone based project mapping, to mowing agricultural access roads, to wetland or habitat management. Please download the .
# **WETLAND AND FALL FLOODING PROGRAM**
The department works with private and public landowners to determine when land will be flooded and take the appropriate measures for reducing mosquito development and implementing BMPs. Staff will review annual wetland management plans to help coordinate District control operations, and offer BMP support where feasible. The practice of flooding previously dry land on seasonal wetlands during the late summer or early fall, creates favorable mosquito breeding habitats, requiring immediate mosquito control treatments. Dense vegetation and the slow speed of flooding can also increase the numbers of mosquitoes produced and delay the success of other mosquito control practices such as the use of larvicides and mosquitofish. The Fall Flooding cost share program works to delay fall flooding while providing a mechanism that still allows appropriate flooding for waterfowl habitat and hunting needs.
# **AGRICULTURAL BMP PROGRAM**
The District works with agricultural land owners to reduce standing water and vegetation in fields, ditches, sumps, etc. The District will cost share with landowners and lessees using District owned or rented heavy equipment to implement BMPs where feasible. The District also works with land owners to mow access roads in early spring to give District technicians access to sumps and low areas during the spring and summer months.
# **PLANNING PROGRAM**
In an effort to prevent mosquito sources or potential access issues from developing in the future, the Department will review and provide comments to environmental and development planning documents. Staff will often meet with environmental and development planning teams as well as agency planning departments in an effort to implement BMPs prior to the start of construction. Projects range from flood and habitat restoration projects in the Yolo Bypass Flood, to local subdivisions and stormwater capture devices.
# **CEMETERY PROGRAM**
Mosquitoes can breed in cemetery vases. The Cemetery Program asked participating cemeteries to treat cemetery flower vases with a special material that turns water into a gel that prevents mosquito development and keeps flowers fresh longer than water alone. Cemeteries in the program are responsible for maintaining the vases and for providing education to the visitors and family members.
# **UAS (DRONE) PROGRAM**
**The District’s Unmanned Aerial Systems program was started in 2016 when the FAA released UAS regulations. As part of the development of this program, the Department participated in multiple drone trials ranging from aerial multispectral imagery to underwater larval detection, to re-flooded rice field treatments, leading to the current development of today’s program.**
# **PROGRAM PUBLICATIONS**
**[Mosquito
Reduction Best
Management
Practices**
**[Cemetary
Program Flyer
ENGLISH**
SPANISH**
**CONTACT**
info@fightthebite.net
Monday-Friday
7:00am – 3:30pm
**ADDRESS**
8631 Bond Rd
Elk Grove, CA 95624
1234 Fortna Ave
Woodland, CA 95776
**MOSQUITO CONTROL MATTERS**
We help protect your health by controlling mosquitoes that spread disease. Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance; they are a major threat to public health. We use proven, effective methods to control mosquitoes and reduce the risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases such as West Nile virus.
 Copyright 2018. All Rights Reserved by SparkWorks.
!BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
# **BIOLOGICAL CONTROL**
Biological control is the use of living organism to control a vector. Biological control methods are very important in protecting the public from mosquitoes. The primary biological control we use is the mosquitofish, *Gambusia affinis*. The mosquitofish preys on mosquito larvae allowing us to keep mosquito populations under control.
The Fisheries Department is responsible for breeding mosquitofish and other fish species that prey on mosquito larvae. Mosquito-eating fish are readily available for our field technicians and to the general public through our **** page. We maintain 23 ponds which produce 2000-7000 pounds of fish annually. Today, we are one of the largest mosquitofish producing facilities in the nation.
**MOSQUITOFISH (*Gambusia affinis)***
The most successful biological tool against immature mosquitoes in California is the mosquitofish, *Gambusia affinis*. When introduced to a mosquito breeding source, the mosquitofish quickly adapts, multiplies and is capable of controlling mosquitoes in a given area.
The mosquitofish, a live-bearing American fish, is utilized as a predator of mosquito larvae in many diverse aquatic habitats. A small species, the full-grown females are usually less than 2½ inches in total length, while males are typically under 1½ inches. The muted silver and light olive green body color is common to both sexes. In addition, they are able to lighten or darken their body color to closely match their immediate environment.
**GUPPIES (*Poecilia reticulata)***The guppy, *Poecilia reticulata*, has been used for biological mosquito control since World War I. It has been introduced almost all over the world from the areas of tropical South America to which it is native. In many areas, the guppy has provided good control of mosquitoes in highly polluted sources, such as sewage pools, dairy lagoons, chicken ranch ditches and slightly acidic sources. Unlike the mosquitofish, the guppy’s ability to reproduce or control mosquitoes is not reduced by low levels of dissolved oxygen.
# **REQUEST MOSQUITOFISH**
**If you would like to request mosquitofish**
**for your pool or pond, please contact the District at**
**1-800-429-1022 or .**
**[Biological
Control**
# MICROBIAL AND CHEMICAL CONTROL
# **MICROBIAL AND CHEMICAL CONTROL**
Microbial and chemical control is the use of specific compounds that eliminate immature mosquitoes developing in the water and adult mosquitoes. They are applied when other methods are unable to maintain mosquito numbers below a level that is considered tolerable or when emergency control measures are needed to rapidly disrupt or end the transmission of disease to humans. Larvicides target mosquito larvae and pupae in the water. Adulticides are insecticides that reduce adult mosquito populations.
All products applied by the District are registered with the California Environmental Protection Agency. Our primary goal is to protect public health and welfare by managing mosquito populations so they do not present a significant risk to our community. In the event that mosquitoes do pose a significant threat, we will respond by implementing our Mosquito and Mosquito-borne Disease Management Plan. As part of this plan, we may administer Ultra Low Volume (ULV) treatments by using backpack foggers, hand sprayers, truck-mounted foggers or aircraft, in and around areas where virus activity has been detected. Each fogging unit  is calibrated to ensure the correct amount of product is applied for each treatment area.
To see videos of our staff at work controlling mosquitoes, click the links below.
  For additional information on products we use please email info@fightthebite.net  or visit the  page
# **NOTIFICATION LIST**
**We will make every attempt to notify individuals who sign up for the District’s  of specific treatments. However, we may not be able to notify residents if immediate applications are needed to protect public health from diseases. We may also cancel a scheduled operation due to weather and/or other reasons.**
!GIS PROGRAM
# **GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS**
The GIS Department analyzes spatial information and provides data visualization using maps, graphs, and 3D scenes. The department is tasked to interpret field data by identifying patterns and relationships in order to help guide the decision making process. By utilizing GIS software, the District is able to identify problems, monitor change, understand trends, create predictive models and respond to events.
# **DETERMINING HOW PLACES ARE RELATED**
* Understanding where and when things change
* Analyzing variations and patterns
* Determining overlapping relationships in space and time
* Summarizing what is within an area(s)
* Finding the best allocation of resources to geographic areas
# **DETECTING AND QUANTIFYING PATTERNS**
* What are the local and regional spatial trends?
* Where are the significant hot spots and outliers?
* Are spatial patterns changing over time?
* Calculating geometries and distribution of features
# **MAKING PREDICTIONS**
* Predicting where phenomena will move, flow, or spread
* Finding factors that explain spatial patterns and making predictions
* Predicting how and where objects spatially interact
* Terrain modeling and surface creation
# **THE DISTRICT AT A GLANCE**