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Mailing Address: PO Box 60005 Fort Myers, FL 33906

Editor-in-Chief Marin Brouillard, Naples, FL voice: 239-436-1000 fax: 239-436-1005

Shipping Address: 600 North Road Naples, FL 34104

email: wingbeats@collier-mosquito org

Managing Editor Dennis Moore, Fort Myers, FL voice: 239-694-2174 fax: 239-694-6959 e-mail: moore@lcmcd org

Associate Editors Dave Dame, Gainesville, FL Tom Wilmot, Sanford, MI LCDR Eric Hoflinan, Jacksonville, FL

Regional Editors Massachusetts- Timothy D Deschamps, Norwood Michigan- Thomas R Wilmot, Sanford New Jersey- William C Reinert, Northfield Texas -Dan Sprenger, Corpus Christi Utah - Glenn Collett, Salt Lake City

Editorial Review Board Bill Reynolds, Sanford, FL L Philip Lounibos, Vero Beach, FL Robert Lowrie, Covington, LA GeorgeF O'Meara, VeroBeach,FL John J Smith, Norwood, MA James Webb, Santa Ana, CA

Florida Mosquito Control Association FMCA President Kellie Elberson, Gainesville, FL; e-mail: ethersonk@ci gainesville flus

Shelly Redovan, FMCA Executive Director PO Box 60837 Fort Myers, FL 33906-0837 voice: 239-694-2174; fax: 239-433-5684 e-mail: redovan@lcmcd org

American Mosquito Control Association AMCA President: Fred Knapp, Lexington, KY e-mail: flcnapp@ca uky edu

Martin S Chomsky, AMCA Business Manager PO Box 234 Eatontown, NJ 07724 voice: 732-544-4645; fax: 732-542-3267 e-mail: amca@mosquito org

www mosquito org

Feature: One Hundred Years of Entomology in the Panama Canal Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 by~-4. 'P~

Commentary: Overcoming Regulation Based on Innuendo and Litigation.................................................. 14 by 1:'~. fell Stwelt4

Chemline: PESP Champion Award......................................... 16 by 'Pete-e Z'eda.rt. Z'O<t9 ~- Z'O<t9 U'a44ffl«

Leading Edge: A Tale of Extremes: Mosquito Larvae, Battery Acid, and Drain Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 by 11tMi4 dd 'Pitale ~ 'P4. Z'.

Field Forum: ULV studies of Permethrin in Saginaw Michigan......................................... 22 by ~.tJ. "K~. &.Z'. U'a!Mt.11t.A. "K~. e.A.V~

From Where I Sit: Notes From the AMCA Technical Advisor ................................................................... 25 by~~

Program Profile: Keeping Aedes albopictus Out of the Lower Florida Keys ............................................ 36 by fk44 9· VtMk & &dut11t. '9«4«1t

About the Cover: A man spraying larvicide oil from a backpack sprayer near Miraflores, Panama, 1910. Photo Courtesy of Dr. John L. Petersen

~ ~: An official publication of the American Mosquito Control Association, published quarterly by the Florida Mosquito Control Association This magazine is intended to keep all interested parties informed on matters as they relate to mosquito control All rights reserved Reproduction, in whole or part. for educational purposes is permitted, without permission, with proper citation The FMCA and the AMCA have not tested any of the products advertised or referred to in this publication, nor have they verified any of the statements made in any of the advertisements or articles The FMCA and the AMCA do not warrant, expressly or implied, the fitness of any product advertised or the suitability of any advice or statements contained herein Opiuions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the opiuions or policies of the FMCA or the AMCA

Subscriptions: ~ ~ is sent free of charge to anyone within the continental United States Subscriptions are available for the cost of first class postage to any foreign address at the following rates: Europe, UK and Australia US$20; Canada, US$6; South America US$! 0 Make checks and purchase orders payable to the Florida Mosquito Control Association and send to FMCA, PO Box 60837, Fort Myers, FL 33906-0837

Correspondence: Address all correspondence regarding~ ~ to the Editor-in-Chief, Marin Brouillard, 600 North Road, Naples, FL 34104 Readers are invited to submit articles related to mosquito and biting fly biology and control, or letters to the Editors There is no charge if your article or letter is printed Photographers and artists are invited to submit color transparencies, high quality original artwork or artwork in electronic format for possible use in the magazine or on the cover; $100 will be paid for each cover photo Businesses are invited to place advertise­ments through the Editor-in-Chief

In 1900 Walter Reed, Aristides Agramonte, Jesse Lazear, and James Carroll made medical his­tory by demonstrating that Stego­myia fasciata (as Aedes aegypti was called in those days) transmitted yellow fever. Mosqui­toes did it! Not contaminated clothing. Not "bad air." The next year, Colonel William Crawford Gorgas applied the laboratory con­clusions of the Walter Reed Com­mission to the real-life situation in Havana, Cuba where yellow fever was rampant. By applying military discipline to eliminate larval Ste­gomyia breeding sites and im­prove sanitation, yellow fever cases were reduced from 1 ,400 during 1900 to 37 in all of 1901 . October 1901 was Havana's first yellow fever free month in re­corded history!

4 Winter 2003

On March 1, 1904, U.S. Presi­dent Theodore Roosevelt ap­pointed Colonel Gorgas, who had gained a reputation as the out­standing authority on tropical dis­ease, to serve as the Chief Sani­tary Officer in Panama. His mis­sion: eliminate yellow fever to make the canal construction area safe for workers. Gorgas knew what to do. He had already suc­ceeded in Havana, Cuba. But Panama was to be a different story!

The Spanish American War had taught President Roosevelt two im­portant lessons. ( 1) A Central American canal was essential to the strategic interests of the United States. (2) Tropical diseases were enemies that could not be ignored. Yellow fever, typhoid and malaria killed thirteen times as

many soldiers as the number of combatfatalities. In fact, the Walter Reed Yellow Fever Commission was established to address this very problem.

The Gorgas sanitary team ad­vance party arrived on the Isthmus in April 1904. The first year was one of great frustration . Under­staffed and under-budgeted , Gorgas' plan for Panama was go­ing nowhere. The root problem was that Gorgas' fellow commis­sioners did not accept the "mos­quito theory." Gorgas' requisitions for men, materials and supplies languished. What turned things around was the panic created by the yellow fever outbreak of 1905. "Yellow Jack in Panama" screamed the headlines in the New York Herald. That was bad

news for the foremen trying to recruit workers for the canal construction effort. Roosevelt ordered the sanitation of Panama at any cost. That's what made the dirt fly. Gorgas finally got his money and mos­quito control began in earnest. Yellow fever cases declined. So did malaria, although it never disappeared entirely. Source reduction was relent­less, with military-type disci­pline. Stegomyia fasciata was effectively eliminated from the urban centers of Panama City [located on the Pacific Ocean] and Colon [lo­cated on the Caribbean]. By 1906, yellow fever was elimi­nated from Panama. After the initial successes, Gorgas

stayed on, and was the only original member of the Panama Canal Com­mission to serve from its inception in 1904 through to completion of the canal in 1914. For his successes, William Crawford Gorgas was promoted to Major Gen­eral and went on to serve as Surgeon Gen­eral of the United states until his retirement in 1918.

History of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (1921 to present)

In 1921, Dr. Belisario Porras, three-time president ofthe Republic of Panama, thought of establishing a memorial to Major General William Crawford Gorgas in the form of an international cen­ter for the study of tropical dis­eases. The Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (GML) became a real­ity in 1928 when Panama donated the land and original building while the Congress of the United States pro­vided the initial fi­nancial support. The first director was Herbert C. Clark who served for 25 years from 1929-1954. Among Dr. Clark's outstanding contri­butions were his long-term malaria studies along the Chagres River, in­cluding pioneering studies on DDT for mosquito control. Details of the life cycle of Anopheles albimanus were studied based on a

laboratory colony. Additional medi­cally important species of anophelines were studied by Dr. Lloyd Rozeboom. An entomologi­cal field station was established at Juan Mina on the Chagres River and served for many years for field

observations on anopheline bionomics and malaria transmis­sion patterns. One of the outstanding publi­cations of this period was the monograph 'The Anopheline Mos­quitoes of the Carib­bean Region" by Sani­tary Engineer Director W. H. W. Kemp of the U. S. Public Health Service, who had been assigned to the GML. In addition, Dr. Graham Bell "Sandy" Fairchild was respon­sible for an important series of papers on Tabanidae and Simuliidae.

Mosquito repellent studies were initiated in Panama during 1939. Major Marshall Hertig joined GML in 1943 to take charge of the mos­quito repellent program for the U. S. Army Office of Scientific Re-

search and Develop­ment. Hertig would go on to lead the re­search effort on leishmaniasis and phlebotomine sand flies . The cadre of Army Sanitary Corps officers stationed at the GML during WWII conducted ex­tensive studies in Panama on the pre­vention and control of arthropods of medical importance from a military stand­point. Later, in 1948, Pedro Galindo, chief of the antimalaria campaign of the De­partment of Health of the Republic of Panama joined GML as a liason member

continued on page 8

"JUUt9 iS'e4U Winter 2003 5

'

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Thr! pc-::11Cidos \'Je cJisllibllte are .supplied CSiredly trom the bask: rnanu'.adufers wtlo 81& c:omtnitted o Ule highoes' s1andards ol quality. The equipment thn WIJ offer Is oonslantly betng rmproveo

ttuough .-esearcll and dt:'tldopmenl lowslng an th.e app!rcatiorl of lho late!l technology Eo mool t.ntl ch.aq~ nQ requi1Llmct11s or lhe marketplace.

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"Panama" continued from page 5

on malaria control. In 1949, the appearance of 3 fatal human cases of yellow fever along the transisthmian highway led to stud­ies on forest mosquitoes as vec­tors of sylvan yellow fever. These pioneering studies estab­lished research programs that continued for many years pro­ducing highly significant re­sults.

Dr. Carl M. Johnson served as the second GML director from 1954-1964. A physician with broad interests, both clini­cal and field, Dr. Johnson was an expert on Chagas disease. In fact, Dr. Johnson acciden­tally acquired Chagas disease himself and was personally familiar with the symptoms. Work continued on the incrimi­nation of triatomid vectors of Chagas' disease. GML ex­panded under his leadership. Yellow fever surveillance re­vealed activity at Cerro Azul in 1956 and Buena Vista in 1957. Other arboviruses re­ceived increased attention and interest in this program was

8 Winter 2003

enhanced by the occurrence of Venezuelan equine encephalomy­elitis in both humans and horses. studies on leishmaniasis were ex­tended to include detailed obser­vations on the epidemiology, ecol-

ogy and colonization of phlebotomine sand flies. In 1956, the U. S. National Institutes of Health awarded a multi-year grant for studies on leishmaniasis under the direction of Dr. Marshall Hertig and Dr. Graham B. Fairchild.

Dr. Martin D. Young, a malaria expert, was GML director from 1964-197 4. Dr. Young was an im­portant contributor to the literature on malaria and other parasitic dis­eases with over 1 00 journal articles on these subjects. Leishmania studies focused on reservoir hosts and taxonomy of phlebotomine sand flies of the genus Lutzomyia.

In connection with feasibility studies of two proposed sites for a sea-level canal in Panama or Co­lombia, the GML collaborated with the U. S. Army to conduct medical and ecological surveillance along the proposed canal routes. This was a tremendous opportunity for medical entomologists to conduct

long-term studies in the Darien of Panama. Many important arbovi­rus isolations were made at this time, such as Punta Torro virus.

A highlight of medical entomol­ogy field research during the 1970's was the pre- and post-im­poundment study of mosquito transmission of St. Louis Encepha­litis (SLE) and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE) at the site of the Bayano Hydroelectric Dam and the GML field station at Maje Is­land. Similar long-term studies were conducted at the Fortuna Hy­droelectric Project in Chiriqui Prov­ince during the late 70's and early 1980's.

The major contributions of GML have been in the fields of epide­miology, treatment of tropical dis­eases, and preventive medicine. The geographic location of GML at a world crossroads contributed much to these successes. Out­standing progress has been achieved in the epidemiology of malaria, yellow fever and other ar-

boviruses, Chagas' disease and leishmaniasis.

In 1990, the U. S. Congress transferred the GML to the Pana­manian government. The "Institute Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Ia Salud" [Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Stud­ies) continues today under the aus­pices of the Panamanian Ministry of Health providing public health and preventive medicine services to the people of Panama with den­gue surveillance being the most significant medical entomology ac­tivity.

In accordance with the Torrijos/ Carter Treaties, on December 31 , 1999 the U. S. flag was lowered from Quarry Heights on Ancon Hill and the "Canal Zone" reverted to Panama. However, this historic event did not end mosquito con­trol on the Isthmus. Capable en­tomologists from the University of Panama and the Panama Canal Au­thority continue to provide excel­lent environmental sanitation for the protection of canal employees

and the residents of the reverted ar­eas.

Military Medical Entomology in Panama (1904-1999)

During the entire duration of U. S. presence in the Panama Canal Zone, several branches of the U. S. armed forces were active on the Isthmus. The army, navy, air force and marines all had preventive medi­cine units. For many years, the navy conducted a course "Medicine in the Tropics" providing clinical and field experience in tropical parasi­tology and medical entomology. The army had the largest research component with outstanding con­tributions to medical entomology that included field-testing both topical (applied to the skin) and clothing mosquito repellents. In addition, the military conducted long-term studies of exposure to leishmaniasis by soldiers on biv­ouac in the tropical forest at the Jungle Operations Training Cen­ter. Many of the military medical entomologists who served in Panama are now in leadership roles in mosquito control pro­grams throughout the world.

In 1977, the Panama Canal Company (PCC) became the Panama Canal Commission ac­cording to the implementation of the Torrijos/Carter Treaties. The PCC contributed to medical ento­mology in several important areas. For example, novel methods of aquatic weed control were devel­oped for the abatement of Man­sonia mosquitoes that were par­ticularly troublesome for the resi­dents of Gamboa, a township lo­cated where the Chagres River flows into the Panama Canal. The PCC monitored malaria transmis­sion in townships on the shores of Gatun Lake, the man-made lake created by the Panama Canal locks.

continued on page 12

U'tit9 iS'ea/4. Winter 2003 9

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"Panama" continued from page 9

Dengue in Panama (1 993 - 2004)

though Aedes aegypti IS still the problem, the Panama Canal Au­

After many years of eradica­tion, Aedes aegypti was de­tected on the Isthmus. 1n August of 1985. Researchers at GML reported Dengue-2 in Panama City in 1993. This was the first recorded outbreak of dengue in Panama since 1942. Dengue-3 was detected in 1994 and dur­ing 1999 all 4 dengue serotypes circulated. Panamanian ento­mologists detected Aedes albopictus in Panama during 2002, although the role of this species in dengue tre~nsmission

is unknown at present. Den­gue surveillance rema1ns a high priority.

thority continues to count on a _..-- - - --- - --- - - , 1 well-trained staff of medical en­tomologists to keep the canal operating area sale for com­merce at the crossroads of the world.

Dr. Jolm L. Petersen E:~.'lension Medical Entomologist

Public Health Entomology Research & Education Center

4000 Frankford A vc. Panama City, FL

In 1904, Gorgas' challenge was yellow fever; In 2004, the threat in Panama is dengue. AI·

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THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF CITRUS COUNTY

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is seeking applications for the position of Direc­tor. The applicant must have a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Entomology, Baslc Sci­ences, Engineering, Pest Control, or a closely related field wi th a minimum of four years work experience in mosquito control. The position re­quires the applicant to have or be able to obtain Public Health Pest Control Certification, Director"s Certification. and a valid FL Driver's License. Sal­ary Range: Commensurate with experience and ability. Applications will be taken until tl1e post­tion is filled. Mail or fax cover letter and resume to Citrus County Mosquito Control District, P.O. Box 153, Lecanto, FL 34460. Phone: (352) 527-7478 Fax: (352) 527-9567

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1Ut,s- c «'.t> Winter 2003 [3

'Commentary Commentary

Overcoming Regulation Based on Innuendo and Litigation

The recent voluntary cancellation of Baytex (fenthion), the final result of the reregistration process, should serve as a wake-up call for our in­dustry. A number of precedents were established during that Envi­ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) process which could spell trouble for the rest of our adulticide prod­ucts.

Many in our industry did not be­come involved in the reregistration of Baytex because it was only used in Florida. That lack of involvement only played into the hands of the en­vironmental groups attempting to have the Baytex registration can­celled. For those who were not in­volved, here are some of the high­lights of the disappearance of Baytex.

The EPA held a series of public meetings with the people interested in the reregistration of Baytex. These meeting were attended by a number of people from the mosquito control industry, as well as individu­als representing several environ­mental groups. As a result of these meetings it appeared that the EPA was prepared to reregister Baytex with relatively minor label changes and a requirement that Bayer sup­ply some additional data. Then the U.S . Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and a coalition of environ­mental groups, led by the American Bird Conservancy, entered the pic­ture.

The USFWS provided the EPA with unpublished in-house data claiming to indicate that Baytex, ap­plied by the Collier Mosquito Con­trol District (CMCD), had been re­sponsible for bird mortality on Marco Island, FL. As a result of this unreleased data the EPA took an­other look at Baytex.

14 Winter 2003

The CMCD, and other mosquito control agencies, tried to get the USFWS data in order to study it and discuss it scientifically with the EPA However, due to the ongoing inves­tigation by the USFWS, the EPA was prohibited from releasing any of the data. Unfortunately, the data has never been released. The only thing ever released to the public was an internal EPA memo discussing the bird mortality in very general terms.

Nevertheless, the lack of good data did not deter the American Bird Conservancy and other environmen­tal groups from mounting a media campaign designed to inundate the EPA, several mosquito control dis­tricts, and other state and national agencies with emails opposed to the reregistration. Truth and relevance to mosquito control operations played no part in this media cam­paign. The fact that the people send­ing the emails knew little, if anything, about the issue was of no impor­tance, sheer numbers were the ob­jective of the campaign.

As a result of the political pres­sure exerted by these environmen­tal groups, and the lawsuit they filed against the EPA, the EPA proposed a new label with a number of ridicu­lous requirements. One of the ma­jor requirements was that any dis­trict wanting to use Baytex would have to annually develop, have ap­proved by the EPA, and follow what the EPA called an Integrated Mos­quito Management (IMM) plan.

The requirements of the IMM plan were, for the most part, bureaucratic in nature and would have done little to protect non-target organisms. Most of the requirements were for record keeping. The EPA wanted to know every detail of each appli­cation of Fenthion, down to the

~ v~. 941- stweu

plumbing parts used on the appli­cation equipment. They also wanted to know what efforts the districts made to educate the public about Fenthion and mosquito control. While these would have been time consuming and, of little, if any, value as far as protecting the environment was concerned, the requirement for prescription treatment with a seven day limit on re-treatment intervals was particularly outrageous. For mosquito control operations in southwest Florida, this re-treatment interval was simply not practical-and it was based on litigation rather than science.

Toward the end of the Baytex re­registration process it became readily apparent that the litigants (environmental groups) were setting policy for the EPA During discus­sions between several representa­tives of the mosquito control indus­try and EPA personnel, regarding requests for changes to the Baytex label and IMM plan the EPA made comments such as " ... we'll have to run that by the litigants to see if they will accept it. .. " or " . .. we can't do that because the litigants will not ac­cept that change."

So what happened to cause Baytex to be voluntarily cancelled? A variety of things, but lack of in­volvement by mosquito control dis­tricts around the country was defi­nitely a contributing factor. While the AMCA was involved in the pro­cess, very few districts outside of Florida actively supported the reregistration of Baytex. This lack of support, combined with the me­dia campaigns and litigation sup­ported by environmental groups, al­lowed the EPA to make decisions that are not supported by science. Which of our mosquito control prod

ucts w111 be subjected to this same process next?

What can we do 1n the future to 1nsure that other mosqu1to control produe1s do not suffer a s1m1lar fate? GET INVOLVED! That means you, and the d1s1nct umversity, health de­partment. or company that you rep­resent Without the active support of our entire 1ndustry the EPA will con· llnue to be guided be pressures from enllironmemal activists. not sound science.

When the next mosquito control product comes up for re-registration, our Industry must make a concerted eifon to protect that product. regard­less of whether 11 is used by an indi· vidual d•slrie1 or not. Any district that takes the stance that a particular product IS not 1mportant. simply be­cause the district does not use it, is gravely mistaken. All of our prod· ucts are 1mportant to the Industry, even those not used by a particular district

Start collecting data on the prod­ucts that you use now so that we have valid scientrf1c data to present to the EPA. Wrthout good data. the EPA resons to computer models, de­srgned for agncultural applications, to determire such th1ngs as drift and deposolton The information from these models IS then used to deter­mtne the risk to humans and non­target organrsms. The models used by EPA have never been validated

for mosquito control applications. and probably do not accurately re· ilect the results of mosquito control operations. Th1s IS a ctass1c case of garbage 1n. garbage out.

Data on ground deposrtior and dnft of aduthcide products would be extremely useful. We need to de· termtne what Information EPA Jses In their models and collect that data when we make our applications. This way we will be able to present the EPA with valid data to verify the accuracy. or inaccuracy. of the1r models.

We also need to start develop­ing field data on non-target impacts. or data indicative of this type of im­pae1, for our products. Here. actual tnals expos•ng non-targets would be wonderful to have. The degrada· lion rate of our products after appli· cation would also be useful. Most non-target studies are performed tn the laboratory wtth the specimens betng exposed to fixed doses of chemical lor long periods. We need to demonstrate that our producis do not expose non-targets to a continu­ous. high, dose of insecticide but to a rap1dly reducing dose.

Most Importantly we have io get organ1zed and develop campaign$ to get the public. our electeo offi· cials, and other mosquito control professionals involved. The EPA places great store on the shear numbers of comments it receives an

a topic . We also need to be ready to counter the negative media cam­oaigns run by the envtronmental groups. We need to be able to counter Innuendo. misrepresenta­tton. and outright lies with vennable facts.

Pan of this organizauonaJ effon should also be the development of a war chest to fund lawsuits against the EPA, environmental groups, or both to insure that the provisions of the Food Quality and Protection Act. which governs how the EPA regu­lates pesticides. are followed. The EPA IS required to make all of iiS de· cisrons based on sound SCience and we should stand ready to force rhe EPA to meet this legal reqUirement. If 11 takes a lawsurt to accomplish thrs. we must be ready to f11e such a sun.

Baytex is gone and we have lost one of our few weapons in the fight aga1nst mosquitoes and mosquito· borne diseases. Let's not lose any more weapons because oi apathy or lack of foresight and preparation.

'

Dr. Jdf Sti,ers Dirccwr of Research

Collier 1\to, quiro Conrrol Districr N•1ple-., FL

rmz .rwm flJJ1f11 fJfffffL1L'Ili , Training program s are developed

specifically for M osquit:o Control P ilot:5. ~f-a .Per i. -1t.

W11 offer: • Refresber Training ·R ecurrent Training ~ • lollial A/ C Transilion • Satetv Audits -

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1~U..r. Wintcr.::!003 IS

PESP Chatnpion Award

Mosquito Control Associations (in gray) that are PESP partners

PESP CHAMPION AWARD On October 11, 2003, Peter

DeChant, Chairman of the AMCA's Pesticide Environmental Steward­sh ip Program (PESP) Working Group, received a letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, informing him thattheAMCA was selected as a PESP Champion for 2003. The letter from J. Stephen Morrill, Acting Chief of the Environ­mental Stewardship Branch, Biopesticides and Pollution Preven­t ion Division, states:

"We recognize the AMCA as demonstrating outstanding efforts towards risk reduction and exhibit­ing an extraordinary level of com­mitment to our common goals of pro­tecting human health and the envi­ronment and promoting integrated

16 Winter 2003

pest management (!PM) ..... Your continued efforts at source reduc­tion, worker certification, public out­reach and surveillance for mos­quito-transmitted pathogens, includ­ing West Nile virus are ambitious influential and broad in scope. A~ you know, PESP is strongly encour­aging Members to adopt a quanti­tative system for end outcome mea­surement and your consistent efforts in this area are particularly appre­ciated."

Only 16, of the over 130 Partners in the PESP program, were selected for this recognition.

The s ixteen members desig­nated as PESP Champions of 2003 are: American Mosquito Control As­sociation,Audubon International Co­operative Sanctuary Program, Cali-

fornia Tomato Commission, Califor­niaAimond Board, Gerber Products Company, Glades Crop Care, Inc., Lodi-Woodbridge Wine Grape Com­mission, Low Input Viticulture and Enology of Oregon, Maryland De­partment of Agriculture, Massey Ser­vices, Inc., Michigan Asparagus Re­search, Inc., Monroe County School Corporation, Pebble Beach Com­pany, U.S. Department of Defense, University of Wisconsin's Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, and Walnut Marketing Board.

"PESP PARTNER UNDER THE AMCA'S AUSPICES" PROGRAM

Since the mid-1990's, the AMCA has been a "Partner" in the EPA's PESP program. The goal of this pro­gram is to promote the wise use of

continued on page 26

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5~rvice Produd.s Equipmenl Education

A Tale ofExtremes: J -;} ~ ~

Mosquito Lanae, Battery Add, and

Our mosquito research team is based in sunny Florida and if you live in or have visited the Sunshine State, you know that "Florida" is synony­mous with "Mosquito Heaven". Clearly, we are working on the right subject in the right place. Our team belongs to one of two groups dedi­cated to studying the complex physi­ology of the larval mosquito midgut at The Whitney Laboratory (part of the University of Florida) in St. Augustine. The anterior portion of the larval midgut has a very high pH and we are trying to un­derstand how this pH is main­tained. One of my interests is to develop chemical compounds that will target specific enzymes present in the mosquito with the purpose of controlling either mos­quito populations or the spread of devastating diseases such as malaria, dengue, and West Nile Virus. Having been born in a tropical country, I am well aware of the threat mosquito transmit-ted diseases pose to human populations. I am also aware of the scarcity of resources available to control mosquitoes or to treat the dis­eases they cause.

If you have observed mosquito lar­vae, you might have noticed thatthey feed using different mechanisms de­pending on the species. Some spe­cies obtain their nutrients from the water column while others scrape the bottom in search of debris and par­ticulate matter. Even though different species feed in different ways, most mosquito larvae digest their food in a very similar and unique way.

Unlike other organisms, the mos­quito larvae use alkali instead of acid for digestion. In fact, the interior of the larval digestive system can reach very high pH values. How high? Well ,

18 Winter2003

:O.aia Cleaner 41/tatu:a rid 'PdM-~- P~. 'D

consider this, the pH scale goes from zero to fourteen. Seven, the pH of water, is neutral. Values below seven are considered acidic and those above seven are considered alkaline. Zero, the lowest in the pH scale, is a pH value close to that of battery acid and is the most acidic a substance can be. Fourteen, on the other hand, is the pH of liquid drain cleaner, a

PhoCo Mana Corona

Aedes egypti laNa highlighted with pH indicator

highly alkaline material, and is the most alkaline a substance can be. In the same pH scale, our gastric juice (stomach acid) and that of most ani­mals has a value close to two. In con­trast, the anterior portion of the stom­ach in some species of mosquitoes scores an overwhelming ten and even eleven in some cases. Battery acid, liquid drain cleaner and the larval mosquito stomach all have extreme pH values. The first two are examples of extreme values for non-living sys­tems and the latter is an example of an extreme value for a living organ­ism.

How is this possible? How can something so little like a larval stom­ach be so alkaline? In order to an-

swerthis question we musttake a look inside the larval stomach. The larval stomach is called the midgut. It is a long narrow tube and in a mature, fourth instar larva it is as long as an uncooked grain of rice and about one third as thick. That is very small. The tube runs along the length of the larva and it is divided into three main sec­tions: gastric caeca, anterior midgut

and posterior midgut. The an­terior midgut is the region where the pH is high.

Maintaining a pH of 1 0 or more requires a buffer system capable of regulating any de­viations from this value. In the case of the larval mosquito midgut, the buffer system is composed of carbonate and bi­carbonate ions. Where does the bicarbonate come from? In most living creatures, bicarbon­ate is produced by an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase. This enzyme cata lyzes (speeds up) the conversion of carbon dioxide (C02) into bi­carbonate and vice versa. It is

one of the fastest enzymes known to man and it is present in a wide variety of organisms from plants to humans. In fact humans have at least 14 differ­ent types of carbonic anhydrase. Therefore, it is no surprise that this enzyme is also present in the mos­quito midgut.

In the course of our investigations, we have found that the high pH in­side the midgut is buffered by bicar­bonate, which in turn must be pro­duced by carbonic anhydrase. This enzyme is present in the midgut. We have found that an Anopheles gambiae complex mosquito larva has at least 16 possible carbonic anhy­drase-coding genes. We have been able to isolate at least two of those

genes from Anopheles gambiae, a mosquito that carries malaria, and one from another species, Aedes aegypti. This enzyme is necessary for larval survival in several mosquito species.

It seemed only logical to explore the possibility of using compounds that interfere with carbonic anhydrase ac­tivity to kill mosquito larvae. Such en­zyme inhibitors are chemical com­pounds that can be designed to tar­get a specific enzyme. They prevent the enzyme from doing its job by bind­ing tightly and tem-porarily to the active site, the part of the enzyme where ca­talysis takes place. Our results are en­couraging, although only preliminary.

In the case of car-bonic anhydrase in­hibitors, hundreds of these compounds have been devel­oped throughout the years and several of those have resulted in drugs used in the

,A.

such a compound is applied to the environment, any organism that has a functional carbonic anhydrase could potentially be affected. However, our preliminary results have indicated that a given dose of one particular inhibi­tor might kill mosquito larvae without harming other organisms. We have performed some initial tests in mos­quitoes and in one species of fish, with the help of Dr. Harry Zhong and his research team at the Public Health En­tomology Research & Education Cen-

How can it be done? We have found sixteen different genes that probably code for carbonic anhy­drases present in the mosquito ge­nome. Through molecular biology and bioinformatics, we have predicted that the structure of the active site in at least one of the carbonic anhydrases present in the larval mosquito midgut could be different than that of most carbonic anhydrases present in other organisms. If this is true, by isolating, purifying, and analyzing the structure

of this particular car­bonic anhydrase we should be able to de-

C A - C. ,

_, sign compounds ca­pable of targeting and inactivating that par­ticular enzyme. We could also take ad­vantage of the unusu-• •- _, r • •

... , .. ,, ... , .. ,

t •• ,. . . ..

ally high pH inside the larval midgut to deliver a low dose of this inhibitor through a "pH-sensitive" mi­crocapsule able to open only inside the highly alkaline mid­

treatment of dis­eases such as glau­coma and epilepsy. We have found that

Simplified representation of how some carbonic anhydrase inhibitors work.

gut. If the com-pounds prevent the larvae from maintain­

some of these com­pounds are lethal to some species of mosquitoes. These findings are very in­teresting because the same com­pounds have been used in similar doses in other organisms without lethal conse-

A. In the absence of inhibitor carbonic anhydrase (CA), binds carbon dioxide (CO), its substrate, to form an enzyme-sub­strate complex (CA-CO~ that yields bicarbonate (HCO).

B. In the presence of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor{/), carbon dioxide is unable to bind the enzyme and the formation of bicarbonate does not occur.

quences, in the majority ofthe cases.

ing the proper midgut pH, those larvae will likely die. If we are successful, in the fu­ture we will be one step closer to a novel, en vi ron mentally friendly and mos-quito-specific larvi­cide.

It sounds like a simple solution to a difficult problem would be to design a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor spe­cific for the enzyme (or enzymes) present in the larvae. However, it is more complicated. Most living organ­isms have at least one carbonic an­hydrase. An inhibitor of this enzyme used randomly as a larvicide will tar­get all carbonic anhydrases present in a particular organism. Therefore, if

ter (PHEREC) in Panama City, and we found that while one particular car­bonic anhydrase inhibitor killed both mosquito larvae and fish at high and low doses, another compound, used at the low dose, killed only the mos­quito larvae. These results indicate that it may be possible to design in­hibitors that will target only the car­bonic anhydrases present in the lar­val mosquito midgut without affecting non-target organisms.

Maria del Pilar Corena, Ph.D. The Whitney Laboratory

St. Augustine, FL

'U'iH-9 r?eaU Winter 2003 19

> Introducing a new_wave for envi science.

> Introducing a new_waV'e for environmental science.

ULV sc-Jies affler••M4t.in ·s. ~ magwnaw, ... ~

Introduction Ultra-low volume (ULV) appli­

cation of insecticides from ground equipment is a standard method used to control adult mosquito populations. The ULV approach, both in terms of method of application and the formulations of insecticides used is not intended to leave in­secticide residues on surfaces. The objective is to make the ap­plication in the air, where drift will occur, and mosquitoes in flight will come into contact with the micron size droplets of in­secticide. These applications present a low health risk to hu­mans because of the low der­mal exposure and low mamma­lian toxicity of the insecticides. ULV applied insecticides are thought to have low deposition onto surfaces compared with expected, or "theoretical" values (Tucker et al. 1987, Moore et al. 1993, Tietz et al. 1994). Tietz et al. (1996) found malathion deposits on filter paper in

~ ~ fJ. 'K~. &. Z), 1UaMM. ?lt./1. 'K~. (3,/1, 1'~

-\. 0.4 rt -= r0.2 1'111 (II

::E 0.0 15 milnutes 12 hours

Tim e. After Apptlicati on

Figure 4. Post-treatment permethrin residues.

front yards (about 11 m from the street) averaged 88.8 ng/cm2 imme­diately after application. Studies con­ducted by Knepper et al (1996) de­termined that ULV applications of

malathion and permethrin over grass surfaces resulted in neither compound persisting much beyond 36 hours post-treatment.

Table 1. Surface areas sampled during study

However, questions continue to arise as to whether ULV applied insecticides deposit onto surfaces and form residues. If so, how long do these residues persist, and what risk do they pose to human health. Therefore, studies were con­ducted to determine residues of permethrin applied by ULV ground equipment. The studies were conducted in two county parks (Figure 1) located in Saginaw, Michigan. Residue lev­els were determined by

!merman Park Picnic Table Seat Picnic Table Seat Picnic Table Top Picnic Table Top Children's Slide Children's Play Digger Play Equipment Rail Play Equip: Tic-Tac-Toe Soccer Cone: Vertical Soccer Cone: Horizontal Play Set Frame Lawn Chair Seat Basketball Lawn Chair Back

Hand Held Slider Rail

22 Winter 2003

Distance 28ft 44ft 30ft 46ft 42ft 49ft 49ft 54ft 43ft 43ft 46ft 47ft 20ft 48ft

67ft

H.R. Wicks Park Picnic Table Seat Picnic Table Seat Picnic Table Top Picnic Table Top 55 gal. Trash Can: side Cooking Grill Water Fountain Seat of Swing Soccer Cone: Vertical Soccer Cone: Horizontal Play Set Frame Lawn Chair Seat Basketball Lawn Chair Back

Dumbo Spring Rider

Distance 73ft 72ft 75ft 50ft 52ft 58ft 32ft 56ft 32ft 48ft 54ft 50ft 32ft 51ft

21ft

placing filter pape~s on equipment located m the parks. After ULV ap~li~a­tions of two permethnn In­secticide formulations, the filter papers were collected and analyzed for residue levels.

Field Applications The study was con­

ducted in two county parks located in Saginaw County, Ml in September 1999. The first park uti­lized was !merman Park, where Biomist6 4+4 (4%

Figure 1. Park sprayed during study

were then placed on wet ice for transportation back to the laboratory and stored at -1 0 C. Filter paper samples were analyzed at the Na­tional Food Safety and Toxi­cology Center at Michi~an State University by usmg gas chromatography for cis­and transpermethrin.

Observations

permethrin, 4% PBO, oil . based formulation) was applied at an application rate of 5.0 fl.oz.min (0.0019 lbs Al/acre). The second park was Harvey Randall Wicks, where Aqua-Reslin (20% permethrin, 20% PBO, water b~sed formulation) was mixed at a rat1o of 1 part Aqua-Reslin : 2 p~rts water and applied at 4.4 fl.oz./mm (0.0019 lbsAI/acre).

Weather information was collected hourly during this study. During insecticide ap­plications, temperatures were 17-18° C, relative hu­midity ranged from 34-46%

with wind velocity very low at 0-1 mph. Weather during the entire test period had a temperature range of 18-13° C, winds calm at 0-2 mph with no precrpitation or morning dew.

Fifteen surfaces (Table 1) were selected at each park with two cir­cular shaped filter papers (185 mm diameter) placed on each surface (Figure 2) and collected at 15 minutes and 12-hour post-treatment. Seven additional surface areas were sampled a few miles away to serve as controls.

Prior to application, the ULV machine had droplet characterization performed using the hand wave method with Teflon coated slides (Summit Chemical Co., Baltimore, Maryland). During each application, two rotating impingers (John W. Hock ~o. , Gainesville, Flonda) were placed in spray area to capture insecti-

cide droplets for further character­ization information.

Filter papers (Figure 3) were col­lected by hand using a clean lat~x glove for each individual sample. Fil­ter papers were then plac~d into clean 8 oz. glass jars fitted w1th alu­minum foil seals inside the lids. Jars

One truck-mounted ULV machine was used to spray both parks. Dr~p­let characterization performed pnor to application determined that mass

median diameter was 19m ----------------------...for Biomist and 18m for

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Table 2. Hypothetical Risk Assessment Aqua-Reslin. The slide rota-tor placed at !merman Park

WHO Acceptable Daily Intake (AD I) of permethrin during the Biomist applica-is 0.05 mg/kg/day (50,000 ng/kg) for the lifetime tion collected a total of 496 of an individual. droplets with a mass median Assume that a child weighing 25 kg (551bs) plays diameter (MMD) of 24m. At with a ball28.2 em in diameter (equals 2,498 Harvey Randall Wicks Park sq. em. surface area). . the slide rotator collected a If one-half the ball is covered w1th mean 12-hour total of 137 droplets with a levelofpermethrindetected(0.6619ng/cm),then MMD of 17m for Aqua-total residue would be 826.7 ng (0.6619ng X Reslin. 1,249 sq.cm) Assume 12-hours after application a child plays with the ball and comes in contact with the permethrin. Assume that 10% of the permethrin is absorbed through the child's hands . Total amount of permethrin entering the child's body is 82.67 ng (0.1 X 826.7 ng) Actual exposure compared to ADI equals 3.3068 ng/kg (82.67ng/25kg body weight) . Exposure is 15,120 times less then ADI on~ da1ly basis. (50,000 ng/kg/3.3068 ng/kg) or a ch1ld could have greater than 15,000 similar exposures to permethrin and not exceed the daily ADI value for this insecticide.

Results from filter paper analysis showed that resi­dues of permethrin of both formulations were detected . Residues for Aqua-Reslin at 15 minutes were detectable in the range of 0-3.49 ng/cm with a mean of 0.58 ng/cm per filter paper; 12 hour resi­dues ranged from .006-1.49 ng/cm with a mean of 0.33 ng/cm per filter paper. Aver­age Aqua-Reslin residue levels at 12 hours post treat-

continued on page 32

'ti!Ut9 i$'eatt Winter 2003 23

From Where I Sit: Notes From the AMCA

From where I sit.. ... The NPDES Wars. Since we last spoke, a great deal has happened regarding the im­pact that implementation of provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) will exert on our profession. Alas, our consider­able efforts in mitigating these effects are beginning to bear fruit! Our esti­mable Legislative & Regulatory commit­tee, headed by Dave Brown and Lucas Terracina, deserve a great deal of credit for spearheading AMCA initiatives to address this crucial issue. These ini­tiatives include: congressional testimony by Roger Nasci and yours truly; letters to the EPA and various legislators; sub­mittal of a petition for rulemaking to the EPA and extensive monitoring activities by our legislative advocate. All of these have brought considerable pressure upon EPA to more fully articulate its position on the regulatory status, vis-a­vis the CWA, of federally registered pesticides when applied in accordance with their labels.

As you may remember, decisions by the 91h and 2nd Circuit Courts of Ap­peal had called the tools of our trade into question as "pollutants", requiring National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, for their le­gal application . The AMCA, in addition to a number of other professional trade associations, considered this inimical to the original intent of the regulation and began to marshal resources to con­vince EPA to redefine our legally ap­plied public health insecticides as fully exempt from NPDES permitting. To this end, theAMCArequested a rulemaking by EPA to exempt our larvicides and adulticides from these unnecessary and redundant requirements. EPA reviewed our request and found it had consider­able merit. Thereupon, the EPA pub­lished an "Interim Statement and Guid­ance" memorandum that redefined lar­vicides and adulticides as lying outside of the congressional definition of "pol­lutant" and, thus, being exempt from NPDES permitting when applied in ac-

Technical Advisor

cordance with their labels. This guid­ance document also notified the public that comments would be solicited prior to final disposition of the matter.

AMCA submitted comments fully supporting the guidance document in addition to suggesting changes to the definitions of "pollutants" in the Code of Federal Regulations that would under­score the exemption of larvic ides/ adulticides in the CWA. Furthermore, AMCA went to great lengths to involve the membership in this critical process by providing background documents, template letters, and guidance on the various regulations involved via e-mail, snail mail, and our website. All of this was meant to ensure that each of us had an opportunity to voice our opin­ions to the EPA and effect a favorable outcome.

Let me take this opportunity to once again emphasize the importance of AMCA members participating in the leg­islative process. On more than one oc­casion, Jonathon Pawl ow, Chief Coun­sel of the House Subcommittee on Wa­ter Resources and Environment, has un­derscored to me the critical nature of making one's views known to their leg­islators. These legislators render deci­sions based upon the information they receive from their constituents. If they only hear from the No Spray Coalition, guess how they are likely to vote? Mr. Pawlow has also emphasized the im­portance of numbers in the legislative process-the more letters they receive from one side of the issue, the more likely they are to vote in the favor of that constituency. To be sure, AMCA can spearhead issues on your behalf, but we can be compromised by the shear volume of correspondence by those with agendas at odds with ours. Make no mistake about it - environmental activ­ists are well-financed and can easily mobilize vast numbers of constituents to speak on their behalf - a fact not lost upon legislators looking to grease the

squeaky wheel. Our ability to counter­act this with our own raised voices is a measure of our dedication to what we should all consider is a noble profes­sion.

The AMCA Washington Legislative Conference, usually occurring in the April/May timeframe, is a superb venue for our membership to discuss the is­sues and present them in person within an organized context. I'll admit that I was somewhat intimidated by the whole Washington milieu the first time I par­ticipated, but I can truthfully say that the AMCA has made the process as turnkey for the participants as possible and I now look forward to bringing our message to those with the power to take action on it. Furthermore, establishing relationships with your representatives/ senators and their staffs can pay off down the line when they are in need of information on a mosquito control issue and they can put a name and a face to someone with the expertise to provide timely, accurate information. I would heartily suggest that all of you think se­riously about attending and helping your profession continue performing its vital tasks. You won't be disappointed. In fact, I guarantee you'll return to your homes with a greater appreciation of the wonderful participatory democracy in which we live.

In the meantime, AMCA will continue to monitor legislative issues that impact our profession, act on your behalf when possible, and enlist your support when necessary.

Joe Conlon

AMCA T eclmical Advisor

'U'i~f1 r?eaU W inter 2003 25

'PCSP" conlmued fro111 page 1 (i pesticides. stewardshiP whrch re­sults 1n reduced pestiCide risk. For the past 5 yeC~rs. the AMCA's PESP Working Group has offered to State and Regional mosqwto control as­sociations. the opportumty to be­Ct>lne a "PESP Partner under 111e AMCA's ausp1ces". To date. the lot­lowing assoc1ahons have iaken ad· vantage of this partnership opportu­nity:

Mosquito & Vector Control Association of California

Florida Mosquito Control Assoc iation

Louisiana Mosquito Control Association

New Jersey Mosquito Control Association

No rth Carolina Mosquito & Vec­tor Control Association

Northeastern Mosquito Control Association Inc.

Northwest Mosquito & Vector Control Association

Srnce thiS program began, sev­eral mosqullo control programs have expressed rn lerest in their individual offrce becoming a ·'PESP Partner under the AMCA's auspices' Other offtces have demonstrated lnterest in an alterna.live possibility, that be· mg an AMCA-sponsored accredrta­tron program. At the Interim Board Meetrng or the AMCA's Board of Di­rectors in Savannah, Georgia on Oc­tober 11, these two Items were rarsed as posstbilities for our Asso· clarion to pursue. The Board decrded nor to pursue an accreditation pro­gram at this trme but ro move lor­ward with the possibility of individual members applying to become Part­ners. The hrst step rn thrs process will be an lrpcoming survey to de­termine the scope of this Inter est wili1in our membership.

SUMMARY

Tile AMCA's parlrorpation rn the PESP program has been a rnean­mgfut and rewarding endeavor The PESP Working Group ts very proud

or this recent accomphshmenr of berng recognized as a PESP Cilam­pion and ts rooking lor ways to fur­ther develop PESP within our Asso­ciatron. Please take pari in the up­coming survey, to help direct our Association as how to better serve our membership.

J'ctcr OeCh:mr Ch:llrm;m-PESP \\.,rking Gmop

o~~ug Carlson \Vorking Group 1VlcmbtJr

Owg Wu."""'"' Working Group Memhn

Retuvll'vLV'vg to schooL , f-tc-ls N evev -seell'v &c-lst.e ... or more worlhwhi I e. Ow 3-tlay ..:uurses ure designctl with

bu&') prnfes;iona" 111 m1ntl. '\o JJurr. 'ill Ullte:. retl rheorie.;.

Only biinds-o n. practical informal iun covt•f'ing all of the

hm rnpk:'> in mu'4Utlu c~>lllrultodil). Lcac1urg expclt~ 111 tht­

i'ield will guide you r.hruugh each cuurse ........ don ·r forget tn

hring your mo~t pressing qucstioM. {Nu luuchbox re4uired.J

CC!LL 'i?00-3::2.3-57-::~:r or- G30-~4-2000 for course offer~vvgs § ote~tes

CLARI<E Mo s quito Coatrol

150 Garden Avonuu • Rosella._ IL 60172 www elarke-mosqulto .corn

t~n• a iJ clarks 0 cia rlo;em\Ot.quuo co m

Glaba/5o/utions lor Mosquito Control.

Letters to the Editor

In his article in the latest Wing Beats, "Gambusia The Mosquito Fish," Ben Walsh indicates, "There is some debate over the effects of Gambusia introduction." Indeed there is! Had Mr. Walsh trawled a little deeper, he might have found an article published in JAMCA in 1996: Adverse assessments of Gambusia affinis: An alternate view for mosquito control practitioners. This article, which I wrote, has both supporting and opposing views from mosquito control folks around the world appended to the article, JAMCA's one and only forum article.

Where Gambusia is native to an area, it can be used without adverse effects, but like any exotic living organism, something about which Florida folks ought to be very sensitive-walking catfish, peacock bass, oscars and the like-it must be used with caution. For instance, the New Jersey protocol indicates that Gambusia not be used in waters where there are native fish. Biocontrols are not like pesticides; they do not break down in the environment. Gambusia, once released, cannot be controlled unless they are cold-hardy, and even then there are risks since there are cold-hardy strains.

Since Gambusia are native in states south of the Mason-Dixon line, one might with reason (and some sarcasm) ask why there are so many mosquitoes in the coastal regions of our southern states.

HenryRupp

The American Mosquito Control Association will have a digital image salon at the annual meeting in Savannah, Geor­gia. Mr. Doug Wassmer ofthe Pasco County Mosquito Control District [Florida] has volunteered to coordinate this effort.

The members of the association are encouraged to email digital images of mosquitoes, mosquito control operations and related topics to Mr. Wassmer [Dwassme1 @TampaBay.RR.com]. JPG format is desired, but others will be accepted.

The goal of the association is to make images available to the membership for power point presentations, etc. However, there will be no commercial use of the images.

Every image must be submitted with a title and the authors name.

There will be no judging of the images. The deadline for submission is January 15, 2003

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Coming Events 2004

January 13 - 15, 2004 The FMCA 2004 Aerial Short Course Class wlll be held at the Lee County Mosquito Control District. More information will be available shortly.

January 26 - 30, 2004 The Dodd Short Courses wi ll be held at the Sheraton Hotel, Gainesvi lle.

January 30 - February 2, 2004 NAB FA will meet at Archbold Biological Station, Lake Pacid. FL. Contact Elmer Gray at 706-542-6097.

February 2004 The State Public Health Vector Control conference (SPHVCC) will be held on the West Coast.

February 10 - 12, 2004 The 8th Annual Southeast Regional Public Health Pest & Vector Manage­ment Conference will be held at the Sheraton Four-Points - Boardwalk Beacll Resort. Panama City Beach, FL. More information at PHEREC web page or e-mail Jack Petersen.

February 11-12. 2004 The West Central Mosquito and Vector Control Association (WCMVCA) annual meeting will be held at the Adams Mark Hotel, Grand Junciion, CO. Contact Sara Evans at 970· 304·6415 for conferece details.

February 21 - 26, 2004 The AMCA 70th Annual Meeting will be held in Savannah, GA. First Call for Papers and other information at AMCA Web Page

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It’s time to make your reservations for the AMCA 2004 annual meeting in historic Savannah, GA. The meeting will be held in the brand new, ultra-modern Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on the waterfront. A five minute water taxi ride will get you to the hotels, shops and restaurants across the Savannah River. Buses will augment the water taxi service. A room block is reserved at the:

Plan to Participate in the AMCA 2004 Field Day - February 25, 12:00 – 4:30.

Lunch will be provided!

Share your computer applications, equipment modifications, and field techniques with your colleagues. An invitation letter is going out and the Field Day Registration Form will also be posted on the AMCA website. Contact Jeff Heusel to reserve a booth at the 2004 Field Day in beautiful Savannah, Georgia:

jlheusel@chathamcounty.org or 912-790-2540.

Don’t Forget Companion Tours!

¶ Historic Overview Tour: Ride around the city in the comfort of a trolley bus and see the many historic homes, churches, and sites around the city. Get off the bus for a closer look and another bus will be by to pick you up! $21 per person (Gold tour* is $25 pp, Platinum tour** is $27 pp – includes one free museum ticket; see below for listing). Offered daily 9 am – 4:30 pm (tour is as long as you make it!).

¶ Tea Time: Join your guide for a personalized visit to The Tea Room. Next, you will be escorted through the unique shops of Broughton Street. Then head to another tea room, The Gryphon, a beautiful historic building. Cost to be determined; Monday, February 23 at 1 pm (4 hours long)

¶ Walking the Plank: Arrrgh! Your “personal pirate” will entertain you with swashbuckling tales of the pirates of Savannah while you walk through the Colonial section of Historic Savannah. Then continue to a hearty meal (optional) at the Pirate’s House, once a favorite pirate hangout. $13 per person (bring extra money for dinner); Monday, February 23 at 7 pm (60 minutes long).

¶ Low Country Tour: See how the plantation owners lived at Wormsloe Plantation. Visit Bethesda Home for Boys, founded in 1740 as Bethesda Orphanage and still operating today. Finally, delve into mysterious Bonaventure Cemetery – a big hit among “Midnight” fans. $27 per person; Tuesday, February 24 at 1:30 pm (3 ½ hours long).

¶ Hauntings Tour: As one of the most haunted cities in America, Savannah has plenty of spooks and specters! This is a walking tour, so you will get a much more intimate look at the spookiest cemeteries and houses. $13 per person; Tuesday, February 24 at 7:30 pm (90 minutes long).

¶ Carriage Tour: Riding in a horse-drawn carriage allows a view of the city as it was originally seen. This tour transports you back to the days of cobblestone streets and carriage houses. The most romantic way to see the city! $18 per person; Wednesday, February 25 at 6 pm (50 minutes long).

Important: Tour selections must be made no later than January 15, 2004. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like more information – I would be very happy to help you make the most of your visit!

Molly Dobbins · Companion Tour Coordinator · mdobbins@chathamcounty.org · (912) 790-2540

*Gold Tour includes admission to one of the following: Savannah History Museum, Isaiah Davenport House,

Roundhouse Railroad Museum, Old Fort Jackson, or Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. **Platinum Tour includes admission to one of the following: Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, Owens-Thomas

House, Andrew Low House, Ships of the Sea Museum, or Telfair Museum of Art.

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"ULV Studies" continued from page 23

Figure 2. Filter papers on swing seat prior to ULV application.

The ADI value is based on lifetime daily exposure and assumes 1 00% absorption through skin upon contact. In real life con­ditions permethrin applications occur in­frequently and exposure does not always occur. One should also keep in mind that as the child grows and gains weight this AD I level increases while the residue level remains the same. This type of exposure would continue to be less and less com­pared to the ADI as the child grows. Addi­tionally, permethrin breaks down rapidly in the environment and absorption through skin is likely to be much less that 1 00% of the actual amount contacted. Finally, ex­posure is likely to occur only a limited num­ber of days per year rather than 365 days per year. This means that the average

ment were 43% less than 15 minute post treatment levels. Biomist residues at 15 minutes ranged from 0-4.48 ng/cm with a mean of 1.13 ng/cm per filter paper; residues at 12 hour post treatment ranged from 0-3.42 ng/cm with a mean of 0.99 ng/cm per filter paper. Average post treatment residues for Biomist at 12 hours were 12% less than levels de­tected at 15 minutes post treatment.

A risk analysis (Table 2) based upon the World Health Organization (WHO) Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0.05 mg permethrin/kg body weight/day was conducted using the mean measured level of permethrin which was 0.1779 mg per filter paper (.6619ng/sq.cm) at 12 hours post-treat-ment (Figure 4 ). ADI is defined as the

daily exposure would be far lower than the amount measured on the surface of the

ball. Thus, the measured levels really correspond to values much less than the daily and yearly lev­els as calculated above. Accordingly, residues of permethrin resulting from ULV applications in mos­quito control programs are unlikely to pose a sig­nificant health risk to children or adults.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to thank William Jany of Clarke Mos­

quito Control Products for the generous financial support to fund the gas chromatography analysis of this study. Thanks also to the staff of the Saginaw County Mosquito Abatement Commission for their

maximum dose of a substance that is an­ticipated to be without health risk to hu­mans when taken daily over the course of a lifetime. Thus, levels of permethrin absorption by a hypothetical child would be 15,120 times less than the ADI for one day and over 5.5 million times less when annualized for a year's exposure. In the worst case scenario for exposure to the ball, using the maximum observed level of permethrin which was 1.2 ug per filter paper (4.48 ng/sq.cm) at 15 min­utes post treatment, calculations show that absorption by the child would be 2,234 times less than the ADI for one day. It would be about 815,410 times less when annualized for a year's expo­sure.

Figure 3. Filter papers on picnic table prior to collection.

32 Winter2003

assistance in the implementation of this study: and finally to the anonymous reviewers and editors ior improving the manuscript.

REFERENCES CITED

Knepper, R. G., E. D. Walker, S. A. Wagner. M. A. Kamrin, M. J . Zabi k. 1966. Deposition of malathion and permethrin on sod grass after single, ultra-low volume applications in a suburban neigh­borhood in Michigan.

Moore, J . C., J. C. Dukes, J. R. Clark, J. Malone, C. F. Hallman and P. G. Hester. 1993. Downwind drift and deposition of malathion on human targets from ground ultra-low volume mosquito sprays. J. Am. Mosq. Control Assoc. 9:138-142.

Tietze, N. S., P. G. Hester and K. R. Shaffer. 1994. Mass recovery of malathion in simulated open field mosquito adul1icide tests. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 26:473-477.

Tietze, N. S., P. G. Hester. K. R. Shaffer and F. T. Wakefield. 1996. Peridomeslic deposition of ul-

tra-low volume malathion applied as a mosquito adullicide. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 56:210.218.

Tucker, J. W., Jr., C. Q. Thompson, T. C. Wang and R. A. Lenham. 1987. Toxicity of organophos­phorus insecticides to estuarine copepods and young fish after field applications. J. Fla. Anli·Mosq. Control Assoc. 58:1 -6 .

RG. Knepper Saginaw Coung• Mosquito Abatement Commission

E.D. Walker Depanrnent of Entomology Michigan State University

M.A. Karurin Environmental Toxicology Program

Michigan State University C.A. Vanden•oort

Natiotlal Food Safety and Toxicology Center Michigan State University

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KeepiaagAedes albopictus out of the Lower Florida Keys

History of Aedes a/bopictus in the Keys

Since 1994, Aedes albopictus, commonly referred to as the Asian Ti­ger Mosquito, has been identified from every county in Florida (O'Meara et al. 1995). One of the few places the mosquito had not become established was the Florida Keys. The Keys con­sist of approximately 120 miles of is­lands linked together by U.S. High­way 1 (US1 ); the Lower Keys are lo­cated south of the 7 -mile bridge (MM 40to47). In 1993,Ae. a/bopictuswas sighted, by an unverified source, for the first time in the Florida Keys at Ocean Reef on Key Largo.

George O'Meara, of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory (FMEL), has been monitoring Ae. albopictus throughout the state of

4 ~ fl. 1Jtad Md &d4d 11{, '?«44elt

Florida for approximately ten years. He has collected specimens in the Upper Keys, just south of the county line on Cross Key at mile marker (MM) 1 08 as well as in Key Largo at about MM 101.5.

On December 16, 2001 an A e. albopictus adult mos­quito was collected for the first time from the Lower Keys when a Keys Mosquito Con­trol field inspector observed and collected the specimen after taking counts on Big

Figure 2. Mosquito habitat found near infested area.

Pine Key along 5th Avenue, south of (US 1) at about MM 30.5 (Fig. 1 ). On March 28, 2002, the first larval speci­men was collected at the same loca­tion in a container.

Why Eradicate Aedes a/bopictus?

The unique situation of the Florida Keys (being small, isolated islands) encouraged efforts to attempt to eradi­cate the mosquito from the Lower Keys. There are good reasons to want to eradicate the mosquito. Of course, we would rather not add an­other mosquito (therefore vector) to the Keys. Additionally, the mosquito is a major pest and its presence would likely result in increased complaints and adulticiding operations (Moore 1997, Rutgers2002).

There are several reasons why attempting to eradicate Ae. albopictus in the Florida Keys might succeed:

1. Until this point, the mos­quito had a poor record of colonization in the Keys. It was only found on a few oc­casions in the Upper Keys (and never routinely).

Figure 1. A~ea of Big Pine Key infested with Aedes albopictus. Blue pushpms denote approxim~te locations of Ae. albopictus

2. It appeared to be isolated to a small area of Big Pine Key, in a region less than one-quar­ter mile in diameter (Fig. 2). 3. The Keys are space-re­stricted; therefore garbage and debris, such as tires, are

36 Winter 2003

not usually brought into the area, as land is too valuable. 4. Recent research indi­cates that Ae. albopictus eggs are more susceptible to desiccation than Ae. aegypti (Juliano 2002). The Keys experience considerably drier winters than the main­land.

What Did We Do? The Florida Keys Mosquito

Control District decided to at­tempt to eradicate A e. a/bopictus from the Lower Keys after ac­cessing the area where the mos­quito was found. This area con­tained a junkyard, small busi­nesses, some residences (vacant and occupied), storage yards, wooded ar­eas, and a freshwater swamp. Sev­eral methods were used during the eradication process including: regu­lar domestic inspections, routine sweeps (habitat removal), public edu­cation, aeriallarviciding, barrier treat­ments, adulticiding by truck, aerial adulticiding with fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, larval sampling, adult col­lections using the American Biophys­ics Corporation (ABC) traps, sentinel tires, and ovicup sampling.

Sentinel tires Ae. a/bopictus is a container

breeder. Its eggs are laid above the water line and wait for immersion to hatch; therefore, a common method to monitor for the species is with sentinel tires. Two tires were placed at the site of the first collection. Tires were checked on a weekly basis. Ae. a/bopictus larvae were only collected on two occasions. No species of mos­quito larvae were found in the tires after July 30, 2002.

Routine inspections Larval sampling has been con­

ducted routinely at Big Pine Key since 2000. During 2002, Ae. a/bopictus was identified from these larval collections. Inspec­tions on Cudjoe Key (MM21) re­vealed Ae. albopictus larvae at two locations in November 2002. No

Figure 3. Educational pamphlet given to the public.

further collections have been made in spite of continued island-wide lar­val sampling and continued ovicup collections at one of the original sites.

Trapping Adults were collected using ABC

traps baited with dry ice from April to December 2002. Five to six traps were operated 140 nights and Ae. albopictus was only collected once in June; therefore, adult trapping was terminated after December 2002.

On January 7, 2003, ovicups were placed at six sites where Ae. a/bopictus had been collected previ­ously. Traps consisted of clear plas­tic cups painted black. The cups were

Figure 4. Performing a barrier treat­ment with a backpack sprayer that was modified and mounted on the

back of a truck.

hung using a nail, filled to about one quarter full with leaves and debris, and then filled with wa­ter. A tongue depressor was placed in the cup and then col­lected and replaced each week. Ae. a/bopictus larvae were reared from one egg batch col­lected in February which resulted in a sweep of Big Pine Key.

Sweeps The most important compo-

nent of our eradication efforts were the sweeps. A sweep con­sisted of 12 to 20 mosquito con­trol employees going, in pairs, to properties in the area where A e. albopictus had been identified.

At each location they collected larval samples, removed and/or treated con­tainers, and conducted public educa­tion. The sweeps on Big Pine Key resulted in the collection of 464 larval samples, 130 tires, and three pick-up truck beds full of litter.

During the sweeps, pamphlets (Fig. 3) outlining the Ae. albopictus problem and illustrating the area where the mosquito had been col­lected were handed out to residents. When a property represented the po­tential to be a serious problem, the inspectors would work directly with the owner to resolve it. Through the friendly encouragement of the inspec­tors, several trouble areas were com-

pletely eliminated .

Barrier treatments Barrier treatments using a

backpack sprayer with Permethrin 57% or Flit 13.3 were applied to areas where adult or larval Ae. albopictus were collected (Fig 4 ). Between 2002 and 2003, six ap­plications were made on Big Pine Key and one was made on Cudjoe Key. Though difficult to evaluate, it seems that the treat­ments were effective in prevent­ing the spread of the population.

Aerial adulticiding One treatment was performed

on Big Pine Key in August 2002 after a special permit was ac­quired to apply Biomist 30/30 by

16''"9 r?eaU Winter 2003 37

helicopter. Roubne adulticiding was also perfonned by fixed wing aircraft,! usrng Otbrom. to treat Ochlerotatus taeniomynchus. These treatments most l•kely affected Ae. a/bopictus numbers as well

Fog trucks Ground ULV spraying was per·

formed at night after larval or adult mosquttoes were collected using Biomist30130 from trucks.

Results

The last time Ae. a/bopictus was collected tn the Lower Keys was on Cudjoe Key in November 2002 and on Big Ptne Key in February 2003.

What have we learned?

We have learned that Ae. a/bopfctus can establish ttself in the climate ot the Lower Keys, and since it was present from at least October to June. we can assume that it can "over-winter· We also learned that even when spread over a fainy large area. repeated and thorough search

and destroy missions for larval habt· tat combtned with barrier treatments and adulticide missions can knock the population down.

Have we eradicated Ae. albopiCtuit? It is diffiCult to say. De­sprte continued monitoring, the mos­qutto has not been collected m the Lower Keys since February of 2003. Unfortunately, collections have oc· curred in the Middle and Upper Keys smce this time.

As travel to the Keys continues at a high level, it seems inevitable that Ae. a/bopiCfus will remain. but maybe we can keep it out of the Lower Keys and Key West for another seven years. References

Juliano. S.A., G.F. O'Meara J.R. Morrill, and M.M. Cutwa. 2002. Des· iccatJon and thermal tolerance of eggs and lhe coexistence of compet­ing mosquitoes. Oecologia. 130:458-469.

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Moore, C.G. and C.J. Mitchell. 1997. Aedes alboplclus in the United States: Ten-year presence and pub­lic health implications. trrtp:/lwww/ cdc.gov/nctdod eid 'vol3no31 moore.htm

o·Meara, G.F .. L.F. Evans. A.D.Getman. and J.P. Cuda. 1995. Spread of Aedes alboptetusand De· cline of Aa. aegypti (Diplera: Culi· cidae) in Florida. Journal of Medical Entomology. 32(4):554·562.

Rutgers Umvers1ty. Accessed 2002. Aedes afbopictus (Skuse). Rutgers New Jerseymosquito homepage:http:J/www.rci.rutgers.edu/ -tnsects/albo.htm

Joshua J. Vlach , Former Enromolo::!ist

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call Clarke Mosquito Control at 1·800-323-5727. or visit www.ctarkemosguito.com.

Equlj>menl Educauon