WEST NILE VIRUSE

The most important steps in protecting your family are to prevent mosquito bites and reduce mosquito habitat around your home. Follow these tips:
· Make sure window and door screens are “bug tight”. Repair or replace if needed.
· Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are the most active.
· Wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat when going into mosquito-infested areas,
  such as wetlands or woods.
· Use a mosquito repellant containing DEET, and carefully follow directions on the label.
. Empty anything that holds standing water – old tires, buckets, plastic covers, and toys.
· Change water in your birdbaths, fountains, wading pools and animal troughs weekly.
· Recycle unused containers – bottles, cans, and buckets that may collect water.
· Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters the spring and fall.
· Fix leaky outdoor faucets and sprinklers.

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So why should homeowners worry about old tires and birdbaths, when there is a
wetland near their home?
In 2002, the Snohomish Health District mosquito surveillance identified 19 different types of mosquitoes in Snohomish County, seven of which are known to transmit West Nile Virus. One type of mosquito, the Culex pipiens (AKA “the house mosquito”), is of most concern. Culex larvae grow in water-filled containers found in urban areas.

Healthy wetlands provide some deterrent for mosquitoes, because of native fish, frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and other mosquito predators. However, some artificial features such as tires and birdbaths may provide significant mosquito-breeding opportunities. Tires are a particular problem because they hold water and their black color provides warmth. Nevertheless, any object that holds stagnant water, except a chlorinated pool, can produce thousands of mosquitoes.

Whatever you do, don’t drain wetlands. Wetlands help clean polluted waters, prevent floods, and protect drinking water supplies. Mosquitoes can actually increase if wetlands are destroyed; unlike their predators, many mosquito species need only a small puddle or depression in which to breed.

Using any pesticides in or near lakes, rivers, streams and ponds requires a permit and special training. To get more information on mosquito control, contact your local health department or go on line at http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/Zoo/WNV/WNV.html.

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What is the City of Lake Stevens doing about West Nile Virus?
The City is currently studying the effects of treating detention ponds with mosquito larvacide. However, many of the City’s ponds are located in the Native Growth Protection Areas which discharge into local streams. The City cannot treat those ponds with larvacide because of the potential for harm to other species.

According to Kathleen Emmett, Department of Ecology aquatic pesticide permit coordinator, stormwater ponds can be a potential breeding ground, but “the benefits of these manmade ponds far outweigh the risk of West Nile virus.” Stormwater ponds reduce flooding, erosion, and landslides, and help protect critical habitat for salmon and other fish.

The City has a routine maintenance program for the stormwater facilities. The program includes periodic cleaning of our catch basins to remove excess mud and standing water. Our stormwater detention ponds are maintained at least twice per year, which includes cutting the tall grass at the water edge. Adult mosquitoes are attracted to the dense vegetation near the water to lay their eggs.

The City will not be using pesticides to kill adult mosquitoes because it is not practical and often not successful. Suppression of adult mosquitoes is temporary and will not solve mosquito problems. Additionally, many restrictions apply to pesticide use in Washington State because of concerns about surface water contamination.

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For more information about West Nile Virus:
http://snohomish.wsu.edu/skeetr.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
http://www.snohd.org/snoWNileVirus/index.htm