Project SWAT Update (9/3/2010)
On 9/2/2010, 9/10/2010 and 9/13/2010, NYSDOH Wadsworth (Griffin) Lab reported a six more West Nile Virus Positive Mosquito pools for Erie County bringing the total to 22. It was detected in 6 pools of Culex pipiens-restuans from gravid traps at various locations. No additional Arboviruses other that West Nile Virus have been reported since the last update. Click here to view the full list of all Virus detections from 2010 Mosquito Surveillance.
Although trap counts are decreasing steadily, September is still prime time for West Nile Virus activity. There have been no Human Cases of West Nile Virus Erie County this year. Historically, Human Cases usually occur in late August thru September. Continue to report standing water to the Erie County Department of Health, especially unmaintained swimming pools. Continue to advise residents to eliminate standing water on their property, keep screens in good working condition, and avoid mosquito bites by wearing long pants and long sleeve shirt when outdoors around dawn and dusk. The should also consider wearing insect repellant and use according to the label directions.
The Amherst Highway Department has been the home for the Town’s Mosquito Control Program for over 30 years. What started as a program for the spraying of nuisance mosquitoes has evolved into a complete program of larviciding, adulticiding, and surveillance based on resident complaints and virus activity.
The program begins in early March with a two month larvicide program that attacks the spring floodwater mosquitoes throughout the entire town. With over 1,500 acres of wetlands throughout the Town, considerable lead-time is needed for treatment, and is available with these mosquitoes, which are slow to develop due to low water temperatures. From mid-May through mid-October, there are three main functions of the program: 1) treatment of over 6,000 roadside storm receivers throughout the Town in conjunction with the Erie County Health Department’s “Project SWAT” program; 2) adulticiding (spraying of adult mosquitoes) in areas of residential complaints; and 3) surveillance of adult mosquitoes using a variety of trapping methods, and sending samples in for virus testing – including West Nile Virus – in conjunction with the Health Department.
Spraying for adult mosquitoes is considered a last resort. No spraying is done on a set schedule – residents must call the Highway Department in order to be assessed for possible spraying. A pickup truck is used for backyard spraying, and in larger neighborhood areas, a tracked machine is used along Town-maintained trails. Most spraying is done to combat the summer species which develop from ponding rainwater – as these species can develop in as little as five to seven days in the optimum conditions, spraying is our fastest and most efficient way of combating them. These species include Ae. vexans, which is a new vector of West Nile Virus in this area, and a voracious human biter.
The surveillance program is in place to monitor the species present in Town, the number of mosquitoes present in various areas at various times of the season, and the viruses present. While the Erie County Health Department’s program is spread throughout the county – thus restricting the number of traps that they can set – the Town program is limited to our 53+ square miles (including the Village of Williamsville), and anywhere from 25 to 40 traps are set each week in various areas of Town. Trapping occurs wherever brush or wooded areas are present throughout the Town – including residential areas - and three types of traps are used: 1) CDC Ice traps, which use dry ice to attract female mosquitoes looking for a blood meal; 2) CDC Gravid traps, which use a solution of hay and water to attract egg-laying female mosquitoes; and 3) “Receiver” Gravid traps, which is a CDC Gravid trap that uses water present in storm receivers as an attractant. Different species of mosquitoes are often attracted to one type of trap more than another. Samples from many traps are sent through Erie County for virus testing, who in turn notify the Town program of any positive results. Our aggressive trapping methods and placement have improved greatly over the past four years, and as a result, we have had over 80 samples test positive for West Nile Virus and other viruses over that time.
While many other towns throughout Erie County participate in the Health Department’s “Project SWAT” program, Amherst is the only town within Erie County that has its own self-sufficient Mosquito Control program including aggressive surveillance. Any inquiries about the program can be made by contacting the Highway Department by
phone:
631.5990 ext. 26
or by
email: mosq@amherst.ny.us. |
