What we do
About Us
The effort started in 1952 as residents of the Animas Valley began to form a District for mosquito control. Eight years later, in 1960, the Animas Mosquito Control District (AMCD) was formed by the taxpaying residents.
Before the Animas Mosquito Control District was started in 1960, in the Animas Valley, people working in orchards or fields had to wear bee veils and heavy clothing for protection. A person couldn't breathe, the mosquitoes were so thick. Rubbing a hand down the neck of a horse would result in solid mosquitoes and blood. A rancher living in the valley then said he watched a herd of cattle run across a field and right through a fence, trying to get away from a cloud of mosquitoes. To fish on the river, people would build smudge fires so they could stand there long enough to fish. Anyone who wasn't here then may not realize how bad the mosquito problem was.
By 1989, a person who raises hay in the Valley said she saw maybe three mosquitoes all summer, and she's by the river most of the time. Now in 2019, the AMCD crew hears the following statement from residents on a regular basis..... "Mosquito Control? Why do we need mosquito control? There are no mosquitoes". To this we respond "You're Welcome!" The Animas Mosquito Control was and is the answer.
Presently, AMCD focuses on an extensive larvicide program, eliminating mosquitoes in their aquatic habitats, before they become a health threat or a nuisance. AMCD is committed to operating in a safe, ecologically sound manner, respecting both the public and private lands that is operates on when carrying out mosquito abatement activities. These services begin as early as February and may continue as late as November, depending on weather.
Before the Animas Mosquito Control District was started in 1960, in the Animas Valley, people working in orchards or fields had to wear bee veils and heavy clothing for protection. A person couldn't breathe, the mosquitoes were so thick. Rubbing a hand down the neck of a horse would result in solid mosquitoes and blood. A rancher living in the valley then said he watched a herd of cattle run across a field and right through a fence, trying to get away from a cloud of mosquitoes. To fish on the river, people would build smudge fires so they could stand there long enough to fish. Anyone who wasn't here then may not realize how bad the mosquito problem was.
By 1989, a person who raises hay in the Valley said she saw maybe three mosquitoes all summer, and she's by the river most of the time. Now in 2019, the AMCD crew hears the following statement from residents on a regular basis..... "Mosquito Control? Why do we need mosquito control? There are no mosquitoes". To this we respond "You're Welcome!" The Animas Mosquito Control was and is the answer.
Presently, AMCD focuses on an extensive larvicide program, eliminating mosquitoes in their aquatic habitats, before they become a health threat or a nuisance. AMCD is committed to operating in a safe, ecologically sound manner, respecting both the public and private lands that is operates on when carrying out mosquito abatement activities. These services begin as early as February and may continue as late as November, depending on weather.
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Our District
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AMCD covers about 50 square miles from Bakers Bridge to the north (Hwy 550/C.R. 250), Falls Creek to the west (C.R. 204 & 205), west on Hwy 160 to Wildcat Canyon Rd., approximately 5 miles east on Florida Rd. (C.R. 240), south on Hwy 550 to Farmington Hill and approximately 5 miles southwest on La Posta (C.R. 213).
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Abatement Procedures
Please see our "Gallery" for photos
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Surveillance
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AMCD performs routine monitoring of both larval and adult mosquito populations over the course of every mosquito season. This mosquito surveillance is critical to a successful mosquito control program for several reasons:
1. Monitoring changes in mosquito populations 2. Identifying which mosquito species are present 3. Detecting mosquito-borne diseases 4. Determining what control measures need to be conducted |
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Larviciding
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Larviciding is AMCD's principle form of mosquito abatement. The type and amount of larvicide used is dependent upon the habitat in which the larvae are found. The mosquito habitats throughout the District are mapped, so monitoring and treating these sites can be done on a schedule. When technicians are not monitoring and treating the known mosquito producing habitats, they are looking for new habitats ('standing water') which could have developed due to rain, changes in the river flow, construction, agriculture (irrigation), etc.
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Adulticiding
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AMCD uses ultra-low volume (ULV) spraying or fogging. ULV spraying is the process of putting very small amounts of an oraganic adulticide into the air as a fine mist of droplets. These droplets float on the air currents and quickly knock down the adult mosquitoes that come in contact with these droplets. ULV adulticides are applied between sunset and 2 A.M when mosquitoes are most active and people are generally in their homes and bees and other pollinators are typically in their shelters. ULV applications are done when;
Adulticiding only occurs when environmental conditions are favorable for an effective application. Environmental conditions evaluated include wind, precipitation, temperature.
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Identification
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The AMCD Lab identifies larvae and adult flying mosquitoes. We identify mosquitoes each day throughout the season from locally placed traps, and larval samples brought in by the field crew.
The larval identification provides us with a more acurate picture of the species in the District, as some of the species found in aquatic habitats do not make it into the traps. Identifying the adult mosquito species present helps provide us with information we can use to locate mosquito breeding habitats. Many mosquitoes have different breeding habitats, activity (biting) periods and host preferences. It is important to us to know what species are in the area, as some can be disease vectors. AMCD is partnered with San Juan Basin Health and each season a representative sample of these vectoring mosquito species are sent to the State lab in Denver for West Nile Virus testing. |
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Trapping
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Trapping entails the use of mosquito traps that are set six days a week from May 1st to October 31st. Traps provide the numbers and locations of adult mosquitoes and a basis for the identification of the species of mosquitoes present in the area. AMCD currently has 17 traps set throughout the District. Monitoring these populations is important because it allows AMCD to track exactly where the larval and adult mosquito populations are rising or falling. This information, when compared to previous weeks or years, provides the knowledge we need in order to identify and predict repetitive, sporadic, or new problem areas, as well as to predict possible increases in the risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
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No Spray / Special Instructions
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No Spray
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AMCD, as a courtesy, keeps a list of residents who do not want any aerial application on their property. This is our 'No Spray' contract and it is required to be updated annually. If residents want to be on this list, or remain on this list, they must contact us to request an updated contract every year.
The 'No Spray' contract is for aerial applications only and does not pertain to larviciding activities. |
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Special Instructions
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AMCD also keeps a list of 'Special Instruction' properties for those who have any, previously agreed upon, instructions for our field technicians in regards to entering, inspecting and/or treating for mosquito larvae.
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Products We Use
Aquatic Products for Mosquito Larval Control.
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Natular
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Natular® is the first and only complete portfolio of larvicides with a naturally derived active ingredient. All formulations, developed and manufactured exclusively by Clarke, contain the active ingredient spinosad, a product derived from a naturally occurring soil bacterium. Natular is the first public health larvicide in the IRAC Class 5 chemical classification, delivering a unique mode of action that works on all four stages of mosquito larvae. This makes it an excellent tool to suppress mosquito populations before they hatch, while helping avoid or fight resistance. Simply stated, Natular is like no other larvicide on the market. EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award.
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Altosid
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A Methoprene product. Altosid is an insect growth regulator that breaks the mosquito larvae life cycle.
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Mineral Oil
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BVA 2 Refined Oil is highly refined oil used for the control of mosquitoes. When applied evenly over the water surface it rapidly interrupts the air water interface and suffocates the larvae and/or pupae. This quick action makes it an effective larvicide and pupicide for any mosquito control program.
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Geographical Information System (GIS)
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AMCD implements a geographical information system (GIS) using industry standard software known as ArcGIS by ESRI. The mosquito mapping software that overlies the ArcGIS platform is FieldSeeker GIS
The GIS system provides AMCD the ability to map, record, and evaluate abatement activities. Field crews use iPads connected to the GIS system to identify and monitor known areas of concern. Inspection and treatment data is recorded real-time into the iPads and is uploaded into the main database. This allows other field crews and management to track and evaluate daily abatement activities. The GIS system also visually identifies and alerts field crews of "No Spray/Special Instruction" areas when in close proximity to identified areas. This prevents accidental treatment of mosquitoes for sensitive areas and provides safety to property owners and field crews. |