1

N. M . C. A . NORTHEASTERN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION

the NORTHEASTER

July 2008 No. 25

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

ust when you think it is safe to go outside…. Despite a relatively quiet spring brood (at least here in Essex County, MA) things do seem to

be heating up on the mosquito horizon. What would the summer be without a little buzz here and there? (Pleasant, albeit boring). However, just because mosquito populations are relatively low, does not mean that there is time to sleep.

There is never a dull moment around the NMCA regardless of the mosquito population. For example, what are the chances of hosting the first Annual Meeting in over 50 years at the one place that perhaps least welcomes us presently? Pretty damn good. Ah yes, providence… Providence, Rhode Island that is. A lovely city and the Marriott is home to some terrific accommodations… seemed like such a good idea at the time. All kidding aside,

and actually now more than ever, this location is a superb place to be making plans for our next Annual event.

For those of you who are not aware of the on-going buzz and obliteration of facts surrounding methoprene; its use in mosquito control, its supposed role in the lobster decline (yes, here we go again) and a recent push sponsored by the Rhode Island Lobstermen’s Association to eliminate all use of methoprene based products in this State…be forewarned. This is tragic at best, most certainly dumbfounding. The saddest part being that indeed there is no getting around it, the lobsters are declining and little is being done to remedy their demise because apparently (just my opinion), it is simply much easier to bark up the old mosquito tree. Anyone familiar with this approach?

(continued on page 3)

♦ NMCA Contact Information ♦ NMCA Annual Meeting

Information – 2008-2009 ♦ NMCA Scholarship information ♦ Personal Profile ♦ The Mosquito Roundup - News

from around the membership ♦ “Field Notes” ♦ Ask Dr. Ruber” ♦ and so much more!!

next deadline: October 1, 2008

J~ IN THIS ISSUE ~

www.nmca.org

2

NMCA OFFICERS

PRESIDENT Emily Sullivan, NE Mass MC&WMD (978) 474-4640 president@nmca.org 1st VICE PRESIDENT Wally Terrill, Clarke Mosquito Control, Inc. (413) 269-6155 firstvp@nmca.org 2nd VICE PRESIDENT Roger Wolfe, CT DEP – WHAMM Program (860) 642-7239 secondvp@nmca.org SECRETARY Raymond Zucker, Plymouth County MCP (781) 585-5450 secretary@nmca.org TREASURER David Boyes, Envirosolutions LLC (401) 275-4036 treasurer@nmca.org

NMCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ONE YEAR Esteban Cuebas-Incle, NE Mass MC&WMD (978) 474-4640 nmcabod1@nmca.org TWO YEAR Tim McGlinchy, Central Mass. MCP (508) 393-3055 nmcabod2@nmca.org THREE YEAR Sean Healy, Monmouth County MEC (732) 542-3630 nmcabod3@nmca.org INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVE Sherrie Juris, Atlantic Mosquito Control

(800) 439-7716 indrep@nmca.org

PAST PRESIDENT Timothy Deschamps, Central MA MCP (508) 393-3055 pastpresident@nmca.org NEWSLETTER Tim Deschamps, NMCA Editor editor@nmca.org WEBMASTER webmaster@nmca.org GENERAL INFORMATION info@nmca.org

FOR A LIST OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND ASSIGNMENTS, AND OTHER

INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE THE NMCA WEBSITE AT www.nmca.org

~ NEWS YOU CAN USE ~

Check this issue for information on the next two annual meetings!! Send your comments to: newsletter@nmca.org

SUPPORT NMCA

The NMCA Editorial Staff would like to thank the sponsors of this issue, and would like to ask the membership to take notice of the advertisements in this issue and please support our sponsors.

~ NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ~

Please check the inserts for the Call of Papers and Call for Posters – be sure to get a working title and abstract in as soon as possible, this year’s program is due to fill up early. As always, input from our membership is welcomed – send your comments to nmca@nmca.org.

3

(COMPASS POINTS from page 1) The Executive Board and Advisory Committee for the NMCA have been discussing this issue at great lengths. I must shout out to all of them for their continually clear-headed thinking and outstanding efforts at keeping the science separate from the emotions. In my opinion, the best message any of us could take away from this debacle was offered recently by the AMCA’s Technical Advisor, Joe Conlon: “Science must rule the day.” And with that said, the NMCA Program Committee is stepping up to the challenge and will be avidly working to put together a tremendous program over the next few months. Topics are sure to include a mini methoprene symposium as the debate over its use will certainly continue to be brought to the attention of many in our membership, even beyond the limits of Rhode Island. Feel free to contact Wally Terrill or his committee with any interest in assistance and please find enclosed the first “Call for Papers”. If it is anything like last year, you should get them in early if you would like a slot. Please all have a safe, happy and healthy rest of the summer. Keep up your good work and of course, please plan on catching up on the latest and greatest in mosquito news and networking with your fellow mosquito colleagues in Providence, Rhode Island this December.

- Emily Sullivan, NMCA President

~ NMCA SCHOLARSHIP & AWARDS ~ The NMCA Executive Board wants to remind everyone it’s not too soon to consider candidates for the various scholarships, grants and awards that the NMCA offers to the membership each year.

♦ The Bob Armstrong Award: is given to a NMCA member for meritorious service to NMCA and mosquito control

♦ The McColgan Grant-in-Aid: will go to an individual whose work is directly related to the advancement of operational mosquito control.

♦ The Jobbins Scholarship: will go to a student whose work is in an area relevant to mosquito or biting-fly control in the Northeast.

♦ The Dave Scott Memorial Award: This award may acknowledge an improvement in a procedure, a practice, any of the many operational strategies that we perform in mosquito control on a day-to-day basis.

♦ The David H. Colburn Award: This award is dedicated to David H. Colburn, charter member of NMCA, in recognition of his service to mosquito control and his perfect attendance for the first 50 NMCA Annual Meetings. NMCA members in good standing for at least 2 years and with 20 years consecutive or cumulative in mosquito control are eligible.

For more information on these awards, please contact Emily Sullivan, Scholarship/Awards Chair at (978) 474-4640 or check the website at <www.nmca.org> on the Annual Meeting page.

4

~ UPCOMING NMCA ANNUAL MEETINGS ~

2008 The 54th Annual NMCA Meeting will be held at the Marriott Providence Downtown Hotel in Providence, RI from December 8-10, 2008. Room cost for NMCA will be $134 per night (plus tax) - please specify the "Northeastern Mosquito Control Association Annual Meeting” when you book your room. This special rate is only effective until Nov. 17, 2008.

The 55th Annual NMCA Meeting will be held at the Sturbridge Host Hotel 2009 in Sturbridge, MA from December 2-4, 2009. Room cost for NMCA will be $119 per night (plus tax) - please specify the "Northeastern Mosquito Control Association Annual Meeting” when you book your room. This special rate is only effective until Nov. 10, 2009.

~ 2008 ARBOVIRUS UPDATE ~

Current as of July 11, 2008 Massachusetts: WNV in Worcester (Culex spp.) – June 27 WNV in Brookline (Culex spp.) – July 8 Rhode Island: no virus to report Connecticut: WNV in Stonington (Culex salinarius) – June 11 WNV in Bridgeport (Culex salinarius) – July 1 New Hampshire: no virus to report Vermont: no virus to report New York: WNV in Staten Island – June 18 New Jersey: no virus to report Pennsylvania: 12 mosquito pools WNV positive For current information please access the CDC website here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/mapsactivity/surv&control08Maps.htm Recent WNV articles:

Newsday: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--westnilevirus0620jun20,0,496908.story

NBC30: http://www.nbc30.com/health/16664660/detail.html Norwich Bulletin: http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x415942776/State-reports-first-

mosquitoes-positive-for-West-Nile-Virus-in-Stonington WFSB 3: http://www.wfsb.com/health/16664686/detail.html

5

Northeast Mass. Mosquito Control & Wetlands Mgmt. District – Greeting All: In my April contribution to this newsletter I predicted low numbers for spring brood in our District. I mention this of course, because I was correct in that assessment. If I had been wrong I would never have brought it up. And thankfully so far that trend has continued. All mosquito species are significantly less then this time last year.

We have had sufficient rain to keep things green but not enough to accumulate in wetlands. I am puzzled however by the lack of Culex. To date we have conducted three aerial salt marsh larviciding applications and anticipate the need for another this week.

We recently tried out a T3MOTION for catch basins. This is a three wheel electric vehicle that you stand on to operate. It worked well enough, but its maximum speed is only around 12mph and it’s expensive. We’re looking at Kawasaki motor scooters, there more versatile, cost around $2000 and get 100mpg.

- Walter Montgomery, Director

In this column, you will find mosquito and arbovirus news from the membership, from New England to New Jersey. Haven’t submitted anything for this issue? Look for the contact information at the end of this newsletter and submit news from your organization next time. A paragraph or two is all that’s needed. Give it some thought.

The Mosquito Roundup

Central Mass MCP - Here in Central, the busy season well under way. Service request have been steady, but are 20% off last year's record pace. Our work crews have been doing an excellent job servicing the requests from residents. Rainfall is the key; we have has sporadic thunderstorms throughout our service area, but with the exception of Culex, all species are down from last year numbers, as well as compared to the historic records. Our research efforts are going strong; we are collaborating with Boston University to determine the diet of the little brown bat; our ongoing study with Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine on non-target effects of adulticiding will commence again shortly; a collaboration with Norfolk County MCP on the host seeking activity of vector species has begun; bottle assays to test for resistance to sumithrin continue; Cs. melanura bloodmeal analysis with CT Agricultural Experiment Station carry on again this year, and we plan to have an efficacy study on using barrier sprays for mosquito control (deltamethrin). As you can see, we're very busy!! Look for a presentation or two, as well as some posters from our 2008 activities. I would like to welcome Sam Telford III from Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine to our Board of Commission.

- Tim Deschamps, Exec. Director

Norfolk County MCP - We started off the season with fear and trepidation, as the last few years have provided us with copious amounts of spring rain that has lead to excessive amounts of ‘normal’ spring species. On top of that, post-aerial-larvicide-floods led to outbreaks of mosquitoes that nullified a lot of our good early efforts. Our request calls from the last few years set records, and left us tired before the month of June was done. We’ve been pleasantly surprised this year to have made it through the month of June with less than normal rain and a corresponding lower than normal mosquito population. With no post aerial larvicide floods, we believe that we have actually reaped observable benefits from our aerial application this year. Knock on wood!? We have Bti in stock for any summer flood that might occur, but it would be nice to have the summer go by without having to do this. The other remaining question is disease activity. Looking at parameters to this point, one might be inclined to predict a lower than normal risk of EEE and possibly a higher than normal risk of WNV. But as we all know in this business that could all change next week. Stay tuned.

- Dave Lawson, Asst. Director

M

osqu

itoes

are

kno

wn

from

as

far

back

as

the

Tria

ssic

Per

iod,

400

mill

ion

year

s ag

o. T

hey

are

know

n fro

m N

orth

Am

eric

a fro

m th

e C

reta

ceou

s,

100

mill

ion

year

s ag

o.

Th

ere

are

abou

t 2,

700

spec

ies

of m

osqu

ito.

Ther

e ar

e 17

6 sp

ecie

s in

the

Uni

ted

Sta

tes.

MO

SQ

UITO

FU

N

FAC

TS

(from

ww

w.m

osquito.org)

Salt m

arsh mosquitoes can m

igrate up to 40 m

iles for a meal.

B

igger people are often more attractive to

mosquitoes because they are larger targets

and they

produce m

ore m

osquito attractants, nam

el y CO

2 and lactic acid.

A

ctive or fidgety people also produce m

ore CO

2 and lactic acid.

The average mosquito w

eighs about 2.5 m

illigrams.

A

full moon increased m

osquito activity 500%

in one study

6

MA

TH Q

UIZ

: C

an y

ou f

ind

two

num

bers

com

pose

d of

onl

y on

es w

hich

gi

ve th

e sa

me

resu

lt by

add

ition

and

mul

tiplic

atio

n?

Of c

ours

e 1

and

11 a

re v

ery

near

, but

they

will

not

qui

te d

o, b

ecau

se a

dded

th

ey m

ake

12, a

nd m

ultip

lied

they

mak

e on

ly 1

1.

Ans

wer

on

page

8.

Plymouth County MCP – For 40 + years, Ray Zucker has served as a member and a leader of the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project. We all wish him an enjoyable retirement. The project is continuing to expand many of the projects he initiated. The ULV sprayers utilizing the Data Master GPS Systems are now on our wireless network. The drivers download the daily spray reports to the server from the trucks. The data is then printed out on hard copy, and stored on the server by town and driver. We have implemented the True North “Service Call Application” on our network. The calls can be entered and printed out on the high speed printer from any computer on the network. Hopefully this will help improve our service levels. The team is happy with the implemented Nextel push to talk phones we bought to augment the truck radios.

With a new full time and two new seasonal sprayers coming on board, the slower then normal start to our spray season has been a good thing. They are now up to speed and we should be able to keep up with the demand, as the rain and heat return to normal. Ellen Bidlack, our entomologist, has started our trap surveillance. Setting out, N.J. Light traps, gravid traps and resting boxes, her observations have been consistent with the other Projects, she has found higher then average Culex but overall few mosquitoes in the traps. The project’s basin team has started work and did 3,396 basins in the first week. As everyone, we hope it is an uneventful season in regards to EEE and West Nile.

Dan Daly, our Community Liaison, has been giving presentations to the Councils on Aging and participating in school health care programs. As part of Mosquito awareness week, the project offered a $100 award to an elementary school student who designed the best new PCMCP Logo. One of our goals was to get the teachers and students to log on to our website, to better understand what we do. The winner, Carley Ryan from Carver, was presented her award at the selectmen’s meeting televised on cable TV.

Our Commissioner’s have been busy approving new personnel and coming up with a new written 2008 PCMCP rules and procedures document. I would also like to welcome our new commissioner, appointed by the State Reclamation Board, Kimberly King, as an advocate of mosquito control, we look forward to her helping the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project achieve our goals.

I look forward to working with everyone at NMCA. - Tony Texeira, Supt.

NOTICE

PLEASE CHECK THIS ISSUE OF THE NMCA NEWSLETTER

FOR A CALL FOR PAPERS AND GET THIS IN EARLY – WE

ANTICIPATE A TENTATIVE AGENDA TO BE READY

SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER

DON’T DELAY!!

JONATHAN S. COHEN President

Phone: (410) 522-0661 235 South Kresson Street Fax: (410) 522-0833 Baltimore, MD 21224-2616 Toll Free: (800) 227-8664 E-Mail: JCohen@SummitChemical.com

http://www.SummitChemical.com

Which center circle is bigger?

7

WASHINGTON DAY 2008 UPDATE Tim McGlinchy CMMCP Director of Operations

On May 6, 2008 I had the honor of representing the

NMCA at the 10th annual AMCA Washington Day. I was part of a Massachusetts delegation that included Priscilla Matton of Bristol County Mosquito Control and Wally Terrill of Clarke Mosquito Control. The idea behind Washington Day is for mosquito control professionals from around the country to meet with their states congressional and senatorial representatives and bring to their attention issues that are of concern to us as mosquito control professionals. After giving the representatives some background on the AMCA we provided them with 6 position papers (the position papers are all available on the AMCA website) drafted by the AMCA and spent a few minutes discussing issues that are of particular concern in our region of the country.

Our delegation was able to meet with Rep. McGovern and Rep. Neal along with the legislative aides of Representatives Lynch, Frank and Tsongas. We were granted meetings of about 20 minutes with each office. Priscilla did an excellent job of briefly outlining the AMCA’s concerns with the US Fish and Wildlife Services new “National Mosquito Management Policy” draft. She conveyed to the representatives the importance of being able to perform mosquito control in a practical and timely manner on our national wildlife refuges. Wally and I made a plea for congress to restore CDC funding allocations for WNV-related work to the FY06 level of $45 million. These allocations have been decreased in FY07 and FY08 by 41%. More than half of this funding money annually goes directly to the 50 states in the way of Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) grants. These cuts have directly led to decreases in the number of mosquito pools being tested for arbovirus this year in Massachusetts.

All of us did our best to hammer home the importance of mosquito control and the role it plays in protecting the public health. This point included informing the representatives of the vital role public health pesticides play in protecting the public from mosquitoes and arboviral disease. We also encouraged them to contact us, or any other member of the AMCA, if they had questions in regard to the mosquito control practices in their hometown districts. After all, we are the professionals. I would like to thank the NMCA for their support and allowing me to represent the association this year at Washington Day. If anyone has further questions in regard to Washington Day, or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact me at mcglinchy@cmmcp.org.

Mass. Delegation to AMCA Washington Day From left to right: Wally Terrill, sponsored by Clarke Mosquito Control Products Priscilla Matton, sponsored by Central Life Sciences & the AMCA Legislative and Regulatory Committee. Tim McGlinchy, sponsored by NMCA & CMMCP

8

Bristol County MCP – As we begin to dust off the traps and get the stink water going again for a new and exciting mosquito season, we are reminded how important it is to inform our residents about mosquitoes. With AMCA’s Mosquito Awareness week (June 22-28) and the warm weather, thoughts of ways to promote public outreach to the residents provides for a unique opportunity. Wayne and I participated in the annual local Kiddies Day held in Taunton on June 14th. To attract attention to the table we provided a variety of hands-on exhibits for the kids to explore. We even had Madagascar Hissing Cockroach races (kind of like herding cats), which were a big hit. While the kids were distracted, it provided us time to educate, inform and provide handouts to the parents about WNV, EEE, ticks, mosquitoes and tick repellents. We participated in a local radio interview that allowed residents to call in and ask us questions directly on a variety of topics. We also shot a short PSA that will be available shortly about areas around your property to find mosquito larvae and how to eliminate them. As the season ramps up, it provides us with time to reflect what our job is really all about, that is protecting and educating the public about the risks associated with mosquitoes.

- Priscilla Matton, Entomologist

NJDEP Office of Mosquito Control Coordination - New Jersey's been dry, save the multiple numbers of isolated thunderstorms and cloudbursts sometimes putting down 2 to 6 inches of rain at a clip. Light trap records have reflected this inconsistent pattern with collections ranging from a handful of adults...to thousands per night. Coquillettidia populations are the only ones above average and that is pretty much restricted to the suburban corridor and the Philadelphia metro region. Help is on the way for counties pursuing water management initiatives. The State Office of Mosquito Control Coordination has added Mr. Anthony Becker to it's staff. Anthony obtained his B.S. in Biology for Stockton State College and his Masters Degree from William Paterson University. His specialty is wetlands biology and his previous experience is with the environmental consulting industry. He brings a much needed shot-in-the-arm to the Office's interests in wetlands management for mosquito control. The newly purchased MarshMaster (see photo below) and power mower will be dedicated to Phragmites control. A statewide operator training session will be held as it is expected this machine will be one that shall move from county-to-county more frequently than others in the state-owned equipment fleet.

- Robert Kent, Administrator

Are the diagonal lines parallel? Use a ruler to find out….

MA

TH Q

UIZ A

NSW

ER:

The two num

bers composed of 1's that

sum and m

ultiply alike are 11 and 1.1. In both cases the result is 12.1.

WORD OF THE DAY: adroit Pronunciation: /a-DROIT/ adj : skilled "Beavers are adroit dam builders."

(Don't we know about that!)

9

RI Dept. of Environmental Mgmt - DEM’s weekly surveillance, coping with budget constraints, commenced on June 9. As of July 7, no viruses have been isolated by the state Health Dept. Due to concerns raised by the RI Lobstermen’s Assoc., 10 of RI’s 39 communities have elected to replace Altosid pellets with Vectolex granules for use in underground stormwater catchment basins. (In RI, Altosid is ONLY used in that habitat.) A RI House bill to ban the use of methoprene statewide failed this legislative session, but a resolution that formed a House commission to study the topic passed. The 13 member commission is to report its findings to the House no later than Feb. 26, 2009. In the spring of 2007, Warwick adopted an ordinance that grants the city authority to force homeowners to address mosquito production in the backyard (in swimming pools, etc.). My office helped develop that ordinance, and I am currently assisting Providence with the same effort. We look forward to hosting the annual meeting here this year!

- Al Gettman, Mosquito Abatement Coordinator

Suffolk County (NY) Div. of Vector Control - The season is off to a slow start in terms of the mosquitoes themselves. Ground and aerial larviciding has been reasonably effective, based on the NJ trap numbers, but as July kicks in we can expect some problems, especially adjacent to the Fire Island Wilderness. Rainfall amounts are not especially high, but frequency is. Aedes cantator has been predominating in the salt marsh so far, and that species is less trouble than Ae. sollicitans. No virus detections as of the first week in July, but it's early. On the legal front, closing arguments in our Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) suit will be July 11. We are confident, but you never know, and a ruling on the nationally-significant case may still take some time. We filed suit against the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) after they imposed restrictions on the use of methoprene on lands they own that are present nowhere else. The restrictions relate primarily to a requirement that two Bti treatments must fail or virus must appear at a particular property before methoprene can be used. These restrictions contradict the County's pesticide use strategy in its Long Term Plan, and the County is concerned the restrictions could lead to health risks and/or more adulticiding. In addition, practical considerations mean these restrictions amount to a virtual ban on the material, which could lead to calls to eliminate its use everywhere. The court agreed the restrictions were "arbitrary and capricious", and that the County was likely to succeed on the merits, and so issued orders eliminating the restrictions and allowing our regular program to proceed on DEC lands just as it does on other State lands and elsewhere. Elements within the DEC that control DEC lands have been working in conjunction with the CWA plaintiff, the Peconic Baykeeper, on this issue, despite the fact other DEC offices register the product and issue permits for its use. This contradictory treatment of the product by different DEC offices is the main basis for the County's "arbitrary and capricious" claim. The County took legal action against the State as a last resort and only after attempts to negotiate were rebuffed. However, if the court issues a permanent injunction that will at least settle that issue. Suffolk County has not seen virus activity as of the first week in July, but it is expected. Operationally, County cutbacks have resulted in a virtual hiring freeze that has lead to 13 vacancies in Vector Control's 45 positions. We now have fewer people in the field than before WNV. We'll see how that works out.

- Dominick Ninivaggi, Supt.

Stare at the center dot and move the page closer…cool, eh?

More Mosquito Fast Facts (from the Adapco website www.e-adapco.com)

Mosquitoes weigh between 2.5 and 10 milligrams depending upon the species. Mosquitoes can fly up to speeds of 1.5 miles per hour. Virginia has the fewest mosquito species. Only 26 species call Virginia home. Texas has the largest mosquito population, a total 85 species inhabiting the state.

10

Summer is here, the skeeters are flying, but there is another menace to be concerned about……DEER TICKS & LYME

DISEASE!! Ticks are founds in many habitats, from forests, field, golf courses, and right in your own backyard. From the CDC website: Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, landscaping, and integrated pest management. The blacklegged tick is also called the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis. They are smaller than the dog tick, and have become increasingly more common. From the UMASS Amherst website: While it looks similar to the dog tick, it is smaller and more rounded and lacks white markings. Adult females are dark chestnut brown on head, legs, and scutum, and orange-red on the rear half of the body. Larvae are about the size of a newsprint period, nymphs are about the size of a pinhead, and adults are just over 1/16" long. The life cycle takes two years. Adults are most active from mid-September to mid-November, but activity continues in mild weather. Some adults are found in the spring. Adults most commonly attach to large animals, such as white-tailed deer. Eggs are laid in the spring and hatch in late summer into tiny six-legged larvae. After feeding, usually on small rodents or birds, the larvae transform into nymphs. Nymphs remain inactive until the following spring (May through July) when they seek hosts. Small mammals and birds are preferred, but they readily feed on humans and their pets. After a blood meal, nymphs molt into adults, which will seek larger hosts in the fall. Ticks acquire the Lyme disease by feeding on infected hosts. Larvae can acquire the bacterium from infected white-footed mice, but because larvae generally feed only once, they are not likely to transmit the disease to other hosts. Because nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed, they often go unnoticed until fully engorged, and are therefore responsible for the majority of human Lyme disease cases. The American Lyme Disease Foundation reports that in highly endemic areas of the northeast, up to 25% of nymphs harbor the Lyme disease spirochete.

Ray Newcomb President

Email: ray@jbihelicopters.com

720 CLOUGH MILL ROAD PEMBROKE, N.H. 03275 TEL. (603) 225-3134 (603) 224-9050

11

PERSONAL PROFILE

I am close to 6 feet 6 inches tall, even though the doctors tell me I am now 6 feet 4¾ inches tall now that I am 72 years old. With my height and weight I am

probably the same size as some tight ends in the NFL, but nowhere near as in shape as they are. I was born in Dunkirk, New York and attended a two room school house in Sheridan, New York with my other two classmates, while living on a general farm where we mostly grew grapes for Welch. After graduation I moved on to a much larger high school in Forestville, New York where there were 33 people in my class After that I moved on to Cornell where I majored in Pomology (fruit growing) because I was destined to go back home and be a grape farmer. In My senior year at Cornell I bought a 1953 Chevy ($100.00) and drove it until I had a job and a company car.

I was lucky that I was too young for Korea and too old for Vietnam, so I spent 10 years in the Army National Guard after being commissioned through ROTC at Cornell. After graduation I accepted a job with CalSpray (later Chevron) and now extinct. While living in York, PA my oldest daughter contracted encephalitis (probably California) and very fortunately recovered after a long illness. After that I pretty much determined that mosquitoes were not of any value or use.

Of course Nancy O’Brien, who I met the first week at Cornell, and I married after I had a permanent job. We have 4 wonderful daughters who are married to 4 great sons-in-law, who have presented us with 6 awesome grandsons and one delightful granddaughter all of whom we enjoy tremendously.

I have two fond memories in mosquito control. One is when Judy Hansen asked me to join the AMCA Board of Directors as chair of the Industry Committee (which Judy established) and the other is when the NMCA voted to make me an honorary member. In no way do these memories diminish the many awards I have

received from all of the mosquito control agencies along the northeast Atlantic coast.

I became involved with mosquito control in 1969 when Chevron added it to my responsibilities. One of my first memories in mosquito control is traveling to Hilton Head with members of the newly established MAVCAP to help found the Mid-Atlantic Mosquito Control Association.

From the commercial side I miss the camaraderie and friendship that used to

exist between all the “peddlers” back when. I am very impressed with the

knowledge and professionalism of the practitioners of mosquito control today, and their concern for the environment. This is certainly a great step forward and to be commended.

Even though some of the new regulations that are imposed on mosquito control professionals are good, it bothers me that some regulators and agencies promote regulations and enforce them without much regard for the professionals who are doing control work on a daily basis, and make mosquito control very much more difficult.

I do believe that more mosquito control agencies should take full advantage of the new technology available that can enhance record keeping and increase the scientific precision with which mosquito control is done.

- Bill Zawicki

N M C A

Mr. Bill Zawicki

12

QUESTION – WHAT IS THIS I HEAR ABOUT THE 17 YEAR CICADA?

The Song of the Cicadas by Ernest Ruber Having survived caterpillars of the Gypsy moth, Forest Tent moth, Eastern Tent moth and Winter moth for 3 or 4 years, we now

have 17 year cicadas. They are 1 to 1.5 inches long and all over my windshield. By now most of you heard their love song. Thousands of lovesick males calling for their heart throbs! The songs are strongest in the morning, weaken in the late afternoon and unlike Romeo, cease at night. A cool, wet, dim day will also shut them down. Underlying the chorus there is a separate whining or buzzing sound (depending on the species, see this site for more information: http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/Michigan_Cicadas/Periodical) which individual males make when courting a female close by. I've been fortunate to find a translation of their chorus into English by Irving Mills and Cliff Friend back in 1928, part of which is given in italics below.

I got a feeling called the bluuues, since my baby said goodbye Lawd I don't know what I'll dooo, all I do is sit and sigh, .....

By now, most know that the biblical locust is a grasshopper, not a cicada. The cicadas of which there are several 1000 species are homopterans. There are many species of cicadas with life cycles lasting two to seventeen years. The longest cycles belong to the 7 members of Magicicada, three being 17 years and 4 being 13 years. In a local region, their cycles are pretty well synchronized but in other areas their cycle may lead to maturation during an entirely different year. This means that if you love to see and hear cicadas you can go to different places and experience them more than once in 17 (or 13) years. Our brood is part of Brood XIV, and occurs in many states from here to Ohio, and Kentucky. The generic name, Magicicada, relates to the way in which these insects appear in large numbers and then disappear for as long as 17 years. Where are they? How do they do it? Magic! One of the species is named M. septendecim (17), another is M. tredecim (13) to stress the length of their life cycles. The former sounds like our cicada; try the great url above. Magicicada has, near the tip of the wing, an M or a W made of small black veins, visible to the naked eye. Today we know how they do it. They have a very long immature (nymphal) stage which lives underground, attached to and sucking the juices of plant roots. They have 5 molts and when their time comes they dig a vertical tunnel about 1/3 to 1/2 inch wide, await a warming of the soil to about 65OF and then climb out and up into the vegetation (or a light pole). They have spurs on their forelegs like those of telephone linemen. The nymph metamorphoses to an adult which splits the thoracic cuticle and emerges. After a few days the adult with its orange veined, transparent wings and beady red eyes is ready for love. Then the males sing...and how!

What’s on your mind today?

13

(Ask Dr. Ruber, continued from page 12)

I'm in love I'm in love, with a beautiful gal, that's what's the matter with me.... After mating the female cuts small v-shaped slashes in the bark of twigs and inserts 10-20 eggs. She may lay several hundred. The adults suck enough sap to survive, if you stand around, one may take you for a plant and you will feel a tiny pinprick (it happened to me twice on the golf course). They reproduce, and over a few weeks, die. From the eggs hatch tiny nymphs, which drop off, burrow and attach to plant roots for a very, very long underground meal. Most of the nymphs, fortunately, die. It is said that while there may be a messy, extensive twig and leaf drop from the egg-laying damage, no lasting harm is done to most plants. The theory of the origins of these cycles is that selection (for avoidance of predators, as everything seems to eat them) extended the underground phase which encounters fewer predators. When cicadas emerge in tremendous numbers they swamp the capacity of predators to eat them all and so the brood successfully reproduces. The predators, with lots of food, will have a very successful reproductive year, but in the following year with no cicadas, and inadequate food, their populations drop, and when the cicadas emerge again, the predator populations will again be too low to wipe them out. Cicadas with poor timing (and they occur) that emerge a year early are much more likely to fail to reproduce, thus selection drives a synchronous hatch. In some areas a large hatch four years early has been seen. Perhaps this is the origin of the 13 year species which are quite similar to their 17 year counterparts. It has been argued that 13 and 17 are selectively important year lengths because they are prime numbers, difficult for predators to match, because not divisible except by themselves and one. A predator, for example, that peaked every three years, might build up a peak for a 3,6,9,12 or 15 year cicada, but couldn't do so for a 13 or 17 year emergence. Cicadas are attacked by a fungus which sterilizes and eventually kills them, but this probably doesn't affect the success of the brood. The nymphs are supposed to be delicious sautéed with butter, and garlic. They don't look any worse than lobsters and are free so why not join the predators?

I've grown so used to you somehow, But I'm no one's sugar daddy now, I'm lo-o-onesome, I've got the lo-ovesick blues.

But if she snaps a golden wing and winks a beady red eye at him, I'll bet he'll forgive her

and come right over! Then you hear: rreeeerryuuw, rreeeerryuuw, or eyyow, eeyow or youuww, youuww (or is that Youk, Youk? maybe they are Red Sox fans), which probably should not be translated in a family newsletter.

Ernest Ruber is emeritus Professor of Biology/Ecology, Northeastern University 34 Longwood Road, Mashpee, MA 02649

CONTEST: Tell me what you consider the worst biting insect which you have encountered and why. The best story will be awarded 5 bucks ($) and we will run your story in the next NMCA newsletter. Fame and fortune, both, how can you let this opportunity pass? You can just paste it into an e-mail or send me a snail mail; no texting please. Send to: ernestruber@yahoo.com.

Custom Mobile Application Development

Geographic Information

Systems Specialists

Suzanne Luinis 31 Home Depot Drive, #165

Plymouth, MA 02360 (781) 710-8933

suzanne@tnmapping.com

14

~ CORRESPONDENCES ~ Dear Timothy, I was a student in AMREF who got a sponsorship from NMCA through Bill Yaggy of AMREF USA. I got a story you wrote on me in an article (Reaching Beyond our Borders). I was happy and just say thanks a lot. Best Regards Philip o Kilusu Philip, it’s really great to hear from you. It was my pleasure to write the story, we are proud to help you in our small way. I am hoping the article will be published sometime soon in a trade magazine, I will be sending a few copies to Bill, and hoping he can forward to you. Be well, and please keep in touch! Tim Deschamps, NMCA Editor Dear Tim, I am happy to hear from you and just say thanks a lot to NMCA for the help they gave me to undergo both the Lab. Refresher course and Diploma in Community Health. You are so great people and just pray so that God bless the work of your hands. May God bless you all. Best regards Philip o Kilusu

EDITORS NOTE: LOOK FOR AN ARTICLE ON OUR EFFORTS WITH AMREF

IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE OF WING BEATS

Zoecon Professional Products …………………………………………………………... Jeffrey R. O’Neill 22 Christina Court Northeast Region Manager Bear, DE 19701 PCO / Vector 800 877 6374 ext. 6420 302 322 4058 fx joneill@central.com 302 312 3950 mobile www.zoecon.com www.centrallifesciences.com

Philip o Kilusu

ADAPCOmore in control ™

Ted Bean

385 Wilsey Rd Franklin, PA 16323-6943 Phone: (800) 367-0659 x7333 Cell: (814) 671-6516 Fax: (866) 330-9888 tbean@myadapco.com www.myadapco.com ADAPCO Headquarters: (800) 367-0659 550 Aero Ln, Sanford, FL 32771-6342

All About NMCA

1 2 3

4

5

6

7

8 9

10 11

12

13

14

16

the Northeaster Newsletter of the Northeastern Mosquito Control Association c/o Central Mass. Mosquito Control Project Attn. Tim Deschamps, NMCA Editor 111 Otis Street Northborough, MA 01532

~ SUBMISSION INFORMATION ~

Do you have news about your program, interest in writing a column, or any type of submission for the newsletter? Please send it in any one of these ways:

• E-mail: newsletter@nmca.org • Fax: 508.393.8492 • Phone: 508.393.3055 • Postal Mail: c/o CMMCP 111 Otis St. Northboro, MA 01532

Attn. Tim Deschamps, NMCA Editor

Thank you in advance for any and all ideas - TD.

NORTHEASTERN

MOSQUITO

CONTROL

ASSOCIATION mosquito control for health and comfort