ofthe Florida Mosquito Control Association - Wing Beats - Florida ...

, ofthe Florida Mosquito Control Association
An Official Publication ofthe
Volume 15, Number 2 Summer2004

Figure 2. Modified hand-held
ULVunit
switch from twisting, apply a
dab of J.B. Weld. Grind the
timer cover sufficiently to clear
the lever on this switch (Figure
1 ).
Run the C0 2 through a regulator
set at 15 psi th en through
a Y4 inch hose hooked to the top
of the timer. On the other end
of the timer, use an in line filter
and a 0.007 orifice available
from Clark Mosquito Control.
Add an ant screen to prevent
ants from getting into the electronics
(Figure 1 ).
We have found that a 10
lb C0 2 canister will last about
21 hours. This reduces staff
time for changing out canisters
and saves money in both
the cost of C0 2 and manhours.
The internal 9-volt battery
is replaced at the start of
the season. The trap can be
field tested to make sure it is
in working order simply by
pressing a button. A second
press of the button and you
can be confident that the trap
will work.
Preliminary experiments
have been conducted
with dual timers
that allow monitoring of
different species on the
same night or monitoring
on consecutive days.
Field trials will be conducted
over the summer.
We plan to test this in
evaluating the efficacy of
spray missions.
Note: MMS uses
compressed C0 2 but
one can also use dry ice
in an insulated container,
such as an ammunition container
available from military
surplus, with a tight seal and
locking top. Run a hose from the
top of the container to the top
of the timer and hook the rest
of the equipment up in the same
manner as described above.
This should save some evaporation
of the dry ice and only
expel C0 2 at set times, although
the flow rate will not be as consistent
as that with compressed
C0 2 •
Air must flow around and
through the nozzle.
Modified backpack unit
Hand-Held ULV Unit
By modifying a hand-held
gasoline powered blower a less
expensive and more efficient
ULV spray un it can be made.
We use a BG85 hand-held Stihl
because it has proven to be reliable
and because it is easy to
acquire replacement parts. The
completed unit costs about
$300. It is lighter than anything
on the market and quieter with
a decibel range of 70 at idle
speed, just 10 decibels above
normal speech. The unit
weighs only 8.8 lbs. and has
an air flow velocity of 183
mph. The velocity has the advantage
of moving the foliage,
forcing the mosquitoes to
break cover and fly into the
spray. These units cover an
area of 15 to 20 feet compared
to the 4 to 5 feet of
most hand-helds, reducing the
time needed to effectively
treat an area.
The nozzle is taken from a
Curtis Dyna-Fog Twister (Part
#62313) with a cost of approximately
$55. Care must
be taken that the air flows
16''"9 r?e

around as well as through the
nozzle (Figure 2).
Tap the nozzle holding holes
for a #8/32 screw. Use long
screws with backup nuts to hold
the nozzle in place and centered.
Remove the dispensing tip from
a 16 oz. unitary wash bottle
(Consolidated Plastics, part
#40015LU 800) and attach a 3/
16-inch chemical hose. Notch
the top of the bottle to let it vent.
Use a standard inline fuel filter
and an orifice from Curtis
Dyna-Fog (Use part 64933-19
or 64933-28 or 64933-36, which
equal orifice sizes 19, 28 and
36 respectively).
If necessary, number drills
can enlarge the holes to meet
your needs. Use a standard %
turn gas valve and hook it to the
nozzle. Keep the turn-off valve
as close as possible to the
nozzle to minimize the possibility
of leaks.
One Backpack Unit
for Larvicide and ULV
For backpack sprayers we
use Maruyama backpacks from
ADAPCO, Stihl and Echo. They
have a 2-inch tube, so use a 2inch
to 3-inch rubber pipe reducer
from a plumbing supply
store. If the backpack has a 3inch
tube just mount the nozzle
in the tube. It is important to
mount the nozzle in a 3-inch tube
for any backpack because of
the extra volume of air backpack
blowers produce.
With any backpack unit an extra
tube can be purchased and
the unit can be set up for
adulticiding and ULV. With a
simple twist of the tube, the
same unit goes from dry chemi-
6 Summer 2004
cal to liquid. Do not turn on the
larvicide with the ULV nozzle
hooked up. The pellets jam up
the nozzle and they are hard to
clean out.
For questions or comments
contact Art Hodous at 941-861-
9760 or ahodous@scgov.net
Sources for Parts
ADAPCO, 2800 S Financial
Ct., Sanford, FL 32773 (800)
367-0659
Clark Environmental Services,
P.O. Box 72197 159 Garden
Ave. Roselle, IL 60172
(800) 443-2034
Consolidated Plastics Company
Inc., 8181 Darrow Rd.
Twinsburg, OH 44087
(800) 362-1000
Curtis Dyna-Fog, P.O. Box
297 17335 US 31N, Westfield,
IN 4607 4-0297
(317) 896 2561
DIG Irrigation Products,
1210 Activity Drive, Vista, CA
92081 (800) 322-9146
Echo Inc., 400 Oakwood Rd.,
Lake Zurich, IL 60047 (800)
673-1558
Stihl Inc., 536 Viking Drive,
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
ArtHodus
Fabrication Specialist
and
Laurie Tarleton
Program Assistant/ Outreach
Sarasota Mosquito
Management Services
Sarasota, FL
From the Editor-in-Chief
We are looking for interesting technical or fieldrelated
articles about mosquitoes, mosquito
control, and related topics. The articles do not
have to be "scientific" in nature and not too
long - usually two or three pages (1 000 to 2000
words). Pictures will really enhance your
article.
Forward articles to:
Marin Brouillard
Collier Mosquito Control District
600 North Road
Naples, FL 34104
Phone: (239) 436-1000
Fax: (239) 436-1005
email: wingbeats@collier-mosquito.org
Go to
www.floridamosquito.org
and check out the new
FMCA web site.
It looks great!
Thanks to Tom Floore,
webmaster, for all of his
hard work.

The mosquito control community and the Pasco Mosquito
Control District suffered a great loss with the passing
of their recently retired director, Jim Robinson on
April11 1 h, 2004.
On March 12,2004, over 150 individuals attended a
luncheon for Jim
Robinson as he retired
from the Pasco County
Mosquito Control District
(PCMCD) after having
served as its Director for
the past 30 years. The
luncheon, which was provided
by PCMCD, was
held in beautiful weather
at the District office.
Newly appointed Director
Dennis Moore was the
Master of Ceremonies for
this gala event, which
served as a fitting opportunity
for Jim's family,
friends and many colleagues
to recognize his
creative accomplishments
in our industry and
to wish him well in retirement.
Several heartfelt
presentations were made
by Jim's Commissioners
(Chairman Rosemary
Mastrocola, Sandra
Applefield, with Charlie
Brown in attendance}, his
wife Mary Anne, and colleagues
(including Frank
Evans, Bill Opp, John
Beidler, Joe Ruff and
David Dame).
Jim grew up on a farm
in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He attended Juniata College
and received a bachelor of science degree with a
double major (physics and biology) and later earned his
master's degree in entomology at Rutgers University
where his thesis involved the study of tabanids on the
New Jersey salt marshes. Directly after graduation from
Rutgers, Jim was hired as an entomologist by the Pasco
County Mosquito Control District in Florida in August
10 Sunnner2004
1971. Within a year, Jim became the Assistant Director
and in 197 4 was promoted to Director and served in
that position for 30 years.
Jim was known throughout the mosquito control industry
as a true innovator, who made significant advances
in our discipline.
During his tenure, Jim developed
one of the finest
and most highly-respected
mosquito control programs
in the world. His office frequently
invented or initiated
some of the most advanced
control techniques, many of
which have become industry
standards. Jim was a
major catalyst in developing
the "High Pressure Application
System" that is
revolutionizing the aerial
application industry in mosquito
control. This system
reduces the amount of insecticide
necessary for
adult mosquito control,
which reduces the cost of
treatment and minimizes
the potential for undesirable
environmental effects.
Jim has been recognized at
the national and world level
for his years of service to
such a worthwhile cause.
In November 2003, at
the Florida Mosquito Control
Association's (FMCA)
annual meeting in Miami,
the FMCA presented Jim
with the Maurice W. Provost
Award, having previously
honored him with the Fred Stutz Memorial Award
(the FMCA's highest award for operational achievements)
in 1996. In February of 2004, the American Mosquito
Control Association awarded Jim the Meritorious
Service Award during its annual meeting in Savannah.
They had previously honored him with a Presidential
Citation. All are fitting recognitions for Jim Robinson,
who was a true gentlemen and a leader in our field.

RECOGNIZE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MADE OUTSTANDING
CONTRIBUTIONS TO MOSQUITO CONTROL:
NOMINATE THEM FOR The 2004 AMCA Awards!
Any Florida Mosquito Control Association member in good standing may nominate a candidate for any award by submitting
supporting information to the Awards Committee, to include a short biographical sketch of the nominee, emphasizing those
accomplishments deemed worthy of the award. There is no official nomination form. Endorsements and written support from
other colleagues are encouraged.
All submissions will be acknowledged. Nominations must be received by August 6, 2004.
The Maurice W Provost Memorial Award, established as a memorial to the first director of the Florida
Medical Entomology Laboratory, honors persons who have made outstanding contributions to mosquito control
and/or biting fly biology in Florida. Recipients have been instrumental in developing sound management and
operational methods to reduce pesticide levels and to minimize habitat alteration while reducing mosquito populations;
in increasing our knowledge of mosquitoes and other biting insects and their habitats; and in educating
students and the general public about the importance of various environmental issues facing the citizens in protecting
the fauna and flora in Florida.
The Joseph Y Porter Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes the first president of the Florida
Anti-Mosquito Association and first State health officer of Florida, and recognizes scientists who have made significant
contributions to entomology, with special emphasis on the abatement of arthropods of public health importance.
The recipient must have meritoriously contributed to the advancement of entomology research in the field of
mosquito and other biting arthropod control in the State of Florida.
The Fred Stutz Memorial Award honors the former director of Dade County Mosquito Control, and was
intended to recognize an outstanding contribution to mosquito control by development of procedures that increase
effectiveness in mosquito and other arthropod control, or the design and manufacture of equipment that helped
revolutionize the control of mosquitoes and other arthropods of public health importance. Supporting information
should also include an evaluation and appraisal of the nominee’s accomplishments.
The Sherrie Yarberry Award was named for a dedicated employee of Jacksonville Mosquito Control, and
was intended to recognize continued outstanding contributions to operational program activities by veteran, nonadministrative
personnel of Florida mosquito control related agencies. The recipient must demonstrate exemplary
performance resulting in enhanced unit efficiency or public recognition of excellence of the parent organization.
Supporting information from senior mosquito control administrators and supervisors should include an evaluation
and appraisal of the nominee’s accomplishments.
The FMCA Merit Award is intended to recognize the outstanding individual contribution to promoting control of
disease-transmitting and pestiferous mosquitoes or other arthropods of public health importance, for scientific
advancement of the discipline, or for developing or extending the public interest in the control of such mosquitoes or
other arthropods. The recipient should represent those characteristics generally associated with responsible leadership,
good citizenship and personal integrity. The recipient need not be a member of the Association.
Please submit all inquiries and nomination documents to: Stephen L Sickerman
DACS Bureau of Entomology & Pest Control, 3920 Frankford Avenue, Panama City, FL 32405-1953
phone 850-872-4250 fax 850-872-4271 e-mail sickers@doacs.state.fl.us
16 Summer 2004 Wing Beats

In 1988, the AMCA held the
first student paper symposium
at the annual meeting to focus
on the contributions of AMCA
student members. The Board
of Directors approved the first
student paper competition for
the 1989 meeting in Boston,
Massachusetts. The competition
has been a recurring symposium
during the AMCA Annual
Meeting. Dr. Roger Nasci
was the organizer and moderator
from the first competition in
1989 until 2002. Dr. Roxanne
Rutledge-Connelly is currently
the competition organizer and
moderator.
The AMCA Board of Directors
accepted a motion in 1997
to designate the first place winner
of the AMCA student paper
competition as the winner
of the "Hollandsworth Prize".
This prize includes a $500.00
cash award and a plaque from
the AMCA. Two honorable
mention prizes of $250.00 each
are available to award at the discretion
of the judges for each competition.
In 2003, theAMCABoard
of Directors voted to increase the
prize money for the winner of the
competition and added $500.00 to
the total cash award that the
Hollandsworth Prize winner receives
bringing that prize to
$1000.00.
The Hollandsworth Prize is
named in honor of Gerald
Hollandsworth, a former AMCA
member from Pueblo, Colorado,
who passed away in 1988. Gerald
18 Summer 2004
Greg Williams
Gerald Hollandsworth
worked in Environmental
Health with the Pueblo City­
County Health Department.
He was a past president of the
West Central Mosquito and
Vector Control Association.
The Hollandsworth family
generously provide for this
award to encourage student
participation in the AMCA national
meeting.
The 15 1 h AMCA Student
Paper competition was held in
2004 during the AMCA's 70 1 h
Annual Meeting in Savannah,
Georgia. There were 9 student
participants representing
7 institutions. The judges who
volunteered their time for a
half day this year were Dr.
Mark Blackmore of Valdosta
State University, Valdosta,
Georgia; Dr. Ralph Harbach
from the Natural History Museum,
London, UK; and Dr.
Don Shroyer from the Indian
River Mosquito Control District,
Vero Beach, Florida.
The winner of the
Hollandsworth Prize was Gregory
Williams from the University of
Delaware who presented research
on "Prevalence of West Nile virus
in crowvs. non-crow areas". Greg
is from Cranford, New Jersey and
received his BA. from Rutgers in
1997 and a M.S. from North Carolina
State University in 2002. He
was introduced to the field of entomology
by Dr. Wayne Crans at
Rutgers, has worked in pest control
and he conducted his Master's
research on IPM of German cock-

oaches in schools. He is currently
working on a Ph.D. in the University
of Delaware's Department of
Entomology with co-advisors Dr.
Jack Gingrich and Dr. Charles Mason.
Greg is the Entomology
Department's student representative
to the Entomological Society
of America and he anticipates
graduating in Spring of 2005.
Two honorable mentions were
awarded; the recipients were
Stephen Aspen of Colorado State
University and Christian Kaufmann
of the University of Zurich. Mr.
Aspen's paper was, "Nucleotide
sequences in the acetylcholinesterase
gene Ace.2 distinguish
among members of the Culex
pipiens Complex." Mr. Kaufmann
presented "Flight potential and
metabolism of Anopheline mosquitoes."
2004 AMCA Student Competition participants.
It is through the commitment of
the Hollandsworth family, the
AMCA, and the judges who volunteer
their time that the AMCA is
able to continue the competition
and encourage students to be involved
in the Association. Students
are the future of the AMCA
and it is important to continue to
recognize and support our students
early in their careers.
Congratulations to all ofthe winners
and thanks to all of the student
participants for an excellent
round of presentations this year!
Students may enter the competition
each year they are in school;
previous winners may enter again.
It is not too early to start thinking
about possible research topics to
present at the 2005 annual meeting
in Vancouver.
For information on the guidelines
for participants and the call
for papers for 2005, please visit
the AMCA website
www.mosquito.org and look under
the pull-down menu on the left side
of the page called "Association";
there is a new section there titled
"Students" where the guidelines
will be posted when the
2005 call for papers is issued.
,.
Roxanne Rutledge-Connelly, PhD
Assistant Professor,
Extension Medical Entomologist
University of Florida
Florida Medical
Entomology Laboratory
16''"9 i$'eaU. Summer 2004 19

Introducing a new_wave
for environmental science.

An Unfortunate Hyperbole
that wodt go Away
"Without mosquitoes, bats would have no food." ..... speaker at a recent mosquito control meeting.
"A small fleeting
shadow darts across my
path at deep dusk, just
before complete darkness
forbids safe steps in
the marsh. Mosquitoes
have discovered my trail
of C02, examined my
skin covered with repellent,
and are hovering
close by ..... waiting. Another
shadow, now nearly
impossible to distinguish
from the darkness, darts
a backslash path in front
of me. Two bats are foraging
on the evening
prey.
Mosquitoes are hovering in C02
plumes. The bats are not close
enough to me to consume the hovering
mosquitoes, so are there
many more mosquitoes in clouds
all around me? Can the bat distinguish
me from a tree trunk, a shrub
or a 4-wheeler? Bats do not sense
Moon flower
22 Sununer2004
Mosquitoes hatching
C02 plumes. A moth suddenly appears
in the garden next to the
marsh, to sip nectar from 3 inch
wide moonflowers beaming white
in the darkness. Another dart of
darkness slashes near the moonflower
and the beaming white
flower goes on un-pollinated.
I love to walk near the marsh
behind the garden to hear the frog
cacophony and to soak in the
Mosquito burdened cats
softly humid evening air,
filled with summer fragrance.
Sometimes, after a
long, dry spell, dust covers
the faded leaves, and
they are finally washed
clean by a long, light
shower. It is warm enough
to stay in the garden even
though it is raining. Two
inches of rain falls and finally
fills the marsh edges
by the next morning. Insects
and frogs waiting in
the muddy soil emerge.
The frogs are exuberant!
Songs are everywhere.
My next walk by the marsh
brings a new generation of mosquitoes
exploding from the water
and rushing to explore the chemicals
in the air for the first time.
There are too many mosquitoes
now for the repellent to work be-
Mosquito landscape

cause hundreds of tiny feet have
stepped on my arms and neck and
carried it away. It is a good night
for feeding. Small flies have
emerged from the flooded soil,
and moonflowers beam to them
and to the moth feeders. It is summer
rush hour in the garden.
Bat shadows are seen once or
twice in the evening as before.
Bats feed singly after communal
roosting and after frightening flights
from the roost. A feast of mosquitoes
emerged and the bat roost
did not plan a banquet. Lone diners
carefully choose the largest
radar target for a main course.
Hor'doerves are occasionally
taken, but not at the risk of flying
too close to a tree trunk, bush, or
4-wheeler.
From inside the screen porch
now, I see the green treefrogs
gathering on the wall by the outdoor
lights. They snap up insects
drawn to the light also. Moths,
craneflies, and other small insects
disappear in an instant when a
sluggish but fast-tongued frog is a
sentinel.
Larvae with pigmented spines
Some mosquitoes have followed
me inside the porch, and
others, trapped inside or emerged
from indoor flowerpot saucers are
nipping at my ankles. The bats do
not come inside.
A bat or two briefly breaks the
last glimmer of dusk in the western
sky. I try to carefully open the
sliding glass door to the dining
room so that mosquitoes won't fly
in with me. As I quickly open the
door I am met by a "Yeooow". The
Hummingbird moth
cat wants to get out.again to brush
them off her, and more fly in.
The bats are gone or invisible
against the dark sky. The moon is
only a crescent, and only the tall
fringe at the top of the pine tree
line can be seen against the starlit
sky.
There are at least five mosquitoes
in the house, with two people
and two cats. The mosquitoes are
where the C02 is, and the bats are
full, or flying and beaming for another
decent meal.
Ecological balance in an r-selected
reproductive cycle is a longterm
operation. Both predator and
prey banquet times seldom match.
There are time lags and often
predator or prey population
crashes. Rain falls at different
times every year. Communication
seems non-existent. It reminds
me of government budget-making.
Planning for emergencies is only
a skeleton of ideas because the
memory of a great need for workers
is fleeting.
The bat roost remains the
same, unless the cave or bridge
is destroyed. There is no predict-
continued on page 32
11/"'9 iS'e4U Summer 2004 23

•RAMP
West Nile Virus Test
High Sensitivity Vector Screenin g Technology
> 80% in Comparison to PCR
> 95% Correlation to EUSA
At least 100 times more sensitive
than existing rapid test
Removes Subjective Visual Results
Allows Quick Eradication of Positive Pools
Other Arbovirus Tests in Development:
• Eastern Equine Encephalitis
• Westem Equine Encephalitis
• St. LOUIS Encephalitis
800-367-0659
e-adapco.com

For those who attended and participated in the raffle during the
AMCA annual meeting in Savannah this year, in an effort to
assist Mickey Marshall and family after their motorcyle
accident, thank you!
From the Marshall’s:
“Thank you to everyone that has contributed through donations, emails,
prayers, thoughts, and visits. Our family has been amazed at the support
we received from Mickey’s ‘extended’ family at ADAPCO and beyond to
customers, vendors, and others. Our appreciation and gratitude extends
to everyone.” Michelle Marshall
The raffle results are as follows:
Raffle 1: Browning Shot-gun
Rob Boyer
Raffle 2: 3 - day, 2 - night Best Western Disney Orlando
Dave Brown
Raffle 3: 2 annual passes to Universal Studios Orlando
Steve Nawrocki
SOUTHWEST ASSURANCE CORP OF FL / AMMIA
THE PREFERRED INSURANCE PROGRAM
HOW MUNICIPALITIES AND TAXING DISTRICTS CONTAIN THE HIGH COST OF INSURANCE PROTECTION
GENERAL LIABILITY *** PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY *** AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY
AVIATION LIABILITY *** AVIATION HULL *** AVIATION CHEMICAL LIABILITY
SOUTHWEST ASSURANCE CORPORATION OF FL (PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS)
401 EAST JACKSON STREET, SUITE 1700 TAMPA, FLORIDA, 33602
PHONE: 800-527-4953 FAX: 813-222-4040
AMCA, Sustaining Member
Wing Beats
Summer 2004
25

From where I sit. .... Slated for May
3-5 at the Crystal City Hilton in Arlington,
Virginia, the AMCA 6 1 h Annual
Spring Washington Conference will
have been completed by the time you
read this. Hopefully, a good many of
you will have attended this important
event and have returned to your districts
knowing that you've done your part
to educate our legislators in the various
issues critical to our profession.
To those who did not attend, allow me
to brief you on the breadth of our festivities.
Education is the hallmark of this
conference. The learning curve of attendees
in Capitol Hill visitation protocol
in addition to specific issues is
steep, but facilitated by an enormous
amount of legwork done beforehand by
various association members affiliated
with the AMCA Legislative & Regulatory
Committee. Bill Meredith, in particular,
has invested a great deal of time
and effort developing a conference
agenda that provides attendees succinct
background information on issues and
methods of successfully communicating
these issues to our legislators. Dr.
Meredith and the other meeting organizers
have gone to great lengths to
ensure that attendees feel comfortable
with their knowledge of the issues and
their ability to convey our concerns to
members of Congress.
Conference speakers are chosen
from the legislative branch and various
government agencies based upon their
intimate knowledge of issues affecting
mosquito control. Indeed, many of the
speakers are the actual decision makers
in the process. Obtaining their views
firsthand is invaluable. Speakers this
year included:
•JIM JONES (EPA/OPP): Views from
the Director of EPA's Office of Pesticide
Programs on issues of concern
to Vector Control.
26 Summer 2004
From Where I Sit:
Notes From the AMCA
Technical Advisor
•ADAM SHARP (EPA): Clean Water
Act!NPDES Permit Issues Relative to
Mosquito Control.
•ARTHUR-JEAN W ILLIAMS (EPA/
OPP/FEAD): Endangered Species Act
and Mosquito Control
•JIM ROELOFS ( EPA/OPP):
Mosquitocide Label-Language Issues.
•ANNE CANNON (Legislative Director
to Dennis Cardoza (R-CA): Mosquito
Control Perspectives
·TOM STEWART (USFWS, Division of
Natural Resources): Mosquito Control
on National Wildlife Refuges
•SHANNON SHANTZ (Director, Gem
County MAD, Idaho): NPDES Permit
Issues in Gem County, Idaho Threatens
Mosquito Control Operations
A new and particularly interesting
feature this year was obtaining the services
of Jay Feldman, Executive Director
of the Beyond Pesticides/National
Campaign Against the Misuse of Pesticides
advocacy group for a special session
entitled "To Spray or Not to Spray".
Mr. Feldman is an articulate and ardent
activist who takes issue with a
great deal of our profession's activities,
but does so without the rancor
usually associated with activists. It's certainly
to his credit that he agreed to
address our assemblage.
This conference is primarily convened
to discuss and communicate issues
of interest to our profession to legislators
who are in a position to act upon
them. This is accomplished through provision
of issue Point Papers to the attendees.
These Point Papers are one
page in length and describe the issue,
provide background, discuss its implications,
and recommends a plan of action
for the legislator. Point Papers are
drafted by AMCA members considered
experts in the particular issue and undergo
several reviews and iterations
prior to final disposition. When com-
pleted, they are placed in a packet that
is taken to Capitol Hill and presented to
legislators for their reference after discussion
of several of the topics within.
The Point Paper topics for this year's
conference are listed below in no particular
order of importance:
1. Stormwater Management
Facilities and Mosquito
Product ion
1) Regulations issued under the
1987 amendments to the Clean Water
Act (CWA) require that pollution associated
w ith stormwater be reduced
through the use of "Best Management
Practices," (BMP) many of which lead
to significant production of mosquitoes,
rats, and other vectors; and potentially
to substantial public health impacts. 2)
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), which has issued the
regulations, has essentially ignored
public health risks associated with vectors
in their regulations and guidance
documents, leading uninformed permit
holders to create new health threats and
public nuisances, and trapping local
governments between conflicting requirements.
3) Regulations or opinions
issued by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) for protection of endangered
species frequently prohibit or
sharply limit vector control activities or
the maintenance activities which might
prevent vector production in some
stormwater facilities.
2. Endangered Species Act Consid·
erations and
Mosquito Control
Implementation of EPA Risk Assessments
in fulfilling Endangered Species
Act mandates must fully consider mosquito
control and public health impacts.
3. Funding the Mosquito Abatement
for Safety and Health A ct Public
Law108-75
Federal funds should be appropriated
for the enactment of Public Law

108-75, the Mosquito Abatement for
Safety and Health Act (MASH).
4. A "Pesticides in Schools"
Act -Impacts to Mosquito Control
The notification process mandated
by the proposed Congressional Bill H.R.
121 , known as the "School Environmental
Act of 2003" introduced in the P 1
session of the 1 081h Congress, could
greatly compromise mosquito control
operations on or near school grounds.
5. Clean Water Act Provisions and
Mosquito Control
The term "pollutant", as defined by
the Clean Water Act (CWA) and interpreted
by EPA as enforcing authority,
should not include the application of pesticides
for beneficial purposes such as
mosquito control, when made in accordance
w ith their labeling as approved
by EPA under the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA).
6. FEMA, Mosquito-borne Diseases,
and Emergency Mosquito Control
Flooding caused by hurricanes,
broken dams, or other factors may result
in the production of mosquitoes that
transmit disease or occur in numbers
so great that recovery work is hampered.
Disasters may also damage or
destroy homes, exposing inhabitants to
mosquitoes to a greater extent than normal.
Control of mosquitoes in these
scenarios is vital if people are to be
protected against the diseases and
hardships caused by mosquitoes. The
Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), through its disaster
recovery activities and funding assistance,
has a responsibility to aid in the
control of mosquitoes after disasters,
but has been inconsistent and unpredictable
in its approach to mosquito
control after disasters. This has caused
confusion to those w ho need this assistance
and to those agencies providing
it.
7. Label Language for EPA-Registered
Mosquitocides
Confusing or contradictory language
on product labels for mosquito
control insecticides often creates unwarranted
concerns for the public, and
public relations problems for mosquito
control practitioners.
8. Mosquito Control on
National Wildlife Refuges
As a matter of agency policy and
operational practice, effective and practicable
mosquito control must be permitted
on National W ildlife Refuges
wherever Refuge-produced mosquitoes
cause significant public health problems
for people in off-Refuge areas.
9. Need for Public Health Pesticide
Data Collection
Funding provisions of the Food
Quality Protection Act (FQPA) for public
health pesticide data collection have
not been implemented by the Department
of Health and Human Services
(DHHS), where such data are critical
for the registration and continued use
of mosquito control insecticides.
As you can see, there was much
to discuss. The congressional visits are
generally twenty or so minutes in length,
so issues must be prioritized so that
only two or three are addressed. This
is generally left up to the visiting team
leader and usually reflects the political
and demographic realities w ithin the
legislator's particular district. To ensure
that congressional visitors are comfortable
in their roles, state organizers assign
visitors to teams headed by AMCA
members who have organized and conducted
congressional visits in the past.
These team leaders are charged w ith
coordinating the visits with the congressional
schedulers and leading the issue
discussions. There are times when
the team actually meets with the legislator,
but more often the team meets
with a congressional aide who advises
the legislator on the issues in question.
But all was not work, either. One of
the perennial highlights of the conference
is the Dinner Reception, which is
held from 5:30-8:00 pm after our congressional
visits on Tuesday. The venue,
in the House Agriculture Committee
Conference Room in the Longworth
House Office Building, offers a spectacular
view of the Capitol Building. The
reception consists of a superb BBQ
Buffet, open bar and a chance to interact
socially w ith peers, legislators and
congressional aides. It's great fun and
the food is exceptional.
Over the years I have found these
conferences to be extraordinarily informative
and rewarding. This is our opportunity
to affect the legislative process
and shouldn't be missed. Critical
to the success of this conference is attendance
representing as many states
as possible. It goes without saying that
legislators are more likely to act upon
issues presented by one of their ow n
voting constituents. Thus, it is imperative
that we ensure that key House and
Senate committee members are visited
by their own constituents. As you can
well imagine, funding for attendance by
the many AMCA members needed to
visit key congressional staff is woefully
short at the district or state level. Limited
travel funding has been made available
for this purpose.
I sincerely hope that our footprint
on Capitol Hill continues to grow as our
members realize the importance of legislative
advocacy. Our ability to ply our
trade in a very real way depends upon
an informed Congress. Please make
plans to join us next year. Like me, you'll
find the experience renews your faith
in the mechanisms our representative
government has in place to ensure that
you are heard by our lawmakers.
One of the functions of the
AMCA is to represent the
mosquito control point of view
to government agencies and
environmental organizations.
Joe Conlon, the AMCA
Technical Advisor, keeps us up
to date on congressional and
environmental actions related to
mosquito control.
16''"9 r?eaU Summer2004 27

"Unfortunate Hyperbole"
continued from page 23
ing when the weather will produce
an emergency or a banquet.
The bats fly out at
night, and back to rest during
the day. They eat alone.
No backup bat youngsters to
attend an occasional banquet.
I once did a study of
predator ground beetles,
Ca/asoma frigidum, which
suddenly appeared in great
numbers during the th ird
year of an outbreak of a
defoliating moth
Heterocampa guttivita. The
moth larvae fed until they
reached the end of a twig,
and then dropped off to
climb another tree and start
on another twig . The
beetles, which normally
would be hiding in the mulch
under the trees were rushing
about, (then slowing down) eating
as many larvae as they
wanted. The following year
there were far fewer moths and
no beetles. The moth population
was decreasing slowly, but
the beetles had moved on. In
many ecological relationships,
sustained predator control of a
pest is unpredictable and a huge
gamble. When the forest is at
risk, or in the case of mosqu
itoes vectoring disease,
when human health is at
risk, human intervention
may be the only choice.
Since it is real istically
very difficult to find a "pristine"
untouched bit of landscape
on the globe in this
century (it usually makes
the news if there is one) the
idea of "natural balance" is
becoming only a textbook
myth. How long does a process
have to continue in the
32 Sununer2004
Bats in the night sky
same pattern to call it "balance"?
What is the time frame
of the cycle needed to reach
"balance". Unfortunately human
health risk cannot pause for
even a two year cycle to reach
a balance between predator and
prey. "Balance" may never happen
at all with a weather-responsive
vector population.
I think it is an unfortunate hyperbole
when trained biologists
Adult emergence
simplify the complex system
of community interaction as
the speaker quoted at the
beginning of this article did.
statements like this, and others,
are repeated, misinterpreted
and can cause more
conflict. The unmeasured,
unavoidable, and inevitable
intervention of humans in the
environment is the "enemy".
There are an entire series of
statements on bat behavior
which have been repeated in
many forms. It seems to
have started with a calculation
of the energetic needs
of a bat. Let's say, for example
that in a single night a
bat needs 12,000 calories,
so another energetic calculation
makes that 24,000
mosqu itoes. What we then
see on bat house sell ing
websites is that a single bat can
eat 24,000 mosquitoes per
night! It could, but unless that
bat flies through a gigantic hatch
of salt marsh mosquitoes, it will
not. Eventually, the local wisdom
becomes: the bats will die
if there are not mosquitoes
emerging from every pond. Bat
habitat, like most wild habitat is
being lost, so bat populations
are losing ground. Saving
bats, however, does not
have much, if any, relationsh
ip to the population of
mosquitoes. Insectivorous
bats are useful as predators
of insects, but like most
predators, they sometimes
take th ings we also like,
such as a resting butterfly
or a beautiful moth. Species
conservation is also a
much more complex picture
than just one predator-prey
interaction.

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No one knew that 20 years after its inception,
the training courses implemented from the idea
of a brilliant and forward thinking man would still
be one of the most highly sought after educational
tools for most mosquito control programs.
Glen Dodd's idea of "getting together" and talking
about the issues of the day was discussed
with the late Jim Robinson (former director of
Pasco County Mosquito Control District in
Odessa, FL), Bill Opp (director of Lee County
Mosquito Control District in Ft. Myers, FL and
AMCA President-Elect), John Beidler (former director
of Indian River Mosquito Control District in
Vero Beach, FL), and several of his numerous
colleagues and friends.
36 Sunnner2004
For 10 of the 15 years that he was in mosquito
control, Glen was the assistant director of the
Indian River Mosquito Control District, in Vero
Beach, FL. In 1984, Glen organized a "group
discussion" in Vero Beach consisting of 6 courses:
surveillance, larvicides, adulticides, application
equipment, mosquito biology, and one of Glen's
favorite topics- computers! Everyone sat around
in a semicircle and "talked about things." What
started as a simple idea has blossomed into one
of the largest, and one of the best, sets of training
courses for mosquito control.
Initially, the courses were named the Florida
Anti-Mosquito Control Association (FAMA) training
courses. In 1991 , FAMA was renamed the
Florida Mosquito Control
Association
(FMCA) in order to align
themselves with the
American Mosquito
Control Association
(AMCA) and a more
positive perception for
the membership. After
Glen Dodd's sudden
and tragic death in
1991 , and at the recommendation
of Dr. Charlie
Morris, the FMCA
Board renamed the
training courses for
Glen.
Since its inception,
the Dodd Short
Courses have evolved.
The average attendance
for Dodd is between
350 and 400 students
that travel from
around the world. Stu-
Or. Richard Darsie teaching at the Dodd Short Courses. dents have traveled
from Washington, Cali-

38 Summer 2004 Wing Beats
Position Announcements
Mosquito Control Biological Technician Position Available
The Board of Commissioners of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County
is seeking applications for the position of Biological Technician. The applicant must have a
minimum of a BS/BA Degree in Entomology, Zoology, Biology, or a closely related field.
This position requires the applicant to have or obtain a current valid Florida driver’s license.
Salary commensurate with applicant’s experience and ability. Mail, email or fax cover letter
and resume to Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County. Applications will be
taken until position is filled.
Mosquito Control Director Position Available
The Board of Commissioners of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County
is seeking applications for the position of Director. The applicant must have a minimum of a
Bachelor’s Degree in Entomology, Basic Sciences, Engineering, or a closely related field
with a minimum of (7) years field operations experience and (3) years in a management
position.
The position requires the applicant to have, or be able to obtain, a Public Health Pest Control
Certification, Director’s Certification, and a current valid Florida driver’s license.
Salary commensurate with applicant’s experience and ability. Mail, email or fax cover letter
and resume to Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County. Applications will be
taken until position is filled.
Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County
P.O. Box 1409
500 Old Beach Road
St. Augustine, FL 32085-1409
Phone: 904 471-3107
Fax : 904 471-3189
Email: amcdsjc@bellsouth.net