Ohio is home to a variety of mosquito species which all can cause a little discomfort at times. The one species grabbing most of the attention lately is the unpopular Culex pipiens, aka Northern House Mosquito. The Culex species is the primary carrier of the West Nile Virus which can be transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female.
The life cycle of the Culex begins with a pregnant female who awakens after a long winter’s nap. She searches for a stagnant pool of water in which to lay up to 300 eggs. After about two days the eggs hatch into larvae or “wrigglers” which feed for about a week on the organic matter found in the water. Next appears the “tumbler”, the stage where the pupae floats for a couple of days after which the adult emerges looking to start the whole cycle again.
The West Nile Virus is both an urban and rural dilemma due to the abundance of breeding sites. As mentioned earlier the Culex species searches out predator-free stagnant water to lay its eggs. In an established wetland or stream, one will usually find egg and larvae-eating fish and insects, therefore not a good place to lay eggs. Any small amount of water left to sit for three days or more in any container is a perfect mosquito breeding site. Containers can be a child’s toy, a flower pot, a swimming pool not properly chlorinated, a pop can or styrofoam cup blown in your front ditch. The adults of the Culex species tend to stay within a quarter to a half mile radius from where they hatch. Eliminating potential mosquito pools will greatly reduce your interaction with our pesky friend. Other preventative measures you and I can take are walking around your yard after each rainfall and checking for any standing water, disposing of trash properly, participating in the monthly tire drives, making sure your gutters are cleaned and protecting yourself with insect repellant.
The overall best protective measure we can do is to rid the city of mosquito breeding pools through education and monitoring. If you would like more information or have questions contact us and we will send a packet out to you. The Medina County Health Department has been treating street catch basins and open ditches for mosquito larvae. The City will continue to work with residents who have specific concerns about standing water and will be available to apply larvicides at no cost to residents if deemed necessary. Pesticide treatments will be performed by Park’s Department personnel who have received the training and certification through the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
The survey of all birds found dead in Brunswick will continue to be plotted and recorded. This will help determine if further action is required in an area. We are asking for your help by calling the city as well as the county.
We encourage you and your neighbors to take a proactive approach to mosquitos and the West Nile Virus. The City and its residents, working together, can greatly reduce the mosquito activity in Brunswick.
