Sept. 4, 2018 - The higher than average “Spring Tides” during the week of Aug. 7 coupled with a hurricane swell and warmer than usual water temperatures have led to an unusually large population of salt marsh mosquitoes from the Point Mugu area.
Salt marsh mosquitoes are aggressive day biters that can be a significant nuisance, but they are not implicated in disease transmission to humans.
Mosquito control is most effective when mosquitos are concentrated, immobile and accessible, i.e. during immature stages in water before they emerge and disperse as adults. This type of control is being exercised by Naval Base Ventura County at Point Mugu and the County of Ventura who have jurisdiction over the bodies of water surrounding the campus. Both the Navy and County are using these larval stage controls, as well as surveillance, source reduction and a variety of adult mosquito control strategies.
We advise members of the campus community to take the following precautions to minimize exposure to salt marsh (day biting) mosquitoes, as well as other mosquito species that are most active between dusk and dawn during the summer and fall months:
- When possible, limit outdoor activity during times when mosquitos are most active.
- Wear loose, long sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors.
- Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone, according to label instructions.
- Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes.
- Mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water. Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, including flower pots, old car tires, rain gutters and buckets. If you have a pond, use mosquito fish or commercially available products to eliminate mosquito larvae.
If you have additional questions, please contact our staff in Environmental Health & Safety at 805-437-3550.