ORANGE COUNTY
Invasive Aedes Mosquitoes
and SIT
Lora Young
Assistant District Manager/Director of Communications
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District
SUPPLEMENTAL
COMMUNICATION
Meeting Deto: 2-01-2022
Scope and Governance
• Established in 1947 as the Orange County Mosquito
Abatement District
• Independent Special District governed by the California H&S Code
• Serves all of Orange County's 34 cities and unincorporated areas
• 3.2 million residents
• Governed by a 35 member Board of Trustees
• One City appointed representative from each city
• One appointee from County
• Annual Budget of $16.1M for FY21/22
What is a Vector?
A Vector is an organism, typically a biting insect
or tick, that transmits a disease or parasite from
one animal to another animal or person.
Mosquitoes
Southern House Yellow Fever Asian Tiger Australian Backyard Mosquito Mosquito Mosquito Mosquito
Culex quinquefasciatus Aedes aegypti Aedes albopictus Aedes notoscriptus • West Nile virus • Zika • Zika • Dog heartworm
• St. Louis • Dengue viruses • Dengue viruses
encephalitis • Chikungunya • Chikungunya
• Western equine • Dog heartworm • West Nile virus
encephalitis • Yellow fever • Dog heartworm Orinoso,
Mosquitoes
Culex Aedes
Breeding habits Larger Sources Backyard Sources
Biting habits Bite at dusk and dawn, Bite during day, prefer prefer birds mammals
Eggs Eggs laid in rafts, require Individual eggs, viable for water years in dry conditions
Breeding time In as little as one week In as little as one week Where do they live Outdoors Indoor and Outdoors
COUNT
How OCMVCD Controls of
Mosquitoes
Integrated Vector Management
Ongoing Efforts to Situationally Dependent
• Education and outreach Control Mosquitoes Tools to Control Mosquitoes • Mosquito Surveillance
• Source Reduction
Public Education Chemical Control*
• Control
Integrated Vector
Management
Data-driven decision making
Surveillance Physical
tool used to suppress
Control
vector-borne diseases
Preventative Biological
Practices Control
COUNTE
westminster
Westminster High School
Westminster
Service Request LITTLE SAIGON
Midway City Solsa Ave Bolts Arr
Seal Beach
National
Wildlife Golden West
College
Refuge w Mesadden Ave
Data
Costco Wholesale
Seabridge Park Marina High Schoo
Ecinger Ave Brodard,
Edinger Ave
HINGTON
12 Hell Aud
Service 2019 2020 2021 Mile Sa
SUNS BEACH Meadowlark Golf Club
• Trader Joe's Lowe's Hom Regional
Improvemet
Sam's Club Plane
Requests Shica Conservancy B
Fountain
Valley
Mosquitoes 231 422 217 Huntington Costco Whole
Central MemorialCare Orange
Park East Walmart e Coast Medical Center Talbert Ave
Bolsa Chica 02) Bolsa Chica
Red Imported 3 0 2 Basin State
State Beach
Marine... Trade
Fire Ants The Reptile Zoo
The Ho •Depot e
Rats 38 28 42
Dog Beach
Other** 5 15 1 Target ~ 16
MES
Huntington
Beach Dog Beach
** Other includes service for flies
Fairvies
ngton
Beach Walmart
Neighborhood Marke
Trader Joe's
Hyatt Regentc
Huntington Beach
Taibert
Regional Park
Huntington Tr
State Beach
LIFE CYCLE OF AN
AEDES MOSQUITO
Life Cycle of
Aedes Mosquito
• Mosquitoes can complete
their life cycle (from egg to
adult) in about 5-7 days. Adult
Pupa
• Mosquitoes need stagnant
water to go through their
life cycle.
• Eggs can survive without
water for several years and
will hatch when water is
Eggs
present, and conditions are
right. Larva
Invasive Aedes
• ¼ inch long
• Not native to California
• Black and white bands across body
• Aggressive day-time biters
• Breed indoors and outdoors
STROL, DETHEN
COUNT
IMPACTS TO ORANGE COUNTY
2016 = 3,500 acres or 5.0 sq miles
2017 = 17,000 acres or 26 sq miles
2018 = 45,600 acres or 71 sq miles
2019 = 67,633 acres or 105 sq miles
2020 = 89,666 acres or 140 sq miles
Livable area of Orange County =
320,000 or 500 sq miles
*Predictions use current data and reasonable assumptions that conditions will not change significantly in the future.
MAINTAIN
YOUR
DRAIN
Mosquitoes can develop in
underground yard drains.
PREVENTION: Add foam
inserts or screens to the top
of drains so mosquitoes
can't fly in!
Controlling for Aedes
Mosquitoes
Challenges of Invasive Aedes
• Have rapidly spread throughout
California.
• Found in every city in Orange FLYER
County
• Prefer smaller water sources,
making them harder to control
Common mosquito
• They lay their eggs in water breeding sources
sources in people's front yards,
backyards, and patios
• Areas where mosquito control
agencies can't easily inspect
What is SIT
• Environmentally-friendly insect pest control method
• A non-chemical control method
• The basic steps of SIT are:
• Sterilization of a target pest (mosquitoes),
• Release of sterile males in a specific area over time • Sterile males will mate with wild females
• The SIT technique results in no offspring and a declining pest population, reducing the presence of the specific breed of virus- spreading mosquitoes
Different SIT Techniques
• Wolbachia: Wolbachia is a common type of bacteria found in insects. Approximately 6 in 10 of all types of insects, including butterflies, bees, and beetles, around the world, have Wolbachia. • Irradiation: Irradiation, such as with gamma rays and X-rays, is used to sterilize mass-reared insects so that, while they remain sexually competitive, they cannot produce offspring.
• Genetically Modified Mosquitoes: GM mosquitoes are
mosquitoes that have been implanted with a gene not originally present in the insect. In one case, a self-limiting gene that disrupts the normal processes of mosquitoes' offspring.
What you need to know
• Male mosquitoes do not bite and can not transmit diseases • SIT will not eliminate the use of other chemicals to control for mosquitoes.
• SIT only targets one specific type of mosquito
• Aedes aegypti
• SIT releases will have to be ongoing every mosquito season • The District is evaluating the use of SIT and has not decided on a technique or when it would be used
• SIT will not be widely implemented for several more years SIT in Orange County
• District is exploring the use of irradiation in 2022
• NOW: SIT via irradiation is available to be implemented as soon as the mosquito colonies and equipment are available, no long regulatory process
• PROVEN: This method is proven in other insects and more evidence is showing it works for Aedes mosquitoes
• INITIAL RELEASE AREA: Approximately 300 Meter diameter or a quarter square mile
SIT In Orange County
Challenges
• As biological organisms, it may take more or less time than estimated to establish a production colony.
• Residents response to the project.
• Extensive education program will be presented so that residents understand why they are seeing more male mosquitoes flying.
• Distribution of the sterilized insects which may require additional staffing as the project expands.
• Cost of SIT program.
COURT
Questions
ORANGE COUNTY