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Mosquitoes & Public Health Impact
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Mecklenburg County Mosquito Control Program
Mecklenburg County has a comprehensive mosquito control program which includes education, surveillance, complaint investigation, pest identification, regulation enforcement and control of mosquito populations.
Mosquitoes present both a public health concern and a community nuisance to citizens, particularly with emerging mosquito-transmitted diseases such as West Nile virus, Eastern equine, and LaCrosse encephalitis.
The program's control (of mosquitoes) philosophy is a preventive, long term one whereby we attempt to interfere or stop the mosquito's life cycle before they become bititng adults capable of transmitting disease and creating community nuisances. Since mosquitoes go through several growth stages in standing water prior to emerging as flying adults, control focus strategies are always on identifying, managing, treating and eliminating artificial and natural bodies of standing water capable of supporting mosquito populations.
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Breeding & Sources
Water is the necessary ingredient for mosquitoes to breed. They lay their eggs in water and then those eggs develop into larvae. Larvae is the stage in which most of the development of the mosquito occurs. The larvae feed on organic matter in the water, grow and develop into pupae. The pupal stage is the last step before they hatch out into flying adults.
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The breeding cycle from egg to adult only takes about a week and can be done in as little as a teaspoon of water. Once a mosquito hatches it usually limits its flying range to about 300 yards. Most people that experience a mosquito problem are usually very close to the breeding source.
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Disease
Mosquitoes are vectors (carriers) for many diseases. More people die from malaria then any other disease in the world. Malaria is carried by infected mosquitoes and transferred to people when the mosquito bites. West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, and LaCrosse encephalitis are some diseases that are recognized by the general public.
Control and Treatment
The best control for mosquito populations is the removal of standing water sources which support their existence. When sources cannot be permanently eliminated, then various physical, chemical, or biological control measures can be put in place. One such method is the use of larviciding pesticides which control the breeding of mosquitoes while they are in their larval or pupal stages. Our program utilizes a variety of larviciding materials such as BTI and larviciding oils. These approved-use products can be applied to either standing water areas or areas which are subject to periodic flooding.
Most adult mosquitoes live about 2-3 weeks so once the breeding source has been eliminated it is only a short time before the present adults die off and therefore relieving the problem.
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