Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 17:21:16 -0400
From: Tarus BALOG
Subject: Mosquitos in ponds
On 09/21/2013 09:24 AM, youcandoitto wrote:
> To days news, First case of West Nile Virsus.
>
> Asking people not to have standing water to attract mosquitos.
>
> I do not know who is RESPONSIBLE for TWO PONDS of standing water behind
> the Post Office and close to the nursing home where the elderly sit out.
>
> Seems that should be a priority to do what ever necessary so as not to
> expose all of Pittsboro.
> Some areas have had to spray from planes. What ever it takes should be
> done ASAP.
>
> Concerned.
I am assuming this was a troll, but just in case the author was serious I’d like to point out that I work next to those two ponds and there is no issue with mosquitoes, at least from the ponds. Ponds and lakes are rarely sources of mosquitoes as the critters in them eat the larvae [1]. You are much more likely to get mosquitoes from small deposits of water, such as in discarded tires or puddles, without predators.
Spraying has been shown to control the spread of mosquito borne diseases in the short term, but the long term effects may cause even more problems than they solve, due mainly to an increase in pyrethroids in the water supply due to run off and an increase in the population of resistant insects. Sprays only kill the adult insects and thus if condition are ripe for reproduction the problem will quickly return.
With as wet a summer as we’ve had there is probably little that can be done to totally eradicate the issue, but the safest bet is to simply wear repellent spray when the risk of being bitten is high.
-T
[1] http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/DEE/Vectorborne/mosquitofaq.htm