Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District
Report of District Activities
Manager’s Report
BOARD OF TRUSTESS MEETING
September 11, 2007
1. One of our Field Supervisors will be leaving us. Peter Bonkrude has taken a job with the California Department of Public Health as a Biologist. He will move up to Redding for the position. Peter has an opportunity to further his career and we wish him the best. He has been a great person to work with and has contributed immensely to the District. He will be missed!
2. The District has received a cost estimate for oversight of the environmental remediation of the Thermal property from our environmental consultant. RFPs should be available soon and remediation commencing with the selection of a company.
3. West Nile virus continues to show in sentinel chickens and mosquito pools in the Mecca/North Shore area. District staff continues fogging and other control measures. No human cases have been reported in the Coachella Valley this year.
4. The District has not received a reply to its letter of response to the draft report from LAFCO regarding the sphere of influence boundaries. The District requested a revision in the draft report to reflect the sphere of influence boundaries that were agreed upon in the earlier mapping of the proposed boundaries. The District received a continuance of the meeting to September as we had requested. I have been advised of a meeting between Supervisor Marion Ashley, Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District, and the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, Vector Control Program, where the sphere of influence for vector control districts was discussed for Riverside County. We were not advised of this meeting. A more extensive presentation will be made at the Board meeting on this topic.
5. The District received $351 for the second quarter of the year from CalCard. This money is generated by frequency of card usage and the dollar amounts charged. As all balances are paid monthly the District never incurs an interest charge. Not only is this card cost-free, the District earns money when the card is used.
6. All of the Valley’s chambers of commerce were joined with the exception of Palm Springs. Their membership fee exceeded the amount authorized by the Board at its last meeting. Meetings for each chamber are posted on their respective websites. Currently, all notifications are received by the District and forwarded to the respective Trustee. Those Trustees who prefer to be contacted directly should call their respective chamber and provide them with their contact information.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM
Two news releases were prepared that addressed the detection of positive West Nile virus samples and the District’s green pool and hot spot programs. These releases generated a great deal of interest and resulted in on-air reports on TV stations KMIR 6 (comprehensive interview with Operations Manager Jim Saulnier with footage filmed at the District), CBS 2, KESQ 3, and radio reports on several local stations. The releases also ran in The Desert Sun and The Press Enterprise. The Press Enterprise expanded the release to run as a feature article on the front page of their Saturday, August 25, Local Section. They also filmed a related video of the District’s mosquito control measures to use as a feature story on their website.
The District is working closely with the Staff of MVCAC to move the plans for the MVCAC Annual Conference forward. Plans for the District conference event are also well underway with the engagement of Big Willy’s for the food and entertainment provided by strolling mariachis and folkloric dancers.
As the 2007/2008 school year begins in early September, we will be booking presentations at all three School Districts (Coachella Unified, Desert Sands and Palm Springs Unified School District). We continue to call community organizations to schedule presentations. We have developed a back-up plan for time the Community Educator is on maternity leave which involves training District employees on the curriculum, materials, and equipment used for the state mandated standards educational program.
The following represents the activities of the Community Educator since the August Board Report.
|
Community Outreach for 7/20 – 8/20/07 |
|
|
Group Presentations |
Est. Audience |
|
Civic and Community Groups |
|
|
Coachella Senior Center |
25 |
|
College of the Desert Math, Engineering and Science Program |
75 |
|
Palm Desert Senior Center |
12 |
|
Desert Hot Springs Senior Center |
10 |
|
Cathedral City Senior Center |
20 |
|
Schools |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Events |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Total Individuals Reached |
142 |
2007 - 2008 Totals
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL DEPARTMENT
During the month of August 2007, the Biological Control Program focused on the following:
Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)
- The mosquitofish production system has produced 54,525 fish for the month of August. The fry have been collected and transferred to grow-out tanks.
- Mosquitofish trapping at wild sources continues twice a week. These fish will be quarantined at the District, then stocked back into the District’s field stocking pond for further grow-out and reproduction to be used at a later date.
|
Mosquitofish |
|
|
|
Production |
2006 |
2007 |
|
January |
N/A |
5,250 |
|
February |
N/A |
13,655 |
|
March |
N/A |
5,419 |
|
April |
N/A |
10,637 |
|
May |
N/A |
13,250 |
|
June |
1,197 |
26,997 |
|
July |
3,512 |
45,332 |
|
August |
12,758 |
54,525 |
|
September |
19,844 |
|
|
October |
11,751 |
|
|
November |
18,319 |
|
|
December |
10,557 |
|
|
TOTAL |
77,938 |
175,065 |
Tadpole shrimp (Triops newberryi)
- Upon completion of the third flooding of the District’s outdoor Tadpole Shrimp production pond, soil samples were harvested for egg density. The fourth flooding will occur after egg soil has been collected and distributed at various Date Gardens . Observation, surveillance, and repeat treatments at Date Gardens will continue throughout the season
.
Nematodes (Romanomermis iyengari)
· An established mosquito colony of Cx. quinquefasciatus is maintained in the laboratory rearing room of the Biocontrol laboratory. The colony is currently used as a host for rearing Romanomermis iyengari. A third series of mosquito larvae infection with the parasitic round worms was completed on August 8 using RO water, mosquitofish pond water and Tadpole Shrimp pond water all at a ratio of (3:1). Infections will become more frequent in late August and throughout September in order to build a stock of pre-parasitic eggs for upcoming field trials.
Surveillance
- Observations and surveillance of fish and invertebrates along the Salton Sea marsh are for species composition and abundance is in progress.
Environmental and Best Management
- Letters were sent in response to Drafts of Environmental Impact Reports from the City Planners of Desert Hot Springs, Indio, and Cathedral City explaining how important it is to include our District in the planning stages of storm water structure designs of potential new developments. This would allow the District to become proactive in the elimination of poor designs which lead to breeding areas of low standing water.
DISTRICT FIELD OPERATIONS
Urban mosquito control activities remain a high priority, accounting for 77 % of the surveys and 76% of the treatments conducted during the period. Ground fogging control activities were conducted along the Lincoln Street area southeast of Mecca, the North Shore of the Salton Sea and in north-eastern Indio in response to recent multiple detections of West Nile virus (WNv) in those areas. Both aerial and ground equipment was used during the 16 days of fogging.
Mosquito source reduction and larval control continue to be a high priority to reduce the potential threat of West Nile virus in the Valley. Whenever virus is detected, an immediate and intensive surveillance and treatment campaign is initiated in and around the detection source to reduce mosquito populations in the area in order to disrupt magnification and transmission of disease to other mosquitoes and residents.
Service requests and standing water requests continued to increase during this period. All requests were addressed and response action was taken within twenty-four hours. A total of 284 service requests and 43 requests for standing water response were received.
MOSQUITO CONTROL ACTIVITIES:
|
24 |
FIELD EVALUATIONS BY SUPERVISORS |
|
4 |
SERVICE REQUEST EVALUATIONS |
|
4 |
OPERATIONAL MEETINGS |
|
4 |
FIELD SAFETY CHECKS |
|
7 |
MEETINGS WITH OWNERS/REPRESENTATIVES |
|
16 |
NEW MOSQUITO BREEDING SOURCES |
|
109 |
SERVICE REQUESTS |
|
2,937 |
FIELD INSPECTIONS BY TECHNICIANS |
|
954 |
MOSQUITO TREATMENTS (Larval) |
|
1,120 |
URBAN/SUBURBAN ACREAGE ADULTICIDED |
|
7,092 |
RURAL ACREAGE FOGGED |
|
16 |
ADULTICIDE NIGHTS 10 Ground 6 Aerial |
|
1 |
|
|
4 |
COMPARATIVE MOSQUITO HABITAT ACREAGE TREATED
TREATED THIS MONTH |
ACREAGE TREATED August 2007 |
ACREAGE TREATED July 2006 |
|
|
|
|
LARVACIDINGADULTICIDING |
275 Acres8,212 Acres |
289 Acres268 Acres |
|
|
|
|
FISCAL YEAR TOTALS |
LARVACIDING |
ADULTICIDING |
2007/2008 YTD |
512 Acres |
8,522 Acres |
2006/2007 |
2,294 Acres |
5,075 Acres |
2005/2006 |
2,027 Acres |
20,172 Acres |
PERCENTAGES OF MOSQUITO HABITAT ACREAGE TREATED
|
66 |
21 |
46 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
2 |
14 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
76 |
24 |
63 |
27 |
54 |
20 |
|
|
175 |
54 |
115 |
48 |
218 |
79 |
|
|
322 |
100 |
238 |
100 |
275 |
100 |
|
MOSQUITO INSPECTIONS
|
HABITAT |
June 2007 |
July 2007 |
August 2007 |
|||
|
|
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
|
Salton Sea |
47 |
2 |
28 |
1 |
54 |
2 |
|
Duck Clubs |
19 |
1 |
48 |
2 |
79 |
3 |
|
Residential |
1,804 |
75 |
1,588 |
78 |
2274 |
77 |
|
Agricultural |
540 |
22 |
369 |
18 |
530 |
18 |
|
Totals |
2,410 |
100.00 |
2.033 |
100.0 |
2,937 |
100 |
MOSQUITO HABITAT TREATMENTS
|
HABITAT |
June 2007 |
July 2007 |
August 2007 |
|||
|
|
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
|
Salton Sea |
110 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
|
Duck Clubs |
8 |
1 |
9 |
1 |
15 |
2 |
|
Residential |
889 |
79 |
610 |
81 |
733 |
76 |
|
Agricultural |
217 |
19 |
131 |
17 |
199 |
21 |
|
Totals |
1,125 |
100 |
753 |
100 |
954 |
100 |
Red Imported Fire Ants
The majority of control activities for RIFA continues to be focused in the cities of Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage where infestation continues to be the most extreme. The majority of RIFA service requests were also from these areas. Operations surveillance and treatments continue to be focused on homeowner associations, common areas in country clubs, parks and schools, city greenbelt areas, and response to service requests.
Saturday control activities and surveillance continues to be focused on surveillance and treatment of Valley school campuses and service requests responses to residents who are unavailable for contact during the workweek.
Treatments of the golf courses at Marrakesh and Heritage Palms have been completed during the month. Preliminary assessment from baiting indicates that treatment efficacy for both golf courses is above 90%. Treatment contracts have been signed for Ironwood, Tamarisk, Cathedral Canyon, and both Westin Rancho Mirage golf courses. All will be treated during September. The use of Choice (Fipronil) continues to provide excellent control and efficacy. During the month, over 30,000 pounds was applied throughout the valley with impressive results and persistence.
INSPECTIONS, TREATMENTS AND ACREAGE
|
CITY |
Inspections |
Positive Sites |
Treatments |
Treated Acreage |
|
Bermuda Dunes |
0 |
11 |
11 |
28.21 |
|
Cathedral City |
7 |
62 |
62 |
759.11 |
|
Coachella |
1 |
3 |
3 |
54.58 |
|
Desert Hot Sprs. |
0 |
6 |
6 |
35.17 |
|
Indian Wells |
1 |
6 |
6 |
44.63 |
|
Indio |
4 |
27 |
27 |
980.87 |
|
La Quinta |
3 |
33 |
33 |
444.22 |
|
Palm Desert |
6 |
107 |
107 |
0.50 |
|
Palm Springs |
5 |
65 |
65 |
787.64 |
|
Rancho Mirage |
2 |
70 |
70 |
366.39 |
|
Thermal |
0 |
1 |
1 |
879.03 |
|
Thousand Palms |
0 |
1 |
1 |
10.00 |
|
|
29 |
393 |
393 |
4,390.86 |
Service Requests
Service request volume for the fourth consecutive month for all vectors has risen once again compared to the previous month. .
OPERATIONS SERVICE REQUEST REPORT
|
CITY |
MOSQUITO |
RIFA |
FISH |
GNATS |
FLIES |
BEES |
RATS |
OTHER |
TOTALS |
|
Bermuda Dunes |
2 |
4 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
8 |
|
Cathedral City |
3 |
23 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
28 |
|
Coachella |
9 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
Desert Hot Sprs. |
3 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
12 |
|
|
Indian Wells |
|
|
1 |
|