By Sharon Challenger.
From July 21-23, 2021, the storm drains in Haddam are being treated with a larvicide to help cull the mosquito population in our neighborhoods.
The company hired to apply the larvicide, Innovative Mosquito Management, Inc. www.innovativemosquitomanagement.com is headquartered in Madison, Connecticut.
According to the company website, owner Kurt Ehrhart worked for DEEP in the 1980’s on the State’s mosquito control program. He has over 30-years-experience providing mosquito control services for towns, state and federal agencies, and residential properties.
The name of the product which is being applied is VectoLex, a biological larvicide made by Valent BioSciences. It contains a bacterial active ingredient called Bacillus sphaericus (Bsph) which is classified as an organic compound.
The Goal
The purpose of Larviciding is to kill mosquito larvae or pupae or to otherwise prevent emergence of adult mosquitoes.
How Bsph works
The spores in Bsph produce toxins which are target specific and only affect mosquitoes, black flies and fungus gnats. It is particularly effective in waters high in organic matter such as catch basins, animal waste lagoons, and stagnant ponds.
Bsph spores produce complex crystal proteins which when ingested by mosquito larvae rupture the gut of the larvae. Death usually follows quickly within 24 hours and sooner under ideal conditions. Bsph does not interfere with other wildlife present in or around the treated water.
The VectoLex brochure found here: www.valentsciences.com contains the following information:
VectoLex Mode of Action
- Mosquito larvae ingest Bsph protoxin
- Protoxin activated in alkaline environment of the midgut
- Larval proteolytic enzymes break down activated protoxin into polypeptide fractions
- Polypeptide fractions act on midgut cells
- Midgut cells lyse
- Larvae die
Purpose of the Application
Facts from www.worldmosquitoprogram.org
When a mosquito feeds on blood, it also swallows any viruses or parasites living in the blood. These viruses and parasites can be transferred to the next person the mosquito bites through its saliva. Any disease that is spread in this way from mosquito to human (or animal) is known as a ‘mosquito-borne disease’.
- Nearly 700 million people contract mosquito borne illnesses each year
- Mosquito borne illnesses result in over 1 million deaths annually
- Common types of mosquito-borne diseases include malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika
Information from the State of Connecticut
(July 2, 2021) State Reports Positive Mosquitoes for West Nile Virus in Milford
First WNV-Positive Mosquito Pools of Season
New Haven – The State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program (MMP) announced that mosquitoes trapped in Milford on June 21 tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). These results represent the first WNV positive mosquitoes identified in the state by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) this year. Connecticut residents are reminded to protect themselves from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases.
“The West Nile virus season has begun with the first detection of virus in mosquitoes,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, Medical Entomologist at the CAES. “This is earlier than usual, and we anticipate further build-up of the virus from now through September.”
To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes residents should:
- Minimize time spent outdoors between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- Be sure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are more active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
- Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect small babies when outdoors.
- Consider the use of an EPA-approved mosquito repellent and apply according to directions when it is necessary to be outdoors.
