Petaluma bugged out as mosquito season begins to bite

Noisy pests buzz residents as summer heats up.|

With 23 different species of mosquito calling Petaluma home, residents can expect to be buzzed, bit and bugged year round by the pests. But it’s in the hot months of summer, when flesh-baring short shorts start to appear, that people typically take notice.

Mosquitoes are most active at dusk, primetime for summer barbecues and Whiffle ball games, according to Nizza Sequeira, public relations director for the Marin-Sonoma Mosquito and Vector District.

“Residents really start to notice when it warms up,” she said.

Summer is busy season for the district, which helps people eradicate mosquito habitats from their property. A couple of particularly nasty mosquitoes - the tree hole and salt marsh variety - are also more active in the summer.

The tree hole mosquito, which lives and breeds in standing water in rotting oak trees, carries the heart worm disease, which can be transmitted to dogs, Sequeira said.

The salt mash mosquito lives in the low, flat areas around the Petaluma River, but can fly up to 20 miles, meaning it can cover the entire city. District technicians are constantly checking the Petaluma Marsh for mosquitoes, Sequeira said.

“The salt mash mosquitoes are very aggressive biters,” she said.

Calls to the district are slightly down this year, she said. One reason could be that drought-like conditions have returned after a year of record rain. Mosquitoes require standing water in which to breed.

Still, swampy conditions abound in Petaluma, and even an old tire filled with water can provide ample mosquito habitat. Sequeira recommends a call to the district for a free home inspection.

“It’s important to give us a call so we can come out there and help them,” she said, of anyone who experiences mosquito problems. “We will come to your house even if you think you don’t have any standing water. People overlook things.”

Inspectors will scour a property looking for standing water and recommend ways to get rid of it. They will also set traps to catch mosquitoes. In the case of decorative ponds, the district will provide free fish - the gambusia affinis species - which can eat up to 500 mosquito larvae per day.

If you have persistent mosquitoes, Sequeira recommends catching one to show district inspectors. Giving them a sample can save time as they can identify the species and make a plan to eradicate it. The district is especially concerned about the Culex tarsalis mosquito, the most common vector for West Nile virus.

So far, the district has not found any cases of West Nile in Sonoma County, Sequeira said, although last year five dead birds tested positive for the virus, which can sicken humans.

“We do weekly testing for West Nile,” she said. “So far this year, there has been no indication of it.”

In general, when outdoors enjoying Petaluma’s temperate summer evenings, the district recommends applying repellents that include active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon or eucalyptus, or IR3535

“It is important that residents protect themselves from mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and pants, and applying an effective insect repellent to exposed skin,” Sequeira said.

Report mosquito problems at to 285-2200 or online at www.msmosquito.com.

The district also makes house calls to help residents with other pests, including yellow jackets and rodents, Sequeira said.

“We’re really busy responding to calls for service requests,” she said.

(Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)

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