Clovis combats mosquitoes

Staff report

Think of all of the water that’s descended upon Clovis, to the tune of nearly 11 inches since May 1.

Couple that with the fact mosquitoes only need a measuring cup of water to produce hundreds of eggs, and it’s a significant pest problem for residents and city employees.

Building Safety Director Pete Wilt said the city has two employees who currently handle mosquito spraying — Code Compliance Officer Marcus Brice and a seasonal employee the city added on Wednesday.

The city’s spray program is limited to sidewalks, alleys and city property.

“When they spray,” Wilt said, “they’ll drive down an alley with the sprayers on and fog things. If they treat water, it’s not the fogger; it’s another commercial sprayer.”

Wilt said the spray the city uses follows Environmental Protection Agency guidelines and sterilizes the mosquitoes, meaning that the bugs could still live a full healthy life a few weeks but not produce offspring.

“The EPA won’t let us kill them, because that’s cruel and inhumane,” Wilt said. “The EPA says it’s cruel; myself, there’s nothing too cruel for a mosquito.”

City workers can’t go onto private property to spray, no matter how much it might need it, because it constitutes trespassing without the owner’s consent and violates the state antidonation clause with owner consent. Property owners shouldn’t be concerned with puddles that stand for a week or less, as most species need 10 to 14 days for the development process. But they need to look at either draining or stirring puddles around the yard.

“We’re talking tires, old dog bowls, things that have been sitting around for a while,” Wilt said. “If you have standing water, stir it around once in a while.”

Mosquito facts

• The world has around 100 trillion mosquitoes in 3,450 different species. Every summer, the U.S. produces about 10 trillion, enough to fill the Grand Canyon.

• Mosquitoes generally feed on nectar, and only females that are breeding bite other creatures. Blood aids in the development of eggs.

• Mosquito bites are technically not bites, as the insects use their snout to penetrate the skin. An average mosquito meal is 1 millionth of a gallon of blood.

• The itches and bumps are caused by the mosquito’s saliva, which includes anticoagulants to help the mosquito drink blood easier.

• A female mosquito can lay between 100 and 300 eggs at a time, and about 10 times that over a lifetime.

• Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide exhaled by humans, as well as dark-colored clothing, perfumes and colognes.

Source: Institute of Pest Management