Fighting the bite
Battle against mosquitoes escalates
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
LarryM@argusobserver.com
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 12:10 PM PDT
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| Malheur County West Nile Vector Control District technicians Bill Olsen (left) and Walt Van Dyke put out mosquito traps Monday afternoon. Van Dyke attaches the netting that catches the mosquitoes and other insects as they fly into the trap and fall. |
ONTARIO — The staff of the Malheur County West Nile Vector Control District are stepping up their abatement efforts as the evidence West Nile virus is well-entrenched in Malheur County — including two human cases — continues to grow.
During a presentation at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce forum Monday, Gary Page, vector control district manager, said two human cases had been confirmed by the Malheur County Health Department, but could not provide further information.
“We found the heaviest populations of mosquitoes in the northwest part of Ontario,” Page said. “And all around the borders of Nyssa and Ontario.”
Five different sites were confirmed by the Oregon State University Lab to have the presence of West Nile in mosquitoes, Page said, and six samples from the same pool of mosquitoes were found to be positive. About 70 percent of the mosquitoes being trapped were the species that carry the West Nile Virus, he said.
The district technicians have been busy putting out chemicals to kill the larvae.
“All storm drains have been treated,” Page said.
Friday, abatement district crews worked in Vale, and Saturday they were in Nyssa. Work in Ontario was finished Sunday.
“Storm drains have high amounts of larvae,” he said. “They just boil.”
All the drains north of Southwest Fourth Avenue in Ontario have been treated. Some have also received fog treatments.
Technicians were out hanging traps Monday to find more hot spots but also determine the effectiveness of treatments completed so far.
An aerial spraying to kill adult mosquitoes is scheduled, starting tonight. The spray area is from Malheur Butte, east toward Ontario, and north from the Malheur River and Foothill Drive. Anyone who does not want their property sprayed should contact the vector control district at (541) 473-5102.
“This is all pretty new to us,” Page told his audience at the chamber luncheon and asked that people feel free to provide suggestions. Asked about the golf courses, he said those ponds have low numbers of larvae, but they were being treated.
Huh wrote on Aug 19, 2009 5:14 AM: