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Mosquito, Tick & Flying Insect Control Products for Public Health & Outdoor Recreation

Editors: Dr. Charlie Morris, Vero Beach, FL Dennis Moore, Ft. Myers . FL

Assistant Editors: John Gamble., Daytona Beach, FL James McNelly, Cape May Court House, NJ Mary Peery, Ve ro Beach, FL

COLUMN EDITORS : Biosynopsis

Dr. Charles Apperson, Raleigh, NC Chip Chat

Thomas Floore, Panama City, FL Crankcase Eddie

Ed Meehan, Howard Lake, MN Fly Wheels

Jim Robinson, Odessa, FL Going Public

Kellie Elherson, Gaines ville, FL Industry

Dave Dame, Gainesville, FL Nature's Way

Dr. Eric Schreiber, Panama City, FL Vector Bearing

Dr. Donald Shroyer, Vera Beach , FL

FLORIDA MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 11867 Jacksonville, FL 32311 904/743-4482 FAX 904{743-6879

I994-1995 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Robert Ward, Punta Gorda, FL PRESIDENT ELECT: W. Gene Baker, Tallahassee, FL VICE-PRESIDENT: Alan Curtis, Vera Beach, FL SECRETARY-TREASURER: Elisabeth Beck,

Jacksonville, FL IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Dr. Richard Baker.

Vero Beach, FL N.W. REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Edward Hunter,

Panama City Beach, FL N.E. REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Richard Smith ,

Jacksonville, FL S.W. REGIONAL DIRECTOR: William Opp,

Ft. Myers, FL S.E. REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Joe Marhefka, Fort

Lauderdale, FL

AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION 2200 East Prien Lake Road P.O. Box 5416 Lake Charles, LA 70606-54I6 318/474-2723 FAX: 318/478-9434

1995-1996 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Dr. John D. Edman, Amherst, MA PRESIDENT ELECT: Dr. Robert J. Novak. Champaign, IL VICE-PRESIDENT: Dr. Gary G. Clark , San Juan, PR PRESIDENT 1994: Dr. Chester G. Moo re, Fort Collins, CO PRESIDENT 1993: Dr. John A. Mulrennan, Jr.,

Jacksonville, FL TREASURER: Charles T. Palmisano, Slidell, LA EXECIJlTVE DIRECTOR: Robert T . Graham, Lake

Charles, LA

REGIONAL DIRECTORS : Canada: Dr. Barry Tyler, Orton , Canada North Atlantic: Dr. Kenneth W. Ludlam, Kingston , MA Mid-Atlantic: Dr. Bruce Harrison, Winston-Salem, NC South Atlantic: Edgar A. Hughes, Mobile, AL North Central: Dr. Linn Haramis, Springfield, IL South Central: Lucas Terracina. Lake Charles, LA West Central: Dr. Frederick Holbrook, Laramie, WY No rth Pacific: Tom Haworth, Othello, W A South Pacific: Dr. Charles Beesley, Clayton, CA Latin American-Caribbean: Dr. Yadira Rangel,

Caracas, Venezuela Industry Director: William J. Zawicki , Freehold , NJ

of the American Mosquito Control Association , by the Florida Mosquito Control Association

Volume 6, Number 4 Winter 1995

CONTENTS On the Books: ''EPA on B.t.i.'' ......................................................... 4 by Robert/. Rose, Ph.D.

Chemline: "Relative Activity Measurements are the Best Guide to B.t.i. Selection'' ................................................... 6 by Brian Melin, Ph.D.

Pest Asides: "Mosquito Legends" ................................................... 8 by Native American Indians

Nature's Way: "Kill 'em from the Sea" .......................................... 11 by John Callahan, Dave Lavender and Edgar Crawford

Industry Beat: "Re-registration Costs Leave Mosquito Control Few Options" ..................................................... 12 by Therese St . Peter and Allen Smith

Chemline: "Confusion in Margalitaville" ....................................... 16 by Doug Wassmer

Industry Beat: "LECO® Air Scrubber Prototype" ......................... 20 byKern Walcher

Crankcase Eddie: '"Air' Eddie" ..................................................... 22 by Ed Meehan

Under Surveillance: "Seven Ways to a Successful Dipping Career" ............................................................ 23 by Claudia 0' Malley

Letters: ''Dear Charlie'' .................................................................. 26 from Lawrence E. Kase

Pest Asides: "The Mosquito Worker's Creed" ............................. 26 by Peter H. Connelly

The Florida Mosquito Control Association has not tested any of the products advertised or referred to in this publication, nor has it verified any of the statements made in any of the advertise­ments or articles. The Association does not warrant, expressly or implied, the fitness of any product advertised or the suitability of any advice or statements contained herein. Opinions expressed in this · publication are not necessarily the opinions or policies of the Florida Mosquito Control Association or the American Mosquito Control Association .

1995 Florida Mosquito Control Association: All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or pat1 for educational purposes is permitted, without permission with proper citation.

WING BEATS: Published quarterly as the official publication of the Florida Mosquito Control Associa­tion. This publication is intended to keep all interested parties informed on matters as they relate to mosquito control, particularly in the United States. .

CORRESPONDENCE: Addres s all correspondence to Dennis Moore, Lee County Mosquito Control District, P.O. Box 60005 , Fort Myers FL 33906-0005

ABOUT THE COVER: Frozen Mosquito by Michael Blackstock. Please see the article Mos­quito Legends beginning on page 8 of this issue for more infom1ation.

On the Books

m ~

Robert I. Rose

PROLOGUE

The following is a response from the EPA to four documents sent by Doug Wassmer of Pasco County Florida Mos­quito Control District. The EPA re­sponded to the documents as a review of performance failure reports concerning B.t.i.; a 405 6 (A) (2) ADVERSE DATA action. The memo, dated 8/23/95 and written by Robert I. Rose, Ph.D. is ad­dressed to Michael Mendelson, Peer Re­viewed by Clayton C. Beegle, Ph.D. and sent to Doug Wassmer by Janet L. Anderson, all (except Wassmer) of the Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division of the EPA, Washington, D.C.

The four documents reviewed were the article "B .U. Revisited" by Dr. E. Van Handel, D. Wassmer and D. Carlson in the Spring 1995 issue of Wing Beats; the two, independently submitted Letters to the Editor from Dr. J.P. Siegel and Dr. Terry L. Couch which appeared in the Summer 1995 issue ofWing Beats and a draft copy of the article "Confusion in Margalitaville" which appears in this is­sue of Wing Beats.

TEXT OF MEMORANDUM

The Spring 1995 article in Wing Beats mentioned occasional failures in perfor­mance of various B.t .i. brands and for­mulations in some Florida counties. In addition to this mention were various less than accurate statements and claims re­garding EPA registration requirements for B.t .i. products, product safety and B.t.i. standardization. However, the descrip­tion of the confusing way B.t.i. is com­petitively marketed based on different bioassay procedures is accurate and this problem has existed since the initiation of B.t.i . sales in the USA. The inaccura­cies in the publication were subsequently addressed and rectified in letters to the editor of Wing Beats from Drs. Siegel and

4 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

EPA ·on B.t.i.

Couch. These letters were published in the summer 1995 edition of Wing Beats. Dr. Couch provided the reference for bio­assay standardization used by mostB.t.i. producers in the USA which is: McLaughlin, R.E., H.T. Dulmage, R. Ails, T.L. Couch, I.M. Hall, D.A. Dame, R.I. Rose and P.L. Versoi. 1984. U.S. Stan­dard Bioassay for the Potency Assess-

OEPA

ment of Bacillus thuringiens.is serotype H-14 against Mosquito Larvae. Bull . Entomol. Soc. Amer. One of the manu­facturers used a different type of bioas­say which made their B.t.i. products ap­pear more active and this was the source of the product comparison problems. The second article [Confusion in Margalitaville, Editor] is a sequel to the first, but focuses more on the product comparison problem. This time the au­thor incorporated some comments from a panel of B.t.i. and mosquito control ex­perts. The title [revised, Editor] "Confu­sion in Margalitaville'' refers to Dr. Joel Margalit who discovered B.t.i. in Israel, but has never commercially marketed it and was not involved in bioassay stan­dardization.

The [original] article and its sequel do not constitute adverse 6 (A) (2) data because no specific incidences or sites were reported and no control failure docu­mentation or data were provided to sub­stantiate the general allegations of occa-

sional B .t.i. product performance failure. In further support for the articles not

constituting adverse 6 (A) (2) data, the use of various brands and formulations of B.t.i. is complicated because of vari­ous environmental factors that affect control performance. Application to late instar larvae may fail because a large pro­portion may be entering pupation and do not feed on the B.t.i. particles. High or­ganic content and suspended material in the mosquito larvae feeding zone may dilute the effect of B.t.i. by providing competitive substrates upon which the larvae may feed. Certain mosquito larvae feed near the surface and B.t.i. particles may pass through their feeding zones before they have a chance to ingest a lethal dose. Rains shortly after a B.t.i. application may wash it away and winds may interfere with application. Equipment may be miscalibrated and applications irregular. So~e larval habitats may be tem­porary or unknown to the applicators pro­viding reservoirs of mosquitoes that may enter communities. Large numbers of adult mosquitoes may emerge from such missed habitats, even though they may be small, thus creating the appearance of control failures from known and treated habitats. Timing is critical since B .t.i. is short lived in the environment as it is easily broken down by benthic microor­ganisms and other fauna. In the subtropi­cal conditions of Florida, breakdown may be very rapid and mosquito larval popu­lations also develop rapidly, thus con­tributing to precise timing requirements for effective control.

In summary, proper use of B.t.i. is critical and requires significant expertise, well calibrated equipment, correct timing, good surveillance and monitoring of mos­quito populations as well as an environ­ment conducive to its use. Control fail­ures may be expected if errors are made in the use of B.t.i. products.

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E L S E I •

required to achieve effective control. Chern line

Relative Activity Measurements are the Best

Guide to B .t.i. Selection

Percent Dipteran Active toxic units is a new tenn that apparently refers to a gel electrophoretic method of determining what percent of a formulation contains toxic components.

Brian Melin, Ph.D.

Mosquito control professionals have a host of decisions to make each day. Se­lecting the correct pesticide for the spe­cific application is one of the most critical. Increasing public concern for environmen­tal safety has placed greater restrictions on pesticide use in America. One result of this trend is a greater role for biological mos­quito larvicides. Biological larvicides offer some real advantages in the development of an effective, environmentally benign and in­tegrated approach to mosquito control.

B.t.i. is a highly selective biological larvicide used to control mosquitoes and black fly larvae. Because of its selective activity, B.t.i. does not harm mosquito predators such as fish, frogs and other in­sects that contribute significantly to larval control. B .t.i. also is non-hazardous to hu­man, livestock , pets and other forms oflife. One other significant edge for biological larvicides is the absence of field resistance to B.t.i. products, even when used repeat­edly for over 15 years. The development of insect resistance to some chemical larvi­cides-a trend that is likely to increase-­has created additional opportunities for microbial products, so familiarity with the . use of B.t.i. products will be essential.

POTENCY MEASUREMENTS

Mosquito control professionals have several B.t.i. products to select from. Al­though each has its relative activity ex­pressed on the label, the measures of po­tency or activity may be different from prod­uct to product. For example, the active in­gredient may be stated in several ways:

1) in ITUs or International Toxicity Units 2) in AA units, with AA standing for

Aedes aegypti 3) as AAITU, or Aedes aegypti Interna­

tional Toxicity Units 4) as% Dipteran Active Toxin 5) or as a combination of some of the

above. The variation in measurement systems

6 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

can make selecting the proper product for a specific application difficult. An under­standing of how these measurements re­late to each other can be helpful.

The original measure of B.t.i. activity was the ITU, which was established sev­eral years ago by the Pasteur Institute in France and the World Health Organization. A product 's ITU measure is established by mosquito bioassay using Aedes aegypti as the test species. The AAITU measure is the same as the ITU.

Each AA Unit, however, represents less activity than an ITU or AAITU, differ­ing by a factor of2.5. Dividing the AA Unit value by 2.5 gives the ITU equivalent. To convert ITU measures to AA Unit values, multiply the ITU number by 2.5.

A simpler approach to selection of the proper product is to list the labeled appli­cation rates, then compare the recom­

. mended pints or pounds per acre and cost

CONSIDER FORMULATION, TOO

Mosquito control professionals also should consider the impact of fonnulation on product efficacy. Fonnulation ingredi­ents may play a key role in B.t.i. product performance. Unlike chemical insecticides, the protein toxin in B .t.i. products can de­grade in stomge. Properly designed fonnu­lations can greatly extend the shelf life of B.t.i. products. Manufacturing processes also determine the size of theB.t.i. particles. The size of the particles must be carefully controlled to ensure that filter-feeding mos­quito larvae ingest a lethal dose.

The result is the most effective and reliable measure of larval control of any B .t.i. product.

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·· Pest Asides·"

M~squito Legends . -· Native ·Ameiican Indians

Two of the great unanswered ques­tions are where did mosquitoes come from and why are they here. Rhetorical questions perhaps, but nonetheless, be­cause of mosquitoes' universal mali­ciousness, questions that humankind has demanded answers for, demands which have led to answers without reason or logic. The poem by Australian prisoner, James McPherson, in the Fall issue of Wing Beats and the cover of this issue reflect how an unconquered foe can lead intelligent men , and presumably women, to step beyond reason for explanations by native North Americans exposed for about 10,000 years to native mosquitoes, for the origin of our common foe.

FROZEN MOSQUITO

The cover of this Wing Beats by na­tive Canadian, Michael Blackstock, en­titled Frozen Mosquito, was inspired by the Tsimshian legend translated in 1954 by William Benyon.

It goes: "In ancient times , blood sucking animals in human form used to invite travellers to their village and then drain their victims ' blood by stabbing their long crystal noses into the unsus­pecting people's necks while they slept. One young man awoke in time to discover the villagers' secret and save himself. He fled from the village with the chief in hot pursuit. The chief tracked the young man to a lake where the man had hidden in a tree on the shore . The chief, exhausted and soaked, tried to attack the man 's re­flection in the water and then , while rest­ing on the shore, the chief froze solid. The young man and his people took the frozen chief and burned him to ashes . When the fire had burned out, a wind came up and blew the ashes in the air where they turned into clouds of mos­quitoes."

Michael Blackstock was born in 1961 and has been doing native art since he

8 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

was 25 years old. A self taught art­ist, Michael is a status native with the Gitanmax Band in Hazelton, Brit­ish Columbia, as well as a profes­sional forester. An original Michael Blackstock painting entitled The Watchmen hangs in the British Columbian Legislature. Three of his prints are sold out and his art can be found in many fine native art galleries throughout British Co­lumbia. He has recently been cho­sen to represent the Prince George region in the Provincial J uried Art Show, Objects and Images.

Michael believes in offering small, limited edition print runs of

.· .

the highest quality. Frozen Mosquito was printed in Victoria, British Columbia by the world famous Pacific Editions Lim­ited Workshop in February, 1995. The edition consists of 100 prints (10"x14"): 1 Printer's Proof, 10 Artist's Proofs and 89 signed and numbered copies. The work was commissioned to commemorate the 199 5 Annual General Meeting of the En­tomological Societies of Canada and Brit­ish Columbia. To order, contact Robb Bennett, ESBC Secretary, c/o British Columbian Ministry of Forests, 7380 Puckle Road, Saanichton, B.C. Canada V8M 1 W4; 604-652-5600; fax: 604-652-4204; rgbennet@mforO l.for.gov.bc.ca

A MESSAGE FROM THE AKWESASNE COUNSELOR ORGANIZATION

Native Americans have their own version, perhaps versions, of the origin of mosquitoes story. Here is how the Mohawks of New York see it. Not only does their legend "explain" the origin, it was dedicated to a Chief. But, wait, let them tell it in their own words (translated of course).

We, the Akwesasne Counselor Or­ganization from the St. Regis Reserva­tion, dedicate this forest legend, Why We

Have Mosquitoes, to Chief Alex White or Sa-te-ka-re-wa-te of the Big Turtle Clan for the untiring work that he has done toward the uplifting of his people, the Mohawk Indians, and for his efforts to win for the Six Nations recognition of their treaty rights.

We salute Sa-te-ka-re-wa-te! We feel grateful to him for the work he has done for us, his people. We ask our Creator to give us more men of such minds and strong hearts!

WHY WE HAVE MOSQUITOES

Long ago there were no mosquitoes. One day two giant mosquitoes appeared on either side of a river. These large crea­tures were as tall as a good sized pine tree. As the Indian people paddled down the river in their canoes, these giant crea­tures would bend their heads and attack the people with their giant bills. The mos­quitoes killed many people. Very few ever lived to tell of the attack.

Knowing that these giant mosquitoes were waiting to attack any canoe that floated down the river, the people began to shun this particular stream. It was then that these giant creatures moved to other streams to seek their prey. For a time, it

was a reign of terror for the Iroquois who were great canoe travelers. They never knew just when these giant mosquitoes would pounce upon and devour them.

Finally, in desperation, a war party was organized to seek out these crea­tures and destroy them. Twenty warriors in two great canoes floated down a river where they expected the mosquitoes to be. In their hands, ever ready, they held their bows and arrows. Fastened in their belts, were their war clubs and hunting knives.

Suddenly, two huge shadows loomed over them and a giant beak pierced one of the canoes. Giving their war cry, the warriors filled the air with many arrows. The battle was terrific. The giant mosquitoes seemed to be every­where at the same time. In a little while half of the warriors had been killed. The ten remaining braves determined to die courageously. Singing their death song, they attacked the huge creatures on land. They hid behind the trees and bushes and surrounded the mosquitoes, who were unable to get at them because of the thick branches. The Indians buried many of their arrows in the bodies of the two mosquitoes.

Finally, after most of the arrows had been shot and the supply was very low, the two mosquitoes fell to the earth, cov­ered with many wounds. Immediately, the warriors fell upon them with their war clubs and -with terrific blows- tore their bodies apart.

From the blood of the two big mos­quitoes there sprang many little mosqui­toes and the air was filled with them. These little mosquitoes, like their grand­fathers, are fond of the taste of human blood. They hate man for killing their grandfathers and are continually trying to get revenge upon man for this.

That is how mosquitoes came to be. The battles between man and the mos­quitoes took place upon the Seneca River in New York State.

Our thanks to Peter Belton of Simon Fraser University for sending in the Frozen Mosquilo and to Howard C. Miller of the State University of New York's College of Environmen· tal Science and Forestry for sharing the Mohawk legend with editor Charlie Morris 20 years ago.

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Nature's Way l

Kill 'em from the Seas John Callahan, Dave Lavender and Edgar Cra'.'.ford

In wartime, it's customary for the ag­gressor to prepare an enemy for invasion by naval bombardment. While the ag­gressor coordinates future ground at­tacks, the enemy 's numbers are decimated from the sea. Battleships bombard the coastline and submarines destroy the enemy flee t. Of course, a land battle is not usually won by sea, but integrated plans are a phenomenal asset when searching for a victory.

For the pest controller, the "Kill 'em from the Sea" concept can easily be ear­marked for mosquito control. After all , the mosquito begins its life in the water, so why wait to attack? Carpe diem or, more appropriately, ca1pe pisces, seize the fish - the mosquitofish that is. But before you grab your corn-cob pipe and utter "I shall return," there are some in­teresting facts that you should be famil­iar with in order to optimize the use of your Gambusia affinis fleet. Please refer to the following (mock) naval message traffic:

Oh , and after readin g the message traffic, don ' t assume that every minnow you've captured is a skeeter-crazed kill­ing machine. The mosquitofish looks a

FIG URE 1 DRAWING BY NANCY MICKLER

lot like other small fishes that you may encounter, but most of these other fishes don ' t have the same Freddy Kruger de­meanor towards mosquito larvae that is so noteworthy in Gambusia. For those unfamiliar with the schematics of our fleet, please consult figure 1. If you're still unclear then try a field guide like Peterson's Freshwater Fishes by L. M. Page and B. M. Burr.

Intrigued by the versatility and low­maintenance offered by mosquitofish (and the opportunity to "play" Chester Nimitz for a month), we decided to put our fleet into service. We conscripted our Gambusia af!inis from nearby waters -capturing 275 of the hunter/killer sub­marines with hand-nets in about one hour. Next, we distributed the fleet to two large rain-filled puddles in a Florida pine hammock. Our stocking rates were 0.1 fish/yd2 and 1.0 fish/yd2• We didn't prepare the mosquitofish for service, we simply captured, identified, counted and transferred them to a nearby site. The whole mission, from capture to transfer, lasted approximately two hours.

Prior to impressing the mosquitofish, we gathered intelligence about our mos­quito foe by capturing and interrogating some larvae. Limited by the Geneva Con­vention, our interrogations yielded little information. But we were allowed to rear the larvae for identification: the long­standing puddles were inhabited by Culex restuans, Culex territans, Aedes

continued on page 12

WINTER 1995, WING BEATS 11

lnd ustry. Beat

.. Re-~registration C·osts Leave ..............,_,........;....__,·Mosquito · Co~trol . F.e\Y Options·:

· ·. Therese·St,?eter' and Alle~l Sinith

Among other things, mosquito con­trol requires the knowledge to choose the best option among available insecticides, but the choice is becoming more difficult with fewer available products. Many pes­ticide registrations simply are not being renewed under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) because of the high cost of product re-reg­istration; as high as $14 million for one prod­uct.

THE RE-REGISTRATION PROCESS: THE STUDY OF NALED

To understand the process, we will follow the re-registration of naled, the ac­tive ingredient in the commonly used mos­quito adulticide called Dibrom® Concen­trate, originally registered in 1962.

The re-registration process of chemi­cals such as naled began in 1983 when the EPA released Registration Standards for products which had long served the mar­ket. While these products had fairly exten­sive research studies supporting their use already, the EPA wanted to ensure the data met the scientific standards of the day. Through the registration standards, the EPA told the registrants what work would be needed to continue the registration. For naled, between 1983 and 1988, over 100 new studies were done on the product.

In September 1991, the EPA issued a Data Call-in for a number of additional stud­ies on naled and a host of other chemicals in yet another phase of research review for pesticides. The data required for naled in­cluded several studies costing nearly $500,000.

In Aprill994, Valent completed all of the naled re-registration and call-in test­ing and submitted that data to the EPA RED (Re-registration Eligibility docu­ment) Team. As is customary for all pes­ticide data call-in programs, the RED Team, which includes representatives from numerous science and administra-

12 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

tive branches within the office of Pesti­cide Programs, will use the data to as­sess risk to humans and to the environ­ment from the use of the chemical. The Team will then make a recommendation whether or not naled will be eligible for re-registration. That eligibility recom­mendation is anticipated by the end of 1995.

Valent also made a special presenta­tion to the RED Team, demonstrating use patterns and the importance of naled in mosquito control. We showed the EPA that while Dibrom is labeled for many uses, over one-half of total sales in 1993 were specifically for mosquito control.

Dibrom is useful in mosquito control programs because it can be applied near water, and is one of the few adulticides for flying mosquitoes still registered for aerial control. It is also widely used fol ­lowing natural disasters like Hurricane Andrew, when fly and mosquito infesta­tions can endanger public health. Impor­tantly, it has a tolerance for crops exposed during mosquito control efforts.

RE-REGISTRATION OR CANCELLA­TION: COST VERSUS COMMITMENT

Even considering the unique ben­efits that Dibrom offers, Valent still had to determine whether re-registration study costs were justifiable. The only alternative to re-registration was volun­tary cancellation of the product. In fact, for that reason, a number of chemical manufacturers have declined to renew registrations and have withdrawn prod­ucts from the market.

The expense involved in re-registra­tion forced careful consideration of Valent's commitment to Dibrom. For ex­ample, in just three years, re-registration studies conducted on naled totaled nearly $2 million. Another $3 million was spent in 1994. Valent's financial commit­ment to conduct the necessary studies

reflects the importance of maintaining the availability of the product to the indus­try. We have the support of mosquito control professionals and are doing ev­erything we can to ensure it continues to be a vital tool.

continued from page 11

infirmatus and Aedes sticticus accord­ing to LCDR T. P. Breaud, a retired Na­val Medical Entomologist and now di­rector of mosquito control for Orange County, Fla. (Orlando). Throughout our mosquitofish operation we checked the population of mosquito larvae in each puddle by dipping twice weekly. We compared the larval numbers to a control puddle that had not been ravaged by our fleet. Within nine days we noticed a reduction of larvae based upon these comparisons; the higher stocking rate caused more reduction than the lower stocking rate. During the remaining 20 days, the number of larvae declined in our treated puddles while the number in the untreated puddle increased.

Although the quantity of mosquito larvae were reduced by our Gambusia ajjinis, their use alone did not guarantee a victory during the Battle of the Flooded Florida Pine Hammock. While our gen­eral staff plots the conclusion of this as ­sault, our fleet will be there, sweeping skeeter convoys and thinning the arthropod ' s ranks, until our air force can mount an Ultra Low Volume attack and complete the decimation of our foe.

.. ·

\

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2. MR. BILL CHANDLER VECTEC, INC. Macon, GA 31206 1 (800) 755-BUGS (2847)

3. MR. WALT LEVANDER VECTEC, INC. Monroe, LA 71201 1 (800) 659-2847

4. MR. ED MEEHAN VECTEC ENGINEERING DIVISION Rogers, MN 55374 1 (800) 859-BUGS {2847)

5. MR. H.B. MUNNS FENNIMORE CHEMICALS Pioneer, CA 95666 1 (209) 295-3540

TM

BISON

ENGINEERING DIVISION

GRIZZLY

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• • • QUALITY FROM

6. MESSRS. DON & KELLY STEED COASTAL VECTOR SUPPLY CO. Johns Island, SC 29455 1 (800) 277-0722

7. MR. DAVE HASKELL MUG-A-BUG Forsyth, IL 62535 1 (800) 383-3303

8. MR. MILLS REEVES PUBLIC HEALTH EQUIP. & SUPPLY San Antonio, TX. 7821 0 1 (800) 284-01 06

9. MR. REG . GREEN RELIABLE LABS Sandy, UT 84092 1 (801) 942-1685

10. MR. RICHARD WELTER CITY CHEMICAL SERVICES 1851 11 Oth Street Bode, lA. 50519 1 (515) 379-2633

COAST TO COAST

. Ctiemiine ·· · · ·-=·· ..

, Confusion·. bt'Margalitaville _. £!olf8 _Wassmer .

During a recent gathering of Florida mosquito control folks interested in dis­covering the key to efficacious B.t.i . treatments, John Beidler, Director of the Indian River Mosquito Control District, asked, to the tune of an old Jimmy Buffet song, "Are we wasting our time, again , in Margalitaville?" The question was a tongue-in-c heek reference to the scien­tific work of J. Margalit, L.J. Goldberg and others; significant work that led to

active ingredients or ask yourself which product contained the most bang for the buck? If you had, here is some of what you would have found.

ALPHABET SOUP

The active ingredients (AI) in B.t.i. are listed as either Aedes aegypti Units (AAUs) or International Toxic Units (ITUs). Some manufacturers, such as

Sandoz/Zoecon with Teknar HP-D, pre­fer to analyze potency with a procedure that requires reporting in AAUs, but also report in ITUs. Other manufacturers, such as American Cyanamid with Aerobe formulations , Abbot Laboratories with Vectobac and Becker Microbials with Aquabac prefer potency analyses re­ported in ITUs. Novo Nordisk reports one or the other with their Bactimos prod­ucts, depending on the formulation.

today 's commer­ciaiB.r.i. products. Beidler's comment simply reflects the confusion the group has about some B.t.i. related issues.

Table I. Active Ingredients (AAUs and ITUs) of various B.t.i. mos uitocides listed by formulation type.

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS

Pesticide formulation

Briquets

Bactimos Briquets

Granules

Aerobe 2000

Aquabac 200G

Bactimos Granules

Bactimos Granules

Bactimos Granules

Teknar Granules

Vectobac G&CG

Liquids

Aerobe Biolarvicide

Aquabac XT

Skeetal FC

Teknar HP-D

Teknar

Vectobac 12AS

Vectobac AS

Pellets

Bactimos Pellets

Powders

Bactimos WP

Vectobac TP

VectobacWP

Manufacturer Label Date

Novo Nordisk 1987

Americrul_(:Jianamid 1993

Becker Microbials 1995

Novo Nordisk 1993

Novo Nordisk 1991

Biochem/PBI Gordon 1987

Zoecon 1986

Abbott 1992

American Cyanamid 1993

Becker Microbials 1995

Microbial Resources 1986

Sando7./Zoecon 1994

:U.econ 1984

Abbott 1992

Abbott 1988

Novo Nordisk 1993

Novo Nordisk 1993

Abbott 1994

Abbott 1982

Units_per milligram Mil. units/pound

AAU ITU AAU ITU

700* 280 636 318

500 200"' 227 91*

500 200 227 91*

500 200* 227 9 1*

300* 120 136* 54

175* 70 79* 32

260* 104 118 47

500 200* 227 91*

3000 1200* 1362 545

3000 1200* 1362 545

1400* 600* 636 272

3000* 1200* 1362* 545*

1500* 600 68 1 272

3000* 1200* 1362 545

1500 600" 681 272

100 400* 454 182

3500* 1400 1590* 636

12500 5000* 5687 2275

5000* 2000 2270* 908

Did you ever wonder why manu­facturers and their represen ta ti ves tell us to pay atten­tion toB.t .i. appli­cation rates in terms of pounds , pints or ounces of formulation per acre, and not con­cern ourselves wit11 the amount of active ingredients applied per acre? Did you ever take the time to com­pare application rates of B.t.i. for­mulations in terms of their active in­gredients? Did you ever wonder about the unit cost of the

*Values with an asterisk are stated on the product label, the others are calculated using appropriate AA U!lTU

conversion rates.

16 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

Mil. units/gallon

AAU ITU

12100 4840*

12100 4840*

5300 2271

11 200 4480

5600 2240

12100 4840*

5475 2190"

"

Also, some Bactimos labels contain the words "Aedes aegypti (AA)" printed just before "International Toxic Units (ITU)." Mike King of Novo Nordisk says, "These are just ITUs, and the mention of AA is for internal use to distinguish the assay type."

The AAU to ITU and ITU to AAU conversion factors, apparently arrived at statistically by comparing the amount of B.t.i. required to kill target organisms with the two assay methods, are the key to understanding the differences between products. Rumor has it that these con­version rates were first published in a Zoecon product brochure in the early 1980s, but I haven't been able to confirm this. According to experts, it takes, on the average, 2.5 times as much B.t.i. to

kill later' in star Aedes aegypti larvae as­sayed by the ITU method than it does to kill earlier in star Aedes aegypti larvae as­sayed by the AAU method. Therefore, in simple terms, we can say: ITU multi­plied by 2.5 equals AAU or, conversely, AAU multiplied by 0.4 equals ITU. Ac­cording to Terry Couch of Becker Microbials, these are the only conver­sion factors used today. Skeetal, a B.t.i. product marketed by Microbial Re­sources in the mid-1980s, which is no longer available, listed both AAUs and ITUs on the label. Its AAU/ITU conver­sion factors were, by my calculations, 2.33 and 0.43, not 2.5 and 0.4.

It is interesting that Joel Siegel and his colleagues, in their June 1995 Jour­nal of the AMCA article, Cellular Fatty

Table 2. Some B.t.i. mosquitocide AAU and ITU application rates.

Pesticide Millions of AAUs per acre Millions of ITUs per acre

Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum

Briquets

Bactimos Briquets 330 132 320 528

Granules

Aerobe 2000 568 4540 227 1816

Aquabac 200G 568 4540 227 1816

Bactimos Granules '93 568 4540 227 1816

Bactimos Granules '91 545 2274 217 1'090

Bactimos Granules '87 318 1589 127 636

Teknar Granules 354 708 142 283

Vectobac G&CG 568 4540 227 1816

Liquids

Aerobe BiolaJVicide 378 3025 151 1210

AquabacXT 378 3025 151 1210

Skeetal FC 331 1325 142 568

Teknar & Teknar HP-D 350 1400 140 560

Vectobac AS & 12AS 378 3025 161 1210

Pellets

Bactimos Pellets 568 3632 227 1452

Powders

Bactimos WP 199 1193 80 477

Vectobac TP 1137 4550 455* 1820*

Vectobac WP 227 1816 91 726

*Values with an asterisk are stated on the product label, the others are

calculated using product density an appropriate AAU/ITU conversion rates.

Acid Analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis spp. israel ens is (ONR-60A), reported that Skeetal does not appear to have come from isolate 60A via IPS82 (1982 Insti­tute Pasteur Standard), whereas Aerobe, Bactimos, Teknar and Vectobac do. Aquabac was not tested. Thus, most commercialB.t.i. formulations produced today appear to come from the sameB.t.i. strain and can, therefore, be directly com­pared to each other for relative potency by looking (converting as necessary) at label AAUs and ITUs as shown in Table 1.

FORMULATIONS AND RATES

In the mid-l980s,B.t.i.liquid larvi­cides were changed from what was con­sidered a IX formulation (600 ITU/mg) to a 2X formulation (1200 ITU/mg). Terry Couch says " ... this win-win-win change accommodated end-users who had com­plained about too many containers to dis­pose of, decreased handling time for dis­tributors and allowed manufacturers to save on packaging and shipping costs." Four liquid formulations used today, Aerobe Biolarvicide, Aquabac XT, Teknar HP-D and Vectobac 12AS, have an equivalent potency in terms of ITUs/mg. However, Aerobe Biolarvicide, Aquabac XT and Vectobac 12AS have a higher stated potency of 4,840 million ITUs/gal than the calculated potency of Teknar HP­D (4,480 million ITUs/gal). These differ­ences are most likely the result of differ­ences in the products' density. That is, if one liquid product weighs more than the other, it could contain more active ingredients.

The minimum and maximum applica­tion rates listed in Table 2 came from the labels (converted where necessary) or Material Safety Data Sheets. For Bactimos Briquets, I assumed a constant rate of release (l/30th the listed AI for 30 days) and the values are total AAUs and ITUs per day, which seem reasonable considering thatB.t.i. is supposed to last about 24 hours in the field and the product's label suggests it can kill mos­quitoes for 30 days or more. Vectobac TP is the only formulation thatactually lists application rates in terms of active ingre­dients (0.455 to 1.820 billion ITU/acre). If Abbott can be specific for Vectobac TP, why can't all B.t.i.labels be specific?

WINTER 1995, WING BEATS 17

.. .

Table 3. The cost per 100 million AAUs and ITUs of various B.t.i. mosquitocide in the 1994-1995

Florida marketplace. Aquabac products were not available in 1994-1995.

Pesticide

Per Ounce

Briquets

Bactimos Briquets $1.53

Granules

Bactimos Granules '93 0.08

Vectobac G&CG 0.08

Liquids

Teknar HP-D 0.20

Vectobac 12AS 0.20

Pellets

Bactimos Pellets 0.15

Powders

Bactimos WP 0.61

Vectobac TP 0.16

* Estimate cost per day

Did you notice the big differences among application rates in Table 2? The minimum rate ranges from about 80-455 million ITUs per acre (200-1, 138 million AAUs) , not counting Bactimos Briquets. The difference between the low and high values is about 570%. Similarly, the dif­ference between the low and high values of the maximum rates, which range from about 283-1,820 million ITUs (708-4 ,550 million AAUs) is about 640%. These spreads among minima and maxima, re­spectively, approach or exceed the dif­ference between the minimum and maxi­mum application rates on some labels. For example, the maximum rate for Bactimos Pellets (3,632) is 639% higher than the minimum rate (568). In some cases, the maximum application rate of one formu­lation ( 1,193 million A A Us for Bactimos WP) is very near the minimum applica­tion rate of another (1,137 million AAUs

18 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

Cost Cost per acre

Per pound Per 100 Per100 Minimum Maximum

or gallon mil. AAUs mil. ITUs rate rate

24.48 3.08

1.21 0.53

1.21 0.53

25.00 0.22

25.00 0.21

2.34 0.52

9.75 0 .61

25.00 0.44

for Vectobac TP). It seems each manu­facturer has a different idea of how much AI it takes to kill presumably lab-reared Aedes aegypti larvae . How did they ar­rive at these widely varying numbers and how do they expect us to believe in them? And, why did the EPA approve such di­versity in rates. See the article by R. I. Rose in this issue.

The overall "looseness" of applica­tion rates leaves plenty of room for the "salespersonship" we see on occasion. For example, I recently talked to one Mid­west mosquito control director who was told by his local distributor that, because the maximum label rate ofTeknar HP-D is half that of Vectobac 12AS, you only need to use half as much , making Teknar twice as good. The distributor suggested that at a price of about $39 .00 a gallon, the director would actually save money, compared to buying Vectobac 12AS of-

7.71 10.89* 43.56*

1.33 3.03 24.20

1.33 3.03 24.20

0.56 0.78 3.12

0.52 0.78 6.25

1.29 2.93 18.72

1.53 1.22 7.31

1.10 5.00 20.00

fered at about $23.00 a gallon. How would you decide at a bid opening session in front of your commissioners?

Jim Robinson , of the Pasco County Mosquito Control District in Odessa, Florida, has been asking for years how one should write a B.t.i. bid specifica­tion, and how one should select between two or three liquid larvicides offered at the same price? Would the two products have the same cost per acre (Table 3) at their minimum pints per acre application rate? Joel Siegel ' s group found that Aerobe, Bactimos , Teknar and Vectobac products are made from the same B.t .i. strain and their labels indicate they have the same B.t.i. concentration per mg; Aquabac products were. not analyzed. They appear equivalent at lower rates, however, their different densities result in different concentrations of AI. Why don't some sales reps exploit this fact?

Now you see ~m ...

. . . soon you won't. If we have anything to do

with it, mosquitoes don't have a chance. Abate Pellets are the most cost-effective larvicide. Our superior adulticides like Biomist and Mosquitomist make sure mosquitoes are knocked down within minutes.

Biodegradable ~md non-cor­rosive, these products offer the lowest toxicity available tQday.

We're proud of our new state-of-the-art formulating facility. It assures you fast turn-

around on your order, while demonstrating Clarkes' commit­ment to the industry. Unlike other companies that come and go, our 48 years in the industry represent stability, a commit­ment to quality and a vision for the future.

Don't give mosquitoes a chance. Call Clarke.

1-800-323-5727

<I. CLARK~ ·

At their respective maximum rates, the Vectobac 12AS and Aerobe Biolarvicide labels allow, or is it require, one to ap­ply two pints instead of one, as does the Teknar label. Don't you wonder why?

DO IT YOURSELF

Pasco County Mosquito Control District uses about 50 ,000 pounds of B.t .i. granules a year and last year they cost the District $60,500. We reasoned that by purchasing corn cob granules and B.t.i . powder, we could make our own product much cheaper. After all, the powder is essentially what comes out of the fermenting vats, it is much lighter and more compact than other formulations and it probably receives the least amount of handling . With savings in processing, packaging and shipping, B .t.i. powder should cost less , right. Wrong!

It makes no sense to buy B.t.i . pow­der at current prices, which , relative to the price of other formulations, are about 3-4 times what they should be (see Table 3). The cheapest AI can be found in B.t.i.liquids , at about half the cost of the AI in powders. The B.t.i. manufacturers and their reps will claim "economies of scale" are the cause for this disparity-! wonder. You can buy blank corn cob granules and combine them with B .t .i. liquid to produce your own AI-equivalent granules at about half the cost ($0.63 -0. 75/lb), excluding labor and depending on the quantities purchased, of commercially available products. If you're like us, you don ' t have to worry about sealers and pack­aging, because it is a short trip in time and distance from the cement mixer to the plastic buckets to the truck or air­craft.

One manufacturer's representa­tive, seeing the argument from the busi­ness side, has already indicated that B.t.i.liquid is very underpriced and the price should be raised accordingly. It 's all relative to one's position , isn't it?

20 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

LECO® .Air -·· Scrul~ber -proto.type

· -K imr V(alchei· . .. -:

This is a picture of an early proto­type of the LECO® Air Scrubber Sys­tem which used nozzles modified from the LECO 500-800 ULV Nozzle system. We have labeled this, jokingly, "The LECO City-Wide Mosquito Control Scheme."

The system is designed to mix ul­tra-fine particles of reagent with the gaseous mixture escaping from a smoke stack or vent to increase the surface area of the reagent chemical in the gas­chemical mixture to speed the reaction of the reagent to remove selected chemical gases, such as S0

2 and H

2S,

from the stream of gases being released into the environment from industrial and municipal sources.

The air scrubber is a complete cap on the stack or vent. The nozzle-look-

ing devices right above each nozzle are pressure relief valves to prevent the system from developing dangerous over-pressure in the event of some mishap with the normal release of gases.

The current system uses a nozzle system that looks very similar to the thermal aerosol end or Fog Nozzle sec­tion. The above systems are currently patent pending and in test at Lowndes Engineering Co., in Valdosta, Georgia. They are showing very substantial re­ductions in the selected chemical gases in industrial air streams.

''Call Clarke. They have all the answers.''l.iL.~~~

Whether you have questions about product

usage, formulation or application, we're here for you. A major investment in our new formulating facility proves we will continue to be here for you in the years to come.

And chances are, the qualified staff you worked with a decade ago is the same staff you're working with today.

Stability. Professionalism. Superior products. Call us today. We're here to help.

1-800-323-5727.

Ed Meehcm

Sometime back I wrote an article for Wing Beats that demonstrated that incorrect tire pressure could have an adverse effect on application rates. As always, a few "doubting Thomases" existed, but on the whole, most who read it commented that it was interest­ing but didn't seem to think it was re­ally that important. Let me offer a few more comments on speed vs. applica­tion rates.

If you are not using a speed com­pensating device such as the ELF or similar units , all other things being

''Air'' Eddie

equal, application speed is probably the most important factor for the op­erator to maintain. As an example, if an application is calibrated for lO mph and the rig slows just 1 mph , the applica­tion rate increases by 10%. Not only does the cost per road mile increase by 10%, but the effect of the formula­tion is extended due to the half-life of the material. Even more important, the spectrum of control can become less selective due to the increased applica­tion. On the other hand , if the driver speeds up to 12 mph the application

Application Rate Error Caused by Vehicle Speed Variance

'.f, Error in

Application Rate

0.2MPH Speed Variance

rate decreases by 20%, creating an un­intentional underdose, which can lower efficacy or, perhaps, even stimulate the onset of resistance.

In the accompanying c hart , you can quickly calculate an error by first finding your Desired Vehicle Speed on the x-axis or the bottom line and then drawing a line straight up until you hit the speed variance curve you chose. Draw a line straight from this point to the left to find your % error in applica­tion rate.

Since driving an accurate and con­sistent speed is very difficult to do , yo u might want to give se­rious consider­ation to using one of the elec-tronic linear flow control systems available today. With the cost of calculators and these systems coming down very rapidly, it might be a very good investment.

Ed Meehan op· erates out of 1220 7th Avenue, P.O. Box 218, Howard Lake, MN 55349. Drop him a line or comment on his column or a ques· lion you want an · swered.

3 6 9 12 15 18

Desired Vehicle Speed (MPH}

22 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

Under Surveillance

Seven Ways to a Successful Dipping Career

Claudia 0' Malley

INTRODUCTION

As recently as 1922, members of the New Jersey mosquito control community were debating the relative merits of "night collections" as opposed to larval collec­tion and identification. Some of the past practices of mosquito control included treating any standing water encountered, regardless of whether or not mosquito larvae were present. Guidelines for start­ing a mosquito control program included the advice that directors should not spend an excessive amount of time on surveys. Even now, a few still feel that larval surveys are only necessary in the early part of the breeding season; once it is known what species are present at a site, it can be t~en for granted that the species composition at that site will re­main the same throughout the rest of the season. Most experts, however, feel that larval surveillance is not only an impor­tant aspect of an effective mosquito sur­veillance and control program, but it is an essential component.

BENEFITS OF LARVAL SURVEILLANCE

Larval surveys have many important functions. They are used to determine the locations and seasons that mosqui­toes use specific aquatic habitats and, when specimens are identified and counted, the information can be used to determine species composition and popu­lation densities. The information can be used to determine optimal times for ap­plication of larval control measures , in­cluding chemicals, biologicals, draining or impounding. It can also be used to help forecast the need for adult mosquito control and to help assess the effective­ness of both chemical and biological con­trol measures.

-

Routine larval surveillance data can be useful in interpreting adult mosquito surveillance data. For example, if larval surveys indicate 95-100% control by lar­vicides and yet the number of adults does not decline, one can suspect, in the absense of reinfestation, that an impor­tant larval concentration was missed. A system for the detection of insecticide resistance is also provided through alar­val surveillance program.

SAMPLING LARVAL MOSQUITOES

Because mosquito larvae are found in a wide variety of habitats, a number of different sampling techniques to deter­mine their presence and density have been developed. Many, if not all, of the published methods are described in Mike Service's book, Mosquito Ecology Field Sampling Methods (Elsevier Applied Science, 1993) .. Some methods are com­plex mechanical devices, but the most commonly used larval collection method is the "standard dipper," that plastic or metal, white or aluminum, solid or screen­bottomed pint to quart-sized scoop-on­a-handle, that, along with the "sweep net," defines the Ultimate Inspector. Let's take a closer look at dipping.

Dipping for mosquito larvae may, at first, seem like a very simple thing to do. After all, who hasn ' t dipped water from a bucket or stream to quench a thirst or cool the top of one's head? Well, think again. Dipping for mosquito larvae is not dipping to take a drink. The technique starts long before the dipper is put into the water. It begins hours or days before the actual dipping and at least 10 feet away from the water's edge.

The species of mosquitoes one is looking for and the type of habitat being sampled will, in part, determine the sam­pling method used. Thus, it is important that field personnel know the preferred breeding habitats and seasonal occur-

renee of species known or suspected to be present within an area.

When searching for mosquito larvae, proceed slowly and carefully. Approach the area with caution, not to avoid snakes, although that's a good idea too, but to avoid disturbing larvae at the water 's surface. Vibrations from heavy footsteps, casting a shadow or moving vegetation that contacts the water may be enough to cause larvae to dive to the bottom. Try to approach the water while facing the sun and with quiet, slow, soft steps, gently move vegetation only as necessary.

Mosquito larvae of most genera, par­ticularly the common Culex, Aedes and Anopheles, are usually found at the water's surface and frequently next to vegetation or surface debris. In larger pools and ponds, they are usually near the margins, not in open, deep water. Dip­ping should be concentrated around floating debris and aquatic and emergent vegetation. If there is a strong wind, dip­ping should be done on the windward side of the habitat where larvae and pu­pae will be most heavily concentrated. Look for larvae and pupae before begin­ning to dip, if possible. If it is raining on the water 's surface, get back in the truck, go have a cup of coffee and wait until the rain stops.

Each water body may contain anum­ber of different microhabitats which could contain different mosquito species. Microhabitats are such places as under tree roots, within clumps of emergent vegetation, under floating or overhang­ing vegetation and in open water. Learn to recognize different microhabitats within an area and sample as many as possible in order to obtain an accurate picture of the area's species composition.

A CHOICE OF SEVEN

Now that you've found your way safely to the edge of a marsh, pond, ditch , swamp or woodland pool, what do you do with your dipper. Just plunge it in? That's fine if you need water, but not necessarily if you want to catch mosqui­toes. Believe it or not, there are seven basic ways to dip for mosquito larvae. Which one or ones you use depend, as we mentioned earlier, on the genus or genera of mosquitoes you suspect may

WINTER 1995, WING BEATS 23

be present and on the habitat, microhabi­tat and weather conditions.

The first and usually the best method to start with is the SHALLOW SKIM. The shallow skim consists of submerging the leading edge of the dipper, tipped about 45 degrees, about an inch below the sur­face of the water and quickly, but gently, moving the dipper along a straight line in open water or in water with small floating debris. End the stroke just before the dip­per is filled to prevent overflowing. The shallow skim is particularly effective for Anopheles larvae that tend to remain at the surface longer than Aedes and Culex. Anopheles are usually associated with floating vegetation and debris.

The second method to try in open water, with or without floating objects, is the COMPLETE SUBl\1ERSION. Many mosquito larvae, particularly those of the genera Aedes and Psorophora, are very active and usually dive below the surface quickly if disturbed. In this case, a quick plunge of the dipper below the surface of the water is required, bringing the dipper back up through the diving larvae. Bring the dipper up carefully to avoid losing the larvae in the overflow current.

When you need to sample at the edges of emergent vegetation, try the PARTIAL SUBl\1ERSION technique. To do this, push the dipper, tilted at about 45 degrees, straight down adjacent to the vegetation. This causes the water around the vegetation to flow into the dipper, carrying the larvae with the flow. There is no need to move the dipper horizon­tally. Pull the dipper up before it is full.

24 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

In very shallow water, try the FLOW­IN method. Larvae can be collected by pushing the dipper into the substrate of the pool and letting the shallow surface water, debris and larvae flow into the dip­per. Do not move the dipper horizon­tally.

To sample for larvae that may be un­der floating or emergent vegetation, use the SCRAPING technique. This method is used in habitats that contain clumps of vegetation such as tussocks of sedges, floating mats of cattails or water lettuce or other plants that are too large to get in the dipper, or clumps of submerged veg­etation such as hydrilla or bladderwort. Dip from the water in towards the veg­etation and end by using the dipper to scrape up against the base or underside of the vegetation to dislodge larvae. This method is usually more effective if the bottom of the dipper is screened and it is often used to sample for Coquillettidia and Mansonia mosquitoes.

The SIMPLE SCOOP is the "dipping to get water" method that was discour­aged earlier. It consists of simply scoop­ing a dipperful of water. This is probably the most commonly used method, par­ticularly by new inspectors, and it is of-

ten the method referred to in much of the literature as "the standard dipping pro­cedure." While it can be successfully used to collect Culex larvae, it is still not the method of choice.

The dipper can also be used as BACKGROUND. This is especially use­ful in woodland pools and other shallow water or when larvae are disturbed and dive to the bottom. Submerge the dipper completely to the bottom litter and slowly move it around. The darker mosquito lar­vae and pupae will stand out against the background of a white or aluminum dip­per. Once larvae appear in the dipper, just lift it upward.

One or more of these methods, prop­erly used, can determine the mosquito species composition of most aquatic habitats, excluding those whose open­ings are smaller than the dipper, such as tires, rock pools, treeholes and tree root systems like those found in cedar and red maple swamps. In those cases, a smaller container, such as a vial, measur­ing spoon or tea strainer can be used in the same seven ways as the dipper de­scribed above. Then there is the tubular dipper, the chef's poultry baster, for those really hard to get to places like plant ax­ils, tree holes and tree root holes.

Now that we know how to efficiently collect mosquito larvae, what do we do with the specimens and the data. That's the subject of a future artick Until then, happy dipping.

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•-Letters · - ~· .. ·.··. '. > : .. ·. ~;

. . - .. : . •. ·. . . . ~ .. -~· · . . .

Dear Charlie:

In the section titled "Possible Im­provements" from the article " B.t.i . Re­visited" by Dr. Emile Van Handel, Doug Wassmer and Doug Carlson in Wing Beats Spring 1995 issue, an obsolete product, Paris Green, is discussed. I quote from the article, "Once applied to the sur­face of the water, it would settle through the water column where larvae were feed­ing. After a while on the bottom, the marble dust would slough off and the Paris Green/vermiculite would pop back to the surface where it would spread out and again slowly settle through the wa­ter column. A B. t.i . formulation that will do a similar job would be a valuable Mos­quito control to_ol." The article goes on from there to talk about encapsulation and other methods of attaining this type of formulation withB .t.i .

Back in the 1970's , our company spent a great deal of time to create a float­ing, sustained-re lease formulation con­taining B.t.i. along with only natural in­ert ingredients. As a Bacteriologist, I was aware thatB .t.i . spores and crystals were heavier than water and any formulation with B.t.i . had to slowly release it at the surface so that it could travel through the water column in which the mosquito larvae feed. We were extremely sucessful in formulating a product, "Summit Bactimos Briquets" (also called "Mos­quito Dunks") which, to use a phrase from the article again , has become "a valu­able mosquito control tool" . This tool is a 30-day sustained-release product which has been successfully used in container­type sites throughout the world since the early 1980's. Why do so many involved in mosquito control continually ignore and try to reinvent Summit BACTIMOS BRIQUETS?

Lawrence E . K.ase Baltimore, Maryland

26 WINTER 1995, WING BEATS

:;·

Pest Asides

Peter H. Connelly

As the Days grow longer And the temperatures wt~Jm, We are again reminded, of that familiar swarm.

Our rigs are all painted Our sprayers all repaired. Every thing 's ready, Even the spare.

There will be tire holes, and tire dumps Yes we' ll have them all. We'll have larvae and pupae Oh, what a ball!

We ' ll have birdbaths and containers, As far as the eye can see. We'll have aedes and culex ... We'll even have anopheles.

There will be no shortage of hours, In our daily plight. As we get a little more rain ... And another flight.

We'll throw everything at 'em, As much as we can muster. Until the money is gone, And the budget is busted.

Then there's the complaints, By thousands you know "You never sprayed my neighborhood" "What do you mean, how do I know?"

As the days grow yet longer, And the morning comes so fast. You swear you ' II drop ... ...That you ' II never last.

If the buzz in your ear From the bugs ain't enough, Round come the vendors With some more of that stuff!

On into the summer As the heat begins to rise. A few rigs break Adding additional surprise.

Then a good staffer leaves, Saying they've had enough. Again round come the vendors With more good stuff.

Towards the end of the summer, Just before the fall You 're exhausted ... worn out, Moving at a crawl.

That 's when the boss Drops in one day. And doubles the area That you have to spray.

With your bible and your baling wire You tackle the' task. And sometime in the fall You realize you 'lllast.

Then the days begin to cool And shorten quite a lot. And you slow from a sprint ... To a gallop ... to a trot.

You've a lot to be proud of In the job that you do. Protecting public health, Improving life too.

So slow down, enjoy the holidays, And never never fear. You'll be twice as busy, In the coming year.

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- - ~

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