Chapters 1 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Chapter 3
BMPs that further define how, when, where, and to what extent a specific pesticide may be
applied.
As described under Alternative A, pesticide use on the Refuge also conforms to the
requirements of the Navy’s approved Integrated Pest Management Plan for NWSSB, which
requires that all pesticides used on the Refuge be approved by the Navy prior to initial use.
Additionally, the details of pesticide application on the Refuge are documented on the Navy
On-line Pesticide Reporting System.
Mosquito Management Plan. Under this alternative, mosquito management implemented on
the Refuge by the OCVCD would have to conform to the management approach included in the
Refuge’s Mosquito Management Plan (Appendix D). This plan presents a phased approach to
mosquito monitoring and control on the Refuge. These phases are summarized below and
described in detail in Appendix D.
Phase 1. In Phase 1, mosquitoes are known to breed on the Refuge, but mosquito
threshold treatment levels on the Refuge have not been exceeded during the current
breeding season. Under these conditions, mosquito monitoring would be implemented
throughout the breeding season, but no mosquito control would be conducted. Mosquito
monitoring would be conducted consistent with current practices, as described under
Alternative A.
Phase 2. In Phase 2, the control mosquito larvae would be permitted on the Refuge when
mosquito breeding is documented on the Refuge and the numbers of mosquito larvae
present exceed OCVCD’s mosquito larvae threshold treatment levels. The criteria used by
OCVCD (2010) to determine when treatment to control mosquito larvae should be
considered are presented in Table 3-2.
Table 3-2
OCVCD Criteria for Considering Pesticide Application to
Control Immature Mosquito Populations
Mosquito Species Criteria for Considering Treatment
Anopheles spp. > 2 immatures/40 dips
Culex spp. > 2 immatures/20 dips
Aedes spp. 1 > 2 immatures/10 dips
Culiseta spp. > 2 immatures/10 dips
Source: (Orange County Vector Control District 2010)
1 Aedes is currently the only genus of mosquito known to breed on the Refuge.
In this phase, mosquito monitoring would be implemented throughout the breeding season,
actions to reduce potential mosquito breeding habitat on the Refuge would be conducted
per available funding, and the Refuge Manager may allow compatible mosquito larvae
control when the numbers of immature mosquitoes present in an area exceed the threshold
criteria presented in Table 1. In addition, mosquito monitoring on the Refuge would be
expanded to include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the mosquito control measures
being implemented to control mosquito larvae populations on the Refuge.
Phase 3. In Phase 3, mosquitoes are known to breed on the Refuge; the numbers of
mosquito larvae in the later instar stages and/or pupae present on the Refuge have
3-26 Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge