Mosquito-fighting district expands to cover all of San Mateo County Mosquito-fighting district expands to cover all of San Mateo County (January 28, 2004)

Mosquitoes and insects a nuisance? Want free mosquito fish for your fishpond? Do you need someone to remove a yellow-jacket nest, or check for Lyme disease-bearing ticks?

Now everybody in San Mateo County can dial 344-8592 for help with bothersome insects -- as well as the mosquitoes that may bring West Nile virus to this area.

On January 14, the board of the San Mateo County Mosquito Abatement District formally extended its boundaries to include all of San Mateo County, including North County and the Coastside.

Previously, the district, which was formed in 1916, served only the Bayside of the county, from East Palo Alto to Millbrae.

Prompted by the spread of the mosquito-borne disease, West Nile virus, the district's expansion involved a lengthy process, including a survey of property owners to see if they would pay $15 per year for the extra service.

Approximately 70 percent of owners of single-family homes in the north and west county voted in favor of the new tax. A weighted majority of 65 percent, based on property, approved the measure.

Some people were so eager for the services that more than 100 checks were attached to the ballots, reported assistant vector ecologist Alexandra Porshnikoff. The checks will be returned.

District Manager Robert Gay hailed the vote that will allow the district to serve the whole county. "Mosquitoes and diseases do not recognize political boundaries," he said.

James Counts, field operations supervisor, urged residents to call in requests for service. "We have a small window of time to prevent mosquitoes from becoming a problem," he said.

Other advice: Get rid of standing water in tubs, buckets, old tires, or wherever mosquitoes breed. Because dead birds can signal West Nile virus, people should report dead crows, ravens, magpies, jays, sparrows and finches to the California State Health Department at 1-877-WNV-BIRD.
INFORMATION

For information or service, call 344-8592 or check www.smcmad.org. Other sources of information: San Mateo County Public Health Division, call 573-2346 or check www.smhealth.org; or check http://westnile.ca.gov.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.