|
Mosquitoes have been a bane to humans for
eons. Actually the genera has been around for more than 100 million years.
In our beach environment the nuisance level is mainly a day-to-day
situation depending on the weather and tides. The occasional heavy rain
adds to the breeding areas. Mosquitoes need about 4-5 days of standing
water. Hot weather and shallow, warmer puddles reduce the time needed.
Mosquito control in general boils down to reducing standing water in which
the larvae develop. Adulticiding is only effective short-term and in
health emergency situations.
History
Mosquito control in the 1930's meant ditching. Public Works dug thousands
of miles of ditches into the saltwater-marshes in an attempt to dry
them. The result of that was a loss of many species living in this
environment. Then DDT was used heavily. The effect on the
environment was again the loss of many ecosystems, because DDT was a
systemic pesticide. Eventually DDT was banned for it's long lasting
toxicity in the 60's. Ditching continued until recessions and the
resulting shortages of money and man-power almost completely gutted Long
Island' Vector Control Departments.
Current Efforts
Today, Vector Control has regained some prominence and is leading the
mosquito effort. The measures are limited today first to the most
non-toxic biological agents, then to the more toxic adulticides. Ditching
with it's original goals of drying out wetland is not performed.
Today's efforts can be categorized into the following:
- Reduction of Suitable Breeding Habitat
- Educational Program
- Wetland Restoration
- Larviciding Programs
- Fresh-Water
- B.t.i. (Bacillus thuringensis israelensis)
- B.t.s. (Bacillus sphaericus)
- Salt-Water
- Growth Hormone application
- Adulticiding Programs
- Fyfanon ULV tm (Malathion) Fogging
- Scrouge tm (Resmethrin and Piperenyl Butoxide)
Reduction of Suitable Breeding Habitat -
Educational Program
Many institutions are involved in the educational programs. Starting with
the Vector Control Departments, University Cooperative Extensions (such as
Cornell), Community Associations, etc. I believe that the effort
more and more is aimed at educating the public to use the least toxic
means first. Many people, mostly due to lack of understanding of the
issues say: "The mosquitoes are terrible this year. Why don't they spray!"
The question is spray with what? Then, What are the regulatory/government
regulations. For example, FINS has a national policy that says: No
interference on National Park Property. Since all of our communities abut
FINS, large areas are excluded from treatment. State EPA regulations: Much
of Saltaire is mapped as freshwater wetlands. No spraying with adulticides
is allowed. Community regulations: Fair Harbor and Ocean Beach are on
record for not wanting adulticiding.
Fair Harbor and many of the other communities have
educational programs informing homeowner and residents of their options.
These are all the activities all of us should undertake around our homes.
Some people of course will say: "What I do will have no impact." That may
be, but if everybody pulls together, results will follow. I believe that
based on anecdotal evidence the communities together with Vector Control
were successful. Employees of Vector Control report that the number or
percentage of fresh-water breeding mosquitoes is low, when compared to
salt-water breeding mosquitoes (early summer 1998).
Wetland
Ditching undertaken since the early 1930's have had some success at the
cost of damaging or destroying ecosystems and habitat. In the winter of
1997/98 660 acres of salt-water marshes around the Great South
Bay have been restored with the help of several agencies and organizations
including Ducks Unlimited a 700,000 member strong group whose goal it is
to restore habitat for water fowl. Ditches now can be engineered to drain
marshes and puddles can be deepened into ponds to create habitat for
Gambusia Affins and Killifish, fish that devour hundreds of larvae an
hour.
Larviciding Programs
Fresh-Water
Salt-Water
Link to:
Rutgers Mosquito FAQ
Mosquito Myst Link (What's not working)
Every effort has been made to provide correct,
complete and up-to-date pest management information for New York State in
this publication. Changes in pesticide regulations thus occur constantly,
and human errors are still possible. These recommendations are not a
substitute for pesticide labeling. Before using any product, chemical, or
pesticide, read carefully, understand, and follow strictly any
instructions on the product label. The above information has been obtained
from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the Fair Harbor Community
Association nor any employee of FairHarbor.com has verified the
correctness of any information contained herein.
|
