3 ms·

Invasive Mosquitos are ruining California and not enough people are talking about it. It's a terrible quality of life issue and it doesn't seem like any politi

Invasive Mosquitos are ruining California and not enough people are talking about it. It's a terrible quality of life issue and it doesn't seem like any politicians have the will to act until a major disease outbreak occurs.

anonymouskimmer 3y ago
I recall reading a news article a while back about, I think, Aedes control measures being taken. And CA has a decent website outlining control strategies[1], as well as a dedicated website for West Nile virus control[2]. Meanwhile at least one private company and at least one California city have released Wolbachia-infected mosquitos [3],[4] or are seeking approval to release GMO mosquitos [5] to control viral transmission or Aedes breeding. And Alameda county, at least, has a decent webpage up outlining its program [6]. Mosquito control, in general, is probably somewhat complicated by not wanting to eradicate the native mosquito species. 1 - https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/MosquitoesandMosquitoBorneDiseases.aspx# https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Mosquitoesan... 2 - https://westnile.ca.gov/ https://westnile.ca.gov/ 3 - https://www.businessinsider.com/wolbachia-mosquitoes-california-google-alphabet-2017-7?op=1 https://www.businessinsider.com/wolbachia-mosquitoes-califor... 4 - https://www.wired.com/2016/08/california-city-fending-off-zika-releasing-40000-mosquitoes-every-week/ https://www.wired.com/2016/08/california-city-fending-off-zi... 5 - https://www.californiamosquitoproject.com/ https://www.californiamosquitoproject.com/ 6 - https://www.mosquitoes.org/programs https://www.mosquitoes.org/programs
Gordonjcp 3y ago
A guy I know from one of the car forums was talking about how he'd dug a new pond on his farm, in a particularly mosquito-infested part of California. "You're mad", everyone said, "you're just making a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, with that big pool and the trees providing shade!" And indeed, the mosquitoes flocked there and bred like crazy. Mosquitoes all over. Before long, his beautiful new pond was absolutely hoaching with mosquito larvae, which the carp he'd stocked it with ate like they'd heard it was getting banned. Now there aren't any mosquitoes for about a three mile radius.
- belfalas 3y ago
  I had never seen or heard the word 'hoaching' before today - "full of or swarming with people and things." That's a good one, thanks!
  - Gordonjcp 3y ago
    A good Scots word.
- notahacker 3y ago
  Carp as vector control! That's a great counter-intuitive way of dealing with pests...
  - gojomo 3y ago
    Mostquito-larva-eating fish have often been intentionally deployed for mosquito control, though the use of non-native species may have sometimes backfired: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish#Environmental_impact https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish#Environmental_imp...
mchusma 3y ago
I’m in so cal and last summer tested many solutions. I have one that works. A CO2 based trap (I use BIOGENTS BG-Mosquitaire CO2... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09884YS4H https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09884YS4H). It eliminated the issue in my house and yard. I got 2 neighbors to get them and we now have a sort of shield up over the neighborhood. I got a 20lb CO2 tank, and have to fill it up every 30 days or so during the summer months. It is not cheap or easy, but damn it works. Highly recommend if you hit your limit.

anonymouskimmer 3y ago

I recall reading a news article a while back about, I think, Aedes control measures being taken. And CA has a decent website outlining control strategies[1], as well as a dedicated website for West Nile virus control[2]. Meanwhile at least one private company and at least one California city have released Wolbachia-infected mosquitos [3],[4] or are seeking approval to release GMO mosquitos [5] to control viral transmission or Aedes breeding. And Alameda county, at least, has a decent webpage up outlining its program [6]. Mosquito control, in general, is probably somewhat complicated by not wanting to eradicate the native mosquito species. 1 - https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/MosquitoesandMosquitoBorneDiseases.aspx# https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Mosquitoesan... 2 - https://westnile.ca.gov/ https://westnile.ca.gov/ 3 - https://www.businessinsider.com/wolbachia-mosquitoes-california-google-alphabet-2017-7?op=1 https://www.businessinsider.com/wolbachia-mosquitoes-califor... 4 - https://www.wired.com/2016/08/california-city-fending-off-zika-releasing-40000-mosquitoes-every-week/ https://www.wired.com/2016/08/california-city-fending-off-zi... 5 - https://www.californiamosquitoproject.com/ https://www.californiamosquitoproject.com/ 6 - https://www.mosquitoes.org/programs https://www.mosquitoes.org/programs

Gordonjcp 3y ago

A guy I know from one of the car forums was talking about how he'd dug a new pond on his farm, in a particularly mosquito-infested part of California. "You're mad", everyone said, "you're just making a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, with that big pool and the trees providing shade!" And indeed, the mosquitoes flocked there and bred like crazy. Mosquitoes all over. Before long, his beautiful new pond was absolutely hoaching with mosquito larvae, which the carp he'd stocked it with ate like they'd heard it was getting banned. Now there aren't any mosquitoes for about a three mile radius.

belfalas 3y ago
I had never seen or heard the word 'hoaching' before today - "full of or swarming with people and things." That's a good one, thanks!
- Gordonjcp 3y ago
  A good Scots word.
notahacker 3y ago
Carp as vector control! That's a great counter-intuitive way of dealing with pests...
- gojomo 3y ago
  Mostquito-larva-eating fish have often been intentionally deployed for mosquito control, though the use of non-native species may have sometimes backfired: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish#Environmental_impact https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish#Environmental_imp...

mchusma 3y ago

I’m in so cal and last summer tested many solutions. I have one that works. A CO2 based trap (I use BIOGENTS BG-Mosquitaire CO2... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09884YS4H https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09884YS4H). It eliminated the issue in my house and yard. I got 2 neighbors to get them and we now have a sort of shield up over the neighborhood. I got a 20lb CO2 tank, and have to fill it up every 30 days or so during the summer months. It is not cheap or easy, but damn it works. Highly recommend if you hit your limit.