LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Vector Control District has rescheduled a mosquito larvicide treatment.
The treatment, originally set for Wednesday, March 23, will now take place on Thursday, March 24, according to District Manager Jamie Scott.
Scott said the treatment is expected to begin at 10 a.m., weather permitting.
The district said the treatment – meant to reduce the number of biting adult mosquitoes emerging this spring – will take place at the marshlands adjacent to the lake between the Clear Lake State Park and Lakeport, parts of Anderson Marsh State Park and a small section east of the Clearlake Keys.
It's in those areas that the district’s winter mosquito surveillance program detected large numbers of mosquito larvae for an early-season floodwater species (Aedes increpitus) that hatch from eggs laid in the mud in previous years as the lake receded.
When winter rains flooded the eggs, the larvae hatched and began developing in the still, shallow water.
As temperatures and day length increase in early spring, the Ae. increpitus mosquito larvae will pupate and then emerge as biting adults.
These mosquitoes are the aggressive biters experienced every spring by people living and recreating near this area.
The application will be made by a yellow, bi-winged crop duster flying at a low altitude over these marshy areas.
Some of the marshy areas are near homes, and people may experience a brief noise nuisance from the plane.
The product applied will be VectoBac GS, a biological larvicide used to control mosquito larvae in aquatic habitats.
VectoBac, manufactured by Valent BioSciences, is based on the naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). The district said it is a highly effective and economical microbial insecticide registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for the control of larval mosquitoes in nearly all aquatic habitats.
Bti is highly selective for the control of mosquito larvae in water and does not affect plants, animals or beneficial insects that live in or drink the water.
The formulation is a biodegradable solid corncob granule, similar to large sand particles, which are coated with the Bti, which breaks down rapidly in nature so there is no persistence of the active ingredient. The use of a solid formulation reduces the drift onto adjacent property.
The Lake County Vector Control District makes every effort to use the safest product available to minimize any health concerns the public may have.
The larvicide label and the safety data sheet are available from the Lake County Vector Control District’s Web site http://www.lcvcd.org/ or may be requested by calling 707-263-4770.
Aerial mosquito larvicide treatment rescheduled for March 24
- Lake County News reports
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