New rules take bite out of mosquito control

Colusa County residents may suffer the bite of new rules that prohibit spraying adult mosquitoes.

The Colusa Mosquito Abatement District and about 40 others in the state are under a cease-and-desist order effective June 6. The order follows a decision by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Ohio that overturned the rule excluding some pesticides from permit requirements.

“This court ruling requires all pesticides to have permits, including larvacides and adulticides for mosquito control,” said David Whitesell, CMAD manager. “The problem is that no permit exists for the pesticide used to spray adult mosquitoes.”

Unless the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency appeals the decision, asking for a 24-month stay, the district will be prohibited from spraying mosquitoes during the summer when the risk of West Nile virus is at its highest, Whitesell said.

“In all my 25 years with the district, I have never been so frustrated,” he said. “When is common sense going to take over?”

West Nile virus has been detected in Colusa County each year since the virus first hit California in 2003. A Colusa woman died from the disease and others have been sickened, Whitesell said.

Without the use of adulticides, Whitesell said, the 160-square-mile district cannot control mosquitoes once they hatch. And unless the cease-and-desist order is lifted, the district’s fleet of truck-mounted smoggers will be shut down. The order also bars aerial application over 300,000 acres of wetland and duck club areas within the district, Whitesell said.

“If the ruling is not overturned, we may have to wait until September for a permit to become available,” Whitesell said. “That means we won’t be able to spray until then.”

Without a stay from the federal government, Whitesell said, residents will need to take extra precautions to avoid being bitten. Staying inside when mosquitoes are most active, wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and applying insect repellents containing DEET are among the recommended measures.

Residents are also encouraged to remove any standing water that may harbor mosquito larva. The district has a limited amount of mosquito fish available for ponds.

“This is a very important part of helping reduce mosquito numbers,” Whitesell said. “Water is necessary for three of the four life stages of the mosquito.”

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com.