What's New in Vector Control
Rick Howard
District Manager
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District
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.IM 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.
Why are Mosquitoes Dangerous?
• Can transmit diseases to people and pets
• Can impact the quality of life
• Mosquito bites can lead to secondary infections due to itching • Aedes mosquitoes are invasive to Orange County
Mosquitoes in the OC #27
Southern House
Mosquito
Culex • uin • uefasciatus
• West Nile virus
• St. Louis
encephalitis
• Western equine
encephalitis
Yellow Fever
Mosquito
Aedes aegypti
• Zika
• Dengue viruses
• Chikungunya
• Dog heartworm
• Yellow fever
Asian Tiger
Mosquito
Aedes albopictus
• Zika
• Dengue viruses
• Chikungunya
• West Nile virus
• Dog heartworm
Mosquitoes
Breeding habits
Biting habits
Eggs
Breeding time
Culex
Larger Sources
Bite at dusk and dawn,
prefer birds
Eggs laid in rafts, require
water
In as little as one week
Where do they live Outdoors
Aedes —
Backyard Sources
Bite during day, prefer
mammals
Individual eggs, viable for
years in dry conditions
In as little as one week
Indoor and Outdoors
How OCMVCD Controls of
Mosquitoes
Integrated Vector Management
• Education and outreach
• Mosquito Surveillance
• Source Reduction
• Control
Ongoing Efforts to
Control Mosquitoes
Situationally Dependent
Tools to Control Mosquitoes
Public Education
Chemical Control*
Surveillance
Integrated Vector
Management
Data -driven decision making
tool used to suppress
vector-borne diseases
Physical
Control
Preventative
Practices
Biological
Control
Service Request
Data in Placentia
Service
Requests
Mosquitoes
Red Imported
Fire Ants
Rats
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Invasive Aedes
..
• 1/4 inch long
• Not native to California
• Black and white bands across body
• Aggressive day -time biters
• Breed indoors and outdoors
Life Cycle of the
Aedes Mosquito
• Mosquitoes can complete
their life cycle (from egg to
adult) in about 5-7 days.
• Mosquitoes need stagnant
water to go through their
life cycle.
• Eggs can survive without
water for several years and
will hatch when water is
present, and conditions are
right.
Aedes
Infestation
2016 = 3,500 acres or 5.0 sq.mi
2017 = 17,000 acres or 26 sq.mi
2018 = 45,600 acres or 71 sq.mi
2019 = 63,813 acres or 99.7 sq.mi
2020 = 65,229 acres or 102 sq.mi
2021 = 74,880 acres or 117 sq.mi
Projected = 89,666 acres or 140 sq.mi
Projected
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Controlling for Aedes
Mosquitoes
Challenges of Invasive Aedes
• Have rapidly spread throughout
California.
• Found in every city in Orange
County
• Prefer smaller water sources,
making them harder to control
• They lay their eggs in water
sources in people's front yards,
backyards, and patios
• Areas where mosquito control
agencies can't easily inspect
New Technologies: 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. The bacteria is injected into male mosquitoes. Once they mate the eggs are not viable.
• Irradiation: Irradiation such as X-rays, is used to sterilize 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.
SIT: 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 • SIT will not be widely implemented for several more years
SIT in Orange County
• District is exploring the use of irradiation in 2023
• Irradiation is available to be implemented as soon as the mosquito colonies and equipment are available, no long
regulatory process
• This method is proven in other insects and more evidence is showing it works for Aedes mosquitoes
• Approximately 300 Meter diameter or a quarter square mile
New Technologies: Drones
• Staff FAA licensed to
operate drones
• Drones assist in minimizing
damage to environmentally
sensitive areas
• Work with landowners to
utilize drones in marshes,
wetlands and other large
areas
Working Together
• Include the District messages in emails and newsletters to residents • Participate in the Annual Summer Awareness Campaign
• Share or Reshare social media messaging
• Invite the District to community outreach events and presentations • Help increase awareness among residents on the shared responsibility of mosquito control:
• Tip
• Toss
• Take Action
Questions