I started working at Clarke when I was 18. It was my first real job, and I often say that I’ve “grown up” here. Over the last 15 years, I’ve learned a lot about this business, and the things that community members care about. By my best estimate, I have spent at least 6000 hours on the phone fielding questions from residents about mosquito control.
Based on my experience, here are the top 10 things residents want to know about your community’s mosquito control program. It’s important to note that the specific answers to these commonly asked questions might vary depending on the mosquito control product being used in your community. But generally:
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Will mosquito spray treatments harm me, my kids, or my pets?
We understand that the potential for pesticide exposure concerns many. And, we know many individuals are generally sensitive to chemicals, whether they’re from a perfume or a pesticide, and take steps to limit exposure whenever possible. However, mosquito control treatments, applied correctly, using EPA-registered products, will not harm humans or pets. That said, we do offer residents the ability to sign-up for advance notification of scheduled applications, so they can plan accordingly.
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Do I need to cover my plants before a mosquito spray treatment? Are garden veggies safe to eat after a treatment?
Plants and garden beds do not need to be covered or harvested before a treatment. Just use the same practice that should be followed with grocery or market produce, and rinse with water and a mild detergent before consuming.
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Should I turn off the air conditioning in my house or shut windows when a mosquito spray treatment occurs?
Leave the A/C on! Windows may also remain open. Decades ago, this was a common recommendation but as application technology and chemistries have evolved, this is no longer a necessary measure.
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Will mosquito treatments also control ticks?
Insecticides are not one size-fits all, and treatments to reduce mosquito populations will not work on ticks. Why? Mosquitoes are flying; ticks are crawling; AND they are a completely different type of insect, with a different body size. Tick applications need to be made at ground-level where they crawl, and with significantly greater doses of product than required for mosquito control.
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What are the impacts of mosquito spray treatments on caterpillars, butterflies or lightening bugs?
(Ahh… you were waiting for this one!) This one gets tricky and can be very product specific, but generally, the answer is, have no fear! Yes, certain active ingredients in pesticides may be toxic to beneficial insects upon direct exposure. But when it comes to mosquito control, four key things reduce this risk:
- We don’t spray just the active ingredients. We use highly-refined formulations, most of which are made with less than 5% of an active ingredient.
- ULV treatments deliver a very, very small amount of product optimized to control mosquitoes – usually about 1 tablespoon or less to treat an acre (which is roughly four typical suburban home lots or a football field). Why so little? Because the dose is specific to mosquitoes, which are much smaller in weight than most beneficial insects. For reference, mosquitoes weigh between 2 and 10mg each. A firefly weights at least 20mg.
- Next, that very small amount of product is delivered in super-tiny droplets – think 15 droplets on a pin head. The droplets float through the air and work by making physical contact with adult mosquitoes in-flight.
- And lastly, we spray at night, when mosquitoes are active and other beneficial insects are not.
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Won’t mosquito spraying hurt the bees?
Mosquito spraying and bees – this is another sensitive issue and one that everyone in public health mosquito control takes very seriously. Firstly, the same protective measures followed to protect other beneficial insects also apply to bees. There has also been a lot of field work and research published by very reputable academic institutions, such as Louisiana State University and Rutgers, which demonstrate that ULV treatments for mosquito control do not harm bees, even in cases of direct spray applications.
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Why can’t I see the mosquito spray coming out of your truck? I didn’t hear your truck!
Less – and quieter – is better! ULV spray technology has evolved quite a bit since the days of DDT fogger treatments. Modern chemistries, more advanced, quieter spray equipment, and variable weather conditions mean the spray cloud is not always visible or audible – but that doesn’t mean it’s not working!
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Your mosquito spray trucks are driving too fast for that treatment to work! You missed my house!
Every Clarke application truck is equipped with two pieces of technology that ensure spray effectiveness and safety. First is a monitoring system called SmartFlow. This equipment adjusts spray volume as vehicle speed changes to ensure a uniform treatment rate. So, whether we are driving 5 or 15 mph, the right application rate is being dispersed. The second technology used is called GeoTab, which is a GPS-based application that tracks vehicle locations, vehicle speeds, and spray activity (on/off) in real-time.
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Why can’t you spray for mosquitoes more often?
The timing of spray treatments is always closely coordinated with the communities we serve, and dependent upon the makeup of their mosquito control program and budget. To determine spray requirements, we look at data from surveillance traps in the area, and combine it with insights from predictive software, resident calls, and resource availability to time adult mosquito treatments to deliver the most relief.
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It rained right after you sprayed for mosquitoes – did it still work?
Last but not least, ULV spray treatments followed by rain are usually still effective, as long as there were adult mosquitoes in flight at the time of treatment. However, the lasting power of barrier treatments sprayed on plant foliage can be compromised by weather.
Public health mosquito control exists not only to mitigate nuisance mosquito populations and make our communities more livable and comfortable. Its primary function is to protect public health from the diseases that are vectored to humans by mosquitoes, like Zika and West Nile Virus.
Because Clarke provides mosquito control services to hundreds of municipalities and abatement districts, I spend most of my professional time sharing these messages with residents in the communities we serve. I hope every reader here finds them helpful. If you are interested in learning more, reach us here.
What is the active ingredient in the insecticide you apply to control mosquitoes?
Hi Bruce! Thanks for your question. Each of the products for adult mosquito control in Clarke’s portfolio uses a different active ingredient. Is there one product in particular you are interested in? I’ll be happy to help you with that question, or you can review the active ingredients in all of our adulticide products by navigating through this section of the Clarke website: https://www.clarke.com/adulticides. I hope this helps!
How does spraying in the street cover 1/2 acre behind my house
Thanks for asking, Harry! In order to be effective, ultra low volume mosquito control applications are made up of many small droplets within a very tight range in size. These create a “cloud” that moves with the lightest of air currents throughout the treatment area, including around buildings and other structures. On average, the cloud works effectively 300 feet from the point of release. Of course, wind, humidity and temperature impact how a spray cloud will move throughout an area. This is why mosquito control applications are typically done only when weather conditions are considered ideal for product performance.
I want to notifications when they are coming to my area. The mosquitoes are pretty bad. My husband has also treated our yard for bugs and mosquitoes. We can’t do anything and it be effective if they are spraying our area.
Hi LaShone! You may sign up to receive treatment notifications on this page on the Clarke website: https://www.clarke.com/customer-portal-about. Click the red Portal Access button when you are ready to sign up and follow the system prompts for registration. If you have any issues, please let us know!
Thank you. Your comments help me to understandd why and how you service my area.
Thank you Robert, that’s great to hear! We appreciate the opportunity to service your community.
I thinks it’s somewhat disingenuous of Clarke to refer to how little active ingredient they use to kill mosquitos. This only points to toxic these chemicals are. I also notice no mention of the harm done to animals that eat the bugs that have been poisoned, such as birds and bats. Any response to this?
Lori, thanks for your comment. We can follow your logic that a lower amount of active ingredient would imply a more toxic chemical profile overall. The thing to keep in mind on mosquito control products is that these formulations are optimized specifically to work according to the biology of an adult mosquito. And because their bodies are so small compared to other insects, a very small amount of active ingredient in a formulated product is all it takes to deliver a lethal dose for mosquitoes.
And to your point about the impact of mosquito control products up the food chain, the EPA does review the toxicology of mosquito control products as part of the registration process. The EPA has determined that when registered mosquito control products are used according to the application and dosage directions on the label, they should not harm the environment, people, or other animals, including birds and mammals such as bats, exposed to them. We hope you find this information useful!