FAQs
Aren't mosquitoes natural and important to the healthy ecology of our communities?
What is the Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project (NCMCP)?
How does the mosquito control program monitor mosquito transmitted diseases?
Aren't the products used poisonous to people and the environment?
Is there oversight of the Projects annual budget and activities?
What skills do the NCMCP personnel use to protect you and the environment?
Can I use some old insecticides I've stored for several decades?
What can I do to prevent mosquitoes developing on my property?
Why not just use fish, dragonflies, birds and bats to control mosquitoes naturally?
Did you know that the mosquitoes that spread EEE are different than the mosquitoes that spread WNV?
Mosquitoes can negatively impact the quality of life as public health nuisances and can also transmit microbes that can cause diseases in people and wildlife.
Won't mosquito control cause mosquitoes to go extinct?
This is neither possible nor the goal. The goal is to decrease the risk and burden imposed by mosquitoes and to improve the quality of life.
Aren't mosquitoes natural and important to the healthy ecology of our communities?
Mosquitoes are natural but some kinds are exotic invasive species that are not native to Massachusetts. Some exploit man-made habitats (storm drains, road ditches, roof gutters, etc) and this makes them abundant and a problem especially in urban areas. No predators depend exclusively upon mosquitoes for their survival or livelihood.
What is the Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project (NCMCP)?
The Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project is a government controlled agency staffed by professionals to service residents of the 25 municipalities in the Projects service area.
What can the NCMCP do that a homeowner cannot?
The Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project can reduce populations of mosquitoes by eliminating environmentally-risky habitats where possible. This “regional program” can apply anti-mosquito products carefully in response to community needs and disease risk. This Program can employ control measures on a much wider scale, including performing work throughout neighborhoods and on town-owned properties. These control efforts are based on monitoring mosquitoes and are performed in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health during disease outbreaks.
How does the mosquito control program monitor mosquito transmitted diseases?
The mosquito control program utilizes a network of mosquito traps for collecting large numbers of mosquitoes. Samples of these mosquitoes are submitted weekly for virus testing by the State Department of Public Health for West Nile and EEE.
Aren't the products used poisonous to people and the environment?
These products are selected to provide the greatest benefit with the least risk to the environment and public health. These products are registered by the Environmental Protection Agency after extensive review of data pertaining to their safety and efficacy. These products are also reviewed at the state level by the State Pesticide Board before they are approved for use in Massachusetts.
The average yearly cost per resident is about the same as a single cup of coffee (~$2.50). The pooled amount, allows the NCMCP to offer targeted services throughout the 25 communities.
Is there oversight of the Projects annual budget and activities?
The annual budgets submitted by the Director of the Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project are first reviewed by an independent Commission representing the community residents and appointed by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board. The submitted budget is then reviewed and certified by the Board which, itself, is made up of representatives of several state environmental agencies. All spending at the mosquito control project level is processed and administered by the state’s Executive Office of Administration and Finance and the Department of Agricultural Resources where the Board is housed.
All spending is conducted in a manner consistent with federal, state and local laws and regulations.
What skills do the NCMCP personnel use to protect you and the environment?
All control strategies are based upon the best possible science as well as by regulatory and economic considerations. Senior staff employed by the Project have extensive scientific backgrounds in fields such as entomology, aquatic ecology, geology, wetland ecology, Global Information Systems (GIS) mapping technology, advanced computer training, and general biology.
All personnel are licensed and, in most cases, certified by the State Pesticide Bureau under the categories of General Pesticide Licenses and specifically certified in the Mosquito and Biting Fly Category. To maintain these licenses, the state requires continuing education (contact hours) in general pesticide use, and specifically in Category 47 known as the Mosquito and Biting Fly category. Employees attend the annual Northeastern Mosquito Control Association meeting as well as state-offered pesticide recertification workshops where these “contact hours” are accrued for this continuing education.
All operational activities of the program are done under the full regulatory scrutiny of agencies such as the Department of Agricultural Resources (Pesticides), the State Department of Environmental Protection (wetlands protections) as well as certain federal agencies such the Environmental Protection Agencies (pesticides & wetlands) and the Corps of Engineers (wetlands).
What resources does the NCMCP have to carry out the work?
The Project employs, at a minimum, the following types of equipment:
Specialized truck-mounted adult control application equipment which includes highly accurate GPS tracking and systems monitoring capabilities; Low-ground pressure excavators used to restore degraded drainage systems; An array of specialized surveillance equipment to monitor larval and adult mosquito populations; Global Information System (GIS) software and hardware dedicated to data collection analysis, mapping, for accurate geographical information data retrieval of aerial and ground larval and adult control operations; Data collection management software to provide swift and helpful answers to residents, as well as to record accurate and timely requests for information and service.
What do mosquito control people do in the winter?
In winter, mosquito control employees inspect & clean ditches that may otherwise promote mosquito development, maintain & calibrate equipment, analyze the previous season’s data, and prepare plans for upcoming seasons. Many of the pesticide training workshops and other state and federal mandated personnel training sessions are conducted during the winter months. All required operational permits and protocols are reviewed with appropriate local/state/federal agencies and updated as necessary. The Project spends a great deal of time ‘off season’ fine tuning procedures and strategies employed during the season. Annual attendance of professional regional and national mosquito control association conferences are critical as part of this overall review.
Don't these products kill a lot of bees (pollinators)?
Most of the time, mosquito control products are applied in a manner and time when bees are not active. Normally, beekeepers need not take any special precautions to further protect their colonies from products applied against mosquitoes. During emergency applications beekeepers are notified of applications that might harm bees. Larvicides (products used to kill mosquito larvae) most often used would not contact bees nor cause them harm. The adulticide mist is present and active for a very short duration during predawn hours when pollinators are rarely active. Daylight quickly inactivates the main insecticides applied.
Where do mosquitoes go in the winter?
Most adult mosquitoes in our area die in the fall as a result of hard “killing” frosts. Their eggs, however, are laid in areas that will ensure that, come spring, there will be mosquitoes to carry on the next generation. Some kinds of mosquitoes overwinter as adults by hiding in caves, tree holes, and houses, or as immatures (larvae) under water in wetlands.
Why can't I just pour oil on the pond to kill mosquitoes?
It is not desirable (or legal) to put motor oil into the environment as a way to dispose of it or to kill mosquitoes. In wetlands this action can have long-term negative consequences for the quality of surface and ground water. Oils are also indiscriminate in what they kill. All aquatic organisms that utilize the surface water can be killed by such action. Modern mosquito larvicides are designed to kill mosquito larvae without harming other organisms. Contact your local town hall for information about the legal and wise means to dispose of motor and machine oils (see below).
Can I use some old insecticides I've stored for several decades?
If an insecticide is not currently registered, then it is illegal to use it. Contact your local town hall office to find out about your town’s hazardous waste recovery day.
What can I do to prevent mosquitoes developing on my property?
Mosquitoes will develop in almost any collection of stagnant water. Check areas around your yard to make sure tires, tarps, toys, kid’s pools, bird baths, are not holding water for periods longer than a few days. If you have wetland areas on your property you can call your mosquito control district to treat these areas.
Can't I just put out traps to take care of mosquitoes?
Many traps designed to kill mosquitoes are available to residents. These traps often kill large numbers of mosquitoes, but until the source of these mosquitoes are controlled, the trap will only scratch the surface of a larger problem. These traps can supplement control in a yard if they are placed well, but are no substitute for a regional mosquito control program.
Why not just use fish, dragonflies, birds and bats to control mosquitoes naturally?
Mosquitoes do have natural predators that eat them as larvae and adults. In the natural environment, relatively few mosquitoes may be eaten by their predators. Fish, bats, dragonflies, and birds will eat many varieties of prey but will not feed exclusively on mosquitoes. Therefore, they can never control mosquitoes at a level that would make a noticeable difference to humans.
What is the lifecycle of the mosquito?
All mosquito species in Massachusetts go through an egg, larval, pupal, and adult stage. There are several variations of this life cycle based on the particular habitat each species exploits. Please access the “Mosquito Biology” link on the main website for more information.
NCMCP uses different control strategies based on what life stage is present at different times of the year. For example, NCMCP treats wetlands with a biological product Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (often called Bti) to control mosquitoes before they hatch into biting adults. Adult mosquitoes, when active in large numbers, are treated with early morning aerosol applications which fall into the category of ultra low volume applications due to the small amounts of product applied per area treated.
For more information on the products used and the control strategies employed please access the main website links on Control Strategies & Products
Did you know that the mosquitoes that spread EEE are different than the mosquitoes that spread WNV?
There are certain (and to some extent completely separate) groups of mosquitoes which are involved in the transmission of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNv) in Massachusetts. EEE is circulated within the bird population by a deep swamp dwelling mosquito called Culiseta melanura. EEE is then transmitted to humans during certain years by a host of what are often called non-selective feeders which refers to mosquitoes which bite both birds and humans. WNv, on the other hand is transmitted bird to bird by more urban dwelling mosquitoes (Culex species) which develop in man made containers such as street drains, gutters and abandoned tires to name just a few. For more information on these viruses please access the links for West Nile virus and EEE on the main website page or footer.
This Act describes required actions each school must complete BEFORE any pest control treatment can be conducted on school grounds. This Act requires that EACH school annually prepare and submit to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) an outdoor IPM (Integrated Pest Management) plan. The outdoor IPM plan must also specify what measures may be taken to reduce the risks associated with mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease. If you would like more information on the Act please access the Children's and Families' Protection Act link on the main page of the web site.
What if I do not want my property treated?
According to State Regulation 333 CMR:13:04 a resident may exclude their property from mosquito control applications by registering with their town clerk by March 1 of each calendar year. It is also helpful if you send a copy of this request directly to NCMCP at the time you make the request to the town clerk. If you would like more information on this process please reference the following link:
http://www.mass.gov/agr/legal/regs/333_CMR_13.00.pdf
What if I find a dead bird in my yard?
The Department of Public Health announced in 2009 that they will no longer accept dead birds for WNv identification. If you find a dead bird you should use gloves to dispose of the bird.
Any resident can call NCMCP at (781)762-3681, Monday through Friday during regular office hours (7:00 AM to 3:30 PM) to register a mosquito complaint. As an alternative, residents can request service online from the Online Service Request Form.
Doesn't the NCMCP apply a lot of insecticide?
The NCMCP does apply insecticides, but these are carefully selected and applied where needed. The amount of insecticide applied by the NCMCP, however, is just a tiny fraction of the amount used by homeowners, lawn care companies and pest control companies throughout our 25 towns!
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