College Park Woods, MD

Dear Neighbors:

We’re passing along the following message from Stacey King of Public Works:

We are quickly heading in the mosquito season, and MD Department of Agriculture (MDA) has begun the 2009 Mosquito Control Plan for the City of College Park by spreading larvicide granules in known potential mosquito breeding locations. Starting soon (not sure when yet), adult mosquito monitoring and spraying will take place on Wednesday nights. However, mosquito problems and spray requests must be made by residents in order for MDA to conduct surveys, and adult thresholds must be met and weather must be conducive for spraying to occur. I am the contact person for the City, so if any residents are noticing mosquito problems, want to put in a spray request, or have a spray objection, please call me at 301-474-4194 x 211, or email me at sking@collegeparkmd.gov.

 When you call to make a spray request, please have in mind the following details:

1.       name and address,

2.       problem area,

3.       time of day mosquitoes are worst, and

4.       any areas of stagnant water

This information will help MDA get an idea of the spread of the problem and the best treatment method. Jeannine Dorothy, Entomologist with the MDA in charge of the Mosquito Control Program, has said to me recently that if she can get a group of residents who are experiencing a mosquito problem, she will come out and inspect the group of properties to help identify mosquito breeding areas that can be cleaned up or remedied. She is unable to make single-home visits, so the more neighbors you can get together the better. In the meantime, for anyone already experiencing problems, take a look around your yard to locate areas of standing water. Other practices to implement are to make sure your gutters are cleaned, change pet water dishes and bird baths once weekly, and store water-holding containers appropriately so they don’t catch water or remove them. You can also pick up a mosquito dunk (larvicide granules) from Public Works. The Asian Tiger mosquito only requires a very small amount of water to breed, and adults are active during the day rather than at dusk when spraying occurs. So for those nasty guys that bite you during the day, it is important to make every effort to eliminate standing water and the potential for them to breed.

Once I have been informed of the start date for adult survey and spraying, I’ll be sure to let you know, and the specific information will start to be posted in the Municipal Scene of the Gazette and on the Character Generator (ch. 71). So, please be sure to report problems, otherwise MDA may not spray.

Stacey King

Administrative Assistant/Recycling Coordinator

City of College Park

Department of Public Works

9217 51st Avenue

College Park, MD 20740

Ph: 301.474.4194 ext. 211

Fax: 301.474.0825

sking@collegeparkmd.gov

www.collegeparkmd.gov