An integrated mosquito management program for James City County, Virginia

Abstract

Twenty-six of the 49 mosquito species reported from Virginia were collected in James City County, Virginia during 1985 and 1986. The most abundant species were Psorophora columbiae, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, and Culex species. P. columbiae accounted for 50% and 16% of the light trap collections in 1985 and 1986, respectively. The most predominant mosquitoes collected during 1986 were Culex species.

Mosquitoes had an impact on the amount of time residents and campers spent outdoors. Forty-seven percent of the residents and 28% of the campers surveyed had their time outdoors limited by mosquitoes. There was no significant association between the area where the respondent was brought up as a child and their perception of the mosquito problem. No economic impact could be attributed to mosquitoes but the benefits the county's residents received from the mosquito control program annually was estimated to exceed the programs costs by two times. The human tolerance level for mosquito bites was determined to be 5 per night.

James City County could adopt and benefit from an integrated mosquito management program. The components of the program are seasonal monitoring of mosquito populations, periodic public attitude surveys, public education programs, physical, chemical, and biological control tactics, and periodic program evaluation.