A graph created by vector control secretary Steve Kemp shows close to 120,000 adult mosquitoes were caught during the second week of July 2008, compared to fewer than
10,000 during the second week of July this year. The trap counts this year are consistently less than last year.
Vector control director Fran Bosch has heard some good words from the public.
“I’m hearing all the time now that people have been able to spend more time outside than in previous years and that those who work outside do so with less discomfort,” Bosch said. Bosch attributes the decrease in the pests to Williston residents and Mountrail/Williams Rural Electric customers who last November approved a surcharge for mosquito control.
“Vector control continues to do what they have been doing, what they’re good at doing. But the additional funding has made possible the increased surveillance, larvaciding and adulticiding. It has also made this possible over a much larger area than was previously managed,” Bosch said.
He also thanks Sen. Byron Dorgan and Jeff Keller, natural resource manager at the Army Corps of Engineers Williston office, both of whom were involved in acquiring money for the Air Force Reserve’s spraying mission in Williston.
The Air Force returns next week to perform a second mosquito-control mission by spraying an adulticide called Zenivex over the city Monday evening or perhaps Tuesday, weather permitting. It’s spraying over Trenton and Watford City as well.
The chemical is harmless to humans and other mammals and the reserve unit is using the C-130 planes again. Although the big planes can be heard, they’re quieter than Aero Spraying Services’ yellow AgCats that do mosquito spraying in the area, Bosch said.
While the last mission concentrated on mosquito larvae, this mission focuses on adult mosquitoes. Many of the larvae have since developed into adults, said Maj. Mark Breidenbaugh, chief entomologist of the Air Force Spray Flight at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna, Ohio.
Once the mosquito season has ended, typically when there’s “ice in the ditches,” and/or around early October, Bosch said, a formal assessment of the season is to be done. This review is to be more formal than past assessments, in part because Dorgan’s office is interested to see the impact the Air Force had on mosquito control, Bosch said.
Although vector control officials want to make Williston and the area more bearable during the mosquito season, they want people to know the pests are never going away. With the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers nearby, mosquitoes always are going to be a problem.
This is because the Missouri River overflows each spring when snow melts and runs down the Yellowstone River. When the Missouri overflows, the water incubates mosquito eggs on land and causes them to hatch.
Breidenbaugh describes it as a complicated natural water system with an extensive river bottom. There also is the fact there are several pulses in the spring, causing the Missouri to continuously overflow.
“Unfortunately, it’s pretty clear; it’s the natural environment (attributing to the mosquito problem). We do the best we can,” he said.
Breidenbaugh said the best way to ease the problem is to have a robust vector control program, and Williston has one in place. Bosch is doing a good job in that regard, he said.
Comments
Involuntary Blood Donor wrote on Jul 28, 2009 5:52 PM:
Brandon wrote on Jul 25, 2009 11:56 PM:
blood for though wrote on Jul 24, 2009 9:00 PM:
confused wrote on Jul 24, 2009 3:10 PM:
HRM wrote on Jul 24, 2009 12:19 PM:
Todd Hanson wrote on Jul 23, 2009 11:19 PM:
Involuntary blood donor wrote on Jul 23, 2009 6:31 PM:
Williston Reader wrote on Jul 23, 2009 11:20 AM:
Justin wrote on Jul 23, 2009 10:20 AM:
I agree bug counts are down, but the only bugs that need to be ousted is the city councel. The City of Williston should be ASHAMED of themselves. I think it is pretty pathetic that every park in this town needs upgrading. If you drive to Watford City, just look at their parks and recreation projects; simply awesome! Good for you Watford! I have heard time and time again from residents that Williston is a good place to raise kids. I say, "yeah right." This could not be further from the truth! "
Buisness opportunity wrote on Jul 22, 2009 3:08 PM:
Mosquitonix a franchise company.
google it. "
free to me wrote on Jul 21, 2009 3:58 PM:
Wilres wrote on Jul 21, 2009 12:28 PM:
Michelle wrote on Jul 21, 2009 11:04 AM:
Yikes wrote on Jul 20, 2009 2:53 PM:
good job wrote on Jul 20, 2009 12:49 PM:
no way wrote on Jul 19, 2009 3:15 PM:
K wrote on Jul 19, 2009 10:54 AM:
Brandon wrote on Jul 18, 2009 12:18 PM:
Alex wrote on Jul 17, 2009 11:13 PM:
Grateful Resident wrote on Jul 17, 2009 3:32 PM: