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Ada County Weed Pest and Mosquito Abatement
West Nile Virus Information
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Residents should take every precaution to protect themselves against West Nile virus by following these quick and easy steps:
- Wear light-colored long sleeved shirts and long pants when outside.
- Use an insect repellent containing DEET or with oil of lemon eucalyptus to ward off mosquitoes. Remember to spray your clothing.
- Make sure you aren't breeding mosquitoes at home - drain all standing water from around your property. Click here for more information.
- Avoid overwatering your lawn and landscape
- Clean or drain livestock watering tanks every week or use an inexpensive mosquito dunk to control mosquitoes. The mosquito dunk is non-toxic to animals.
- Drain, clean, or replace water in bird baths every three days.
- Report any abandoned swimming pools in your neighborhood. Water can collect in the pool and become a prime mosquito breeding location
- Avoid being active from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
Ada County's Mosquito Abatement District has numerous tools and programs in place to provide for public safety and resident education. Below is a breakdown of the district's integrated response plan, which encompasses efforts to identify and control dangerous mosquito populations and to work with residents in keeping everyone safe during the summer months. For more information about the West Nile virus, including symptoms and health issues, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site.
The Action Plan: Every year, the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District revisits and improves a comprehensive plan to control larva mosquito populations at more than 2,700 known mosquito breeding locations throughout Ada County. The Mosquito Abatement District's priority is to reduce the number of mosquito larvae that are able to hatch into flying adults. Since not all mosquitoes can be controlled in the larva stage, the district has an aggressive adulticiding control plan that targets adult mosquito populations. Click here to read the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District's Action Plan.
Larviciding and Adulticiding: Ada County uses advanced surveillance technology to monitor mosquito populations. The surveillance helps crews determine control measures when high populations of mosquito larvae or flying adults are found. Click here to learn more about Ada County's larviciding or adulticiding efforts.
Request An Inspection: If you notice a large number of mosquitoes in your neighborhood, request an inspection by submitting this simple online form.
The Ada County Online Mosquito Tracker: Ada County residents can visit the Online Mosquito Tracker Web site to see if West Nile has been found in a trapping location near their home. Ada County has about 50 distinct sites where mosquitoes are trapped and tested for West Nile. Results are posted to the Online Mosquito Tracker Web site along with the number of mosquitoes collected and the percent of Culex mosquitoes found at that site. The Culex species of mosquito is the primary carrier of the West Nile virus in Ada County.
Public Service Announcements: Ada County has several public-outreach programs like the Fight the Bite campaign and the "I'm One" awareness campaign to encourage Ada County residents to protect themselves against the dangers of West Nile. Aside from being posted to Ada County's Web site, these announcements are distributed to local media to be aired on television and published in local newspapers.
West Nile Virus Response Plan: The West Nile response plan is intended to educate Ada County residents about the West Nile virus and inform them of the county's preparations to combat the virus. It's an extension of the comprehensive plan that further coordinates area agencies in the event of a West Nile virus outbreak.