Mosquitoes in Real Estate

1
Mosquitoes in Real Estate

• Karen Mellor
• Entomologist

2
Our Mission

• Protect the Public Health
• Remove, reduce and/or treat mosquito breeding
  sites
• Inform the public of their responsibilities in
  the fight against mosquitoes
• Public Education
• Reduce number of mosquitoes

3
The Life of a Mosquito
Water Surface
4
Mosquito Facts

• Take about one week from egg to adult
• Immature stages live in water
• Adults can live up to 6 weeks
• Only female mosquitoes bite
• Transmit several potentially fatal diseases
• Mosquito is deadliest animal in the world

5
Mosquito-Borne Diseases

• Malaria
• gt 300 million cases/yr
• gt 1 million deaths/yr
• Yellow Fever
• Dengue Fever
• Rift Valley Fever
• Encephalitis
• (e.g. West Nile Virus)

6
West Nile Virus

• First identified in 1937 in Uganda
• Arrived in New York in 1999
• Quickly spread across North America
• Mainly affects birds, horses and humans
• Killed 300 alligators in Florida in 2003

7
West Nile Virus in Humans

• Only 20 have symptoms
• People over 50 at higher risk for severe symptoms
• 24,000 cases since 1999
• 950 fatalities
• In CA gt 2,000 cases with 54 fatalities since 2003

8
Symptoms

• Start 3-14 days after bite
• Flu-like fever, headache, nausea, body aches,
  skin rash
• Meningitis severe headache, stiff neck
• Encephalitis mental changes, tremors, coma
• Polio-like paralysis

9
Mosquitoes In The Desert??

• District was founded in 1958
• People create mosquito habitat by
• Over-watering lawns
• Washing driveways
• Not maintaining pools
• Providing stagnant water

10
Routine Control Tasks

• Retention/Detention Basins
• Ditches
• Curbs Gutters

11
Backyards The Great Unknown
Swimming Pool Spa
Water Trough
Pond
Boat
Bird Bath
Small Containers
Leaky Faucet
12
Our Biggest Problem
13
How Big Is The Problem?
Rancho Vista (Ave N RV Blvd)
Lancaster (Ave I 15th St West)
25
59
½ mile
½ mile
14
We Need Your Help

• You inspect homes
• Add pool status to checklist
• Report bad pools to us
• Suggest to fix green pools (clean or drain)
• Rate it appropriately

15
Condition Codes

• Safety Concern SC
• Further Evaluation FE
• Corrections Recommended CR

• Public health hazard due to drowning risk and
  mosquito breeding
• AVMVCD will inspect and treat for mosquitoes
• Fix pool clean and maintain or drain it

16
Results Through Teamwork

• Faster sales
• Higher prices
• Less mosquitoes and potential diseases
• No need for fines (as per HS code 1000/day
  until fixed)

17
Questions???