The first instance of West Nile virus was discovered in mosquitoes in Boston last week. Whether the virus moves our way or not remains to be seen, but if it does the first to know about it will be the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project.
The CMMCP has traps and other monitors installed throughout central Massachusetts, including in Southborough. Last week alone they trapped more than 10,000 of the buggers for testing. No mosquitoes infected with West Nile or Eastern Equine Encephalitis have been found in our area so far.
CMMCP offers spraying if mosquito populations in your neighborhood are particularly bad. Spraying happens in targeted areas only if residents complain of “unbearable” mosquito activity, and then only if the mosquito population is shown to exceed certain thresholds. You can read more about the spraying policies in the Mosquito Control FAQ.
Many neighborhoods in Southborough have been sprayed this season. Last night alone the CMMCP was scheduled to spray on Edgewood Road, Parkerville Road, Main Street, and Sears Road among others. You can check the daily spraying schedule here.
If you want to report a bad skeeter situation, there’s a form on the Mosquito Control website. There are also instructions on how to prevent your property from getting sprayed should Mosquito Control show up in your neighborhood.
While you’re poking around the CMMCP site, be sure to also check out their tips on how to minimize mosquitoes near your home.
(Photo posted to Flickr by Gerald Yuvallos)
Thanks for the timely update Susan, nice job on the article. I happen to be the Exec. Director at CMMCP, and a lifelong resident (ok, call me a townie). As you note, no virus is in our area yet, but we are in the typical timeframe when it may pop up – July through Sept. CMMCP will continue to trap and test weekly, and virus information will be posted to our website (www.cmmcp.org) as well as our new FaceBook page and Twitter account. Both WNV and EEE have been found in bordering towns in recent years, and CMMCP has been working hard in our member towns to lower risk from these diseases. We recently began our WNV control program in area catch basins (street drains) and are pushing the message to have residents empty, clean or dispose of any containers in their yards weekly – these containers (bird baths, kiddie pools, used tires, etc.) are habitat for 2 species of mosquito that carry WNV. If anyone has questions or concerns please e-mail me at deschamps@cmmcp.org.
Tim, I had no idea we had a mosquito expert in our midst! Thanks for mentioning the Facebook page. I “liked” it just the other day and it’s been a great source of info. Here are links to both Facebook and Twitter for those who want to follow along:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Mass-Mosquito-Control/159588047397425
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CMassMosquito