Mosquito Control

Village of North Branch 2014

Mosquito Control Program

APM Mosquito Control (APM) has been contracted to perform mosquito fogging for the Village of North Branch. The program will consist of ground ultra-low volume (ULV) fogging to village roads from a pickup truck mounted ULV fogging machine.

 APM was established in 1986 and has over 28 years of experience in integrated mosquito management. APM specializes in municipal and community-wide mosquito management programs. APM’s administrative office is located in Armada, Michigan

This information being provided to the community is a portion of APM’s approach to an effective integrated mosquito control program. This information also explains how property owners and residents can assist in this plan.

THE MOSQUITO STORY

Mosquitoes (Order Diptera, Family Culicidae) are some of the most adaptable and successful insects on earth and are found in some extraordinary places. Virtually any natural or man-made collection of water can support mosquito production.

Mosquitoes can be distinguished easily from other flies by the fact that they have both a long, piercing proboscis and scales on the veins of their wings. About 55 species are found in Michigan. Only a few of these are important as carriers of disease, but many others are significant nuisances. The two most common mosquito species found in Michigan are Aedes vexans and Culex pipiens. Aedes vexans is known as the floodwater mosquito because it lays its eggs on dry-ground in flood prone areas. Culex pipiens is an important disease vector, known to spread St. Louis Encephalitis, West Nile Virus and other encephalitis diseases.

THE MOSQUITO LIFE CYCLE

All mosquito species have two things in common: they must have water for their early stages; and they all undergo the same four-stage life cycle — egg, larva, pupa and adult.

Mosquito eggs are laid individually or in clusters and are deposited either on the water surface or in flood prone areas. Most mosquito’s will over- winter in the egg stage. If eggs are laid out of water, embryos may lay dormant for several years. Once the egg hatches, the larval stage begins. The larvae of most mosquito species hang suspended at the water surface using an air tube to breathe. The larvae feed on aquatic organisms near the surface. As a defense mechanism, the larvae can dive deeper into the water by swimming in a characteristic “S” motion. Larvae grow quickly and outgrow their exterior covering. Larvae molt four times. Larval stages last between 5 and 14 days depending on temperature and food availability.

No feeding occurs in the pupal stage that lasts from 1 ½ to 4 days, after which the pupal skin splits along the back allowing the newly formed adult to slowly emerge and rest on the water surface. Male mosquitoes will emerge first and linger near the breeding site waiting for the females. Mating occurs quickly after emergence due to high mortality. Up to 30% of the adult population can die per day. The female compensates for this by laying large numbers of eggs, usually about 300. Males live about 7 days and feed on plant nectars. Females live about 6 weeks and must take a blood meal to nourish her eggs. She uses carbon dioxide, exhaled chemicals, and temperature patterns to locate her victims. The average female’s flight range is between 1 and 10 miles, but some species have been shown to travel up to 40 miles. After each blood meal the female will oviposit her eggs, completing the life cycle. Several ovipositions per female are possible.

MOSQUITOES AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Mosquitoes can spread disease only when they bite. During feeding, the female pierces her victim’s skin with her proboscis, injects her saliva, which contains an anti-coagulant and then sucks the victims’ blood in. If the victim’s blood contains disease-causing organisms, the mosquito ingests them too. These organisms are then maintained within the mosquito and eventually may be injected into another victim. In this way a mosquito can spread disease from animal to animal, animal to man, or even person-to-person. In the U. S. there are about six mosquito-borne viruses that are capable of causing acute infections of the central nervous system. Most often this type of infection causes brain and central nervous system inflammation or encephalitis. The most common types found in our area is West Nile Virus (WNV), St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The only common parasite transmitted by mosquitoes is Dog Heart worm. Transmission of Dog Heart worm occurs only through the bite of an infected mosquito and involves a complicated transmission cycle. Mosquitoes and other insects do not transmit HIV or cause AIDS.

Controlling Mosquitoes

Standing water means mosquitoes. Any standing, stagnant water that remains for 7 to 10 days after a rain can, and usually will, produce mosquitoes.

Empty all water holding containers in your yard on a regular basis, at least once a week. Tires, children’s wading pools, rain barrels, buckets, plant pots, birdbaths, and stored boats are common examples of mosquito breeding sites around the yard.

Leaves and other debris should be removed from eaves troughs and down spouts.

Ditches and retention basins must be kept free of vegetation and debris to promote rapid drainage.

Pond edges should be kept clean of cattails and other aquatic vegetation. This is where mosquito larvae develop and mature.

To reduce the number of adult mosquitoes in your yard, keep your yard mowed as short as is practical. Keep all ornamental shrubs and bushes trimmed and pruned to allow airflow and light to penetrate. This is where adult mosquitoes hide during the day

Good housekeeping is encouraged. Screens on windows and doors should be well maintained to prevent mosquitoes from entering homes, structures as mosquitoes seek out cooler and shaded areas for resting.

 

The Program for the Village of North Branch

A nighttime ULV application of Biomist 4 +4 material from ultra-low volume (ULV) fogging to village roads from a pickup truck mounted ULV fogging machine weather permitting. Ultra low volume (ULV) fogging machines are cold fogging machines that use large volumes of air at low pressures to transform liquid into droplets that are dispersed into the atmosphere.

 

Weather greatly affects ULV treatments, the general guidelines for treatment are:

 

  • Treatment done between sunset and sunrise
  • Winds must be less than 10 MPH
  • Temperatures must be greater than 55 degrees Fahrenheit
  • No rain

 

Material being used

Biomist 4+4 (4% permethrin, 4% technical piperonyl butoxide)

MSDS and Label are available on APM’s website, Advancedmosquito.com and at the village hall

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public notice announcing the mosquito control program will be published in the local newspaper and posted at various locations throughout the Village.

We request that all property owners who are renting or leasing their properties to notify their tenants either by passing this information on to them or advising them that this information is available at the Village office, 4018 Huron St., North Branch MI 48461 or on the website, www.northbranchvillage.org.

Those residents that would like to be notified before mosquito control applications are performed may request they be notified by calling APM at their toll free number.

Property owners and residents who do not wish to be treated by this method of mosquito control are asked to call APM at their toll-free number.

APM Toll Free Number - 877 276-4714

Advancedmosquito.com