RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Copious rainfall in the San Antonio area this summer has replenished the Edwards Aquifer and produced lush lawns, but it's also provided fertile breeding pools for the nasty little pest known as the mosquito.
Mosquitoes can carry disease-causing viruses and parasites from person to person. The most common species in Texas are the Aedes albopictus, which is associated with the transmission of dengue fever, eastern equine encephalitis and heartworm; Culex pipiens, believed to be responsible for the transmission of the West Nile virus; and Anopheles quadrimaculatus, the chief vector of malaria.
Diseases spread by mosquitoes kill an estimated two to three million people in the world each year.
At Randolph, the 12th Aeromedical-Dental Squadron's Public Health office and the 12th Mission Support Group Environmental Branch are attacking the menacing insect in different ways - Public Health through education and by placing mosquito trapping devices around the base and bioenvironmental by fogging the pests.
"We're setting mosquito traps around the base a couple of times a week when it's not raining," said Tech. Sgt. Josefa Hightower, NCO in charge of food safety and sanitation/public health. "But the best long-term control method is to educate our base population."
She said mosquito traps mimic the breathing of a mammal by emitting the carbon dioxide in dry ice which attracts the insects. The mosquitoes are sucked through a fan and trapped in a net inside. They are then collected and taken to a laboratory at Brooks-City Base for analysis.
"If you notice the traps, don't tamper with them," she said. "They're there for your benefit."
The Public Health office has also placed mosquito magnets at the Airmen's dormitory and at base housing and have two available to loan to the base populace on a first-come, first-served basis, Sergeant Hightower said. The magnets are similar to the traps except that they are powered by propane and use a specially formulated octenol-based attractant instead of dry-ice.
She said residents who borrow the magnets are responsible for setting them up and taking care of them, but Public Health will provide the propane.
Sergeant Hightower called the traps and magnets a double-edged sword because they draw mosquitoes. However, the mosquitoes are more attracted to the devices than they are to human beings.
She said preventive measures are even more effective.
"Base residents should reduce the amount of standing water to eliminate potential breeding sites," Sergeant Hightower said. "Ditches and holes and containers like planters - places where there is standing water - are breeding grounds for mosquitoes."
In addition to rainfall, excessive lawn irrigation can result in standing water, she said.
Meanwhile, the base Pest Management section is making plans to fog mosquitoes in the coming weeks, weather permitting. Plans call for fogging on Tuesdays and
Thursdays from 7-9 p.m., said Matt Kramm, 12th MSG Natural Resources manager.
"If fogging is cancelled due to weather conditions, fogging will be carried out on the next scheduled day and time," he said.
The Pest Management section asks that while they are fogging, personnel:
· Close all windows and doors.
· Stay away from working vehicles while fogging is under way.
· Turn off fans and air conditioners or set them at exhaust.
· Remove children's toys from outside, if possible.
In fogging, truck-mounted units dispense insecticide in the form of fine aerosol droplets that stay aloft and kill mosquitoes on contact.
Sergeant Hightower added that new mosquitoes usually hatch after rainfall and replenish the existing mosquito number already present.
There are some temporary relief options for residents when they are outdoors. Among them are citronella candles and repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET.
"Repellents last a couple of hours," she said.
For more information, call Public Health at 652-2456 or the base Natural Resources Manager at 652-4668.
SIDEBAR INFO
Combating Mosquitoes
When it comes to reducing mosquito activity in your area, residents should at a minimum reduce the amount of standing water to eliminate potential breeding sites by doing the following:
· Empty anything which is capable of holding water (tires, jars, bottles, etc.)
· Repair leaky plumbing and water faucets
· Clean and change water in bird baths twice a week
· Do not allow water to collect in flower pots
· Empty the water out of kiddy pools
· Do not over water the lawn
· Replace water in pet dishes every couple of days
· Keep grass short and pull out tall weeds
· After thunderstorms, take a broom and sweep puddles out until the water disperses