October 22nd, 2020
Contact: Luz Maria Robles, Public Information Officer
Office: 916.405.2082 | Cell: 916.416.6337
E-mail: lrobles@FIGHTtheBITE.net
INVASIVE MOSQUITOES CONTINUE TO BE DETECTED IN SACRAMENTO AND YOLO COUNTIES
Elk Grove, Ca. — The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District announced that detections of the invasive mosquito Aedes aegypti are ongoing in both Sacramento and Yolo counties. The very first discovery of Aedes aegypti in 2020 occurred in the city of Winters in Yolo County in mid September. Since then, they have been detected in the Arden-Arcade area in Sacramento County and the most recent detection was earlier this week near the city of Isleton. “Upon the first detection of the season, we enhanced our ongoing surveillance efforts in both counties and these resulted in additional findings of invasive mosquitoes,” said Gary Goodman, District Manager. In response to the findings, District staff have been conducting door to door inspections in affected neighborhoods looking for mosquito breeding sites and talking to residents about preventive measures around their home.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is not native to California; it is an aggressive mosquito that prefers to bite people during the day and has the potential to transmit serious diseases. These mosquitoes are small, dark and lay eggs above water in small artificial containers such as flower pots, pet dishes, bird baths and other small containers commonly found in backyards.
Aside from education to residents, as part of the District’s control operations response, staff have been conducting ongoing mosquito control treatments targeting immature and adult mosquitoes. These treatments, which typically occur in the early morning hours are aimed at reducing overall adult mosquito populations and killing immature mosquitoes that may be breeding in backyards before they hatch and lay more eggs. “Once these mosquitoes are established, they can be very difficult to control, especially because they can easily spread from one location to another,” added Goodman. “Since mosquitoes can hatch at different intervals, treatments need to be ongoing and repeated often to ensure populations are suppressed before they can continue reproducing,” emphasized Goodman. “We hope that as temperatures get cooler we will also see a decline in the overall mosquito populations.”
To get more information on where these invasive mosquitoes have been found or to report mosquito activity visit our website at www.FIGHTtheBITE.net or call 1-800-429-1022.
For additional information regarding invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes visit the
California Department of Public Health: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Aedes-aegypti-and-Aedes-albopictus-mosquitoes.aspx
Practice the District D’s of Mosquito Prevention:
DRAIN standing water that may produce mosquitoes.
DAWN and DUSK are times to avoid being outdoors.
DRESS appropriately be wearing long sleeves and pants when outside.
DEFEND yourself by using an effective insect repellent. Make sure to follow label directions!
DOOR and window screens should be in good working condition.
DISTRICT personnel are also available to address any mosquito problems. Call them at 1-800-429-1022 or visit www.FIGHTtheBITE.net
