How Contra Costa County Citizens Play an Important Role in the District's Efforts to Reduce the Risk of Vectors of Disease
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Mosquito Control is in Our Hands and Yours |
On occasion, Contra Costa County residents who have moved here from other areas will comment that they used to see plenty of mosquitoes, but here, they never do. We like to say that's because we work hard to protect public health and reduce the number of mosquitoes and other vectors of disease. But the real answer is--protecting public health is a job we do together.
The first thing county residents can do
to protect public health
is let us know what you are seeing by requesting service.
Integrated Vector Management
The District provides public health services by using an ecosystem-based strategy known as Integrated Vector Management (IVM). IVM is a way to focus on long-term prevention of the insects and other animals that can cause harm or spread the causative agents of disease by using a combination of techniques
including:
- Vector Surveillance: Monitoring vector populations and analyzing their risk of disease transmission
- Physical Control: Eliminating harborage and habitats for mosquitoes
- Public Education: Encouraging citizens to dump out standing water to prevent mosquitoes from having a place to lay their eggs
- Biological Control: Using mosquitofish to eat young mosquitoes while they are developing in the water before they can develop into adults capable of biting us
- Chemical Control: Applying bacterial products and selective insecticides to reduce the number of young and adult mosquitoes and ground-nesting yellowjackets, and rodenticides to control rats and mice that threaten public health
