Why do we need mosquito control?
Mosquitoes have a long history of being societal problems rather than the issue of individuals. In other words, as an individual home owner, I can control mosquitoes on my own property and successfully limit the number of mosquitoes that originate there, and still have 'mosquito issues'. The problem is the ability and willingness of the mosquito to fly to where they need to be. Some mosquito species, including several that are commonly found on the Western Slope of Colorado, have been found to fly as many as 15 miles from where they originated in an effort to find a blood meal. Mosquitoes do not observe boundaries, or property lines. In this respect, one property out of a thousand can literally supply enough of a mosquito population to drive occupants of the other 999 crazy.
There are two reasons that communities get involved with mosquito control. First, mosquitoes carry disease. This is the bottom line when it comes to mosquito control. The list of mosquito borne disease in this world is extensive, and there are several known viruses that plague the Western Slope of Colorado specifically. Most notably, the West Nile Virus has found a home on the Western Slope of Colorado and continues to make its presence known year in and year out.
The world appreciates the concept of mosquito disease much better than we here in the U.S., but we should all understand that if disease were not so closely related to the mosquito, there would not be a public outcry to deal with the insect.
Second, mosquitoes are a nuisance. In areas where mosquito populations are high, property values can decrease, parks and public areas become unusable, and backyards are often avoided on account of mosquitoes. In fact, the Grand River Mosquito Control District originated due to frustrated home owners in the Redlands area that were tired of their children returning home with mosquito bites all over their arms and legs and their home values falling on account of excessive mosquito populations.
What role does Mesa County and the Mesa County Health Department play in the mosquito control effort?
The Mesa County Health Department is interested in and focused on disease. In years when mosquito borne disease is an issue, Mesa County, becomes particularly interested in mosquito populations. That is because the generally prescribed method for dealing with the 'disease' like a virus, is to deal with the mosquito that spreads it.
Disease in Mesa County is not on a calendar. We cannot accurately predict when and where it will show up in a segment of our population. For that reason, it is difficult for an entity like Mesa County to sustain a mosquito control program, year in and year out, waiting for the year when disease will hit.
Efforts to sustain a program have been attempted in the past, but as the year of disease fades in the memory of the County, so too does the will to support the ongoing mosquito control program. The county generally continues to monitor mosquito populations for the presence of the disease, but when the disease shows up again, the infrastructure and or the knowledge base required to conduct a successful program are absent.
Special Districts are generally a single purpose entity that receives funding specifically for the issue they are charged to administer. Special Districts are often the preferred method for dealing with mosquito issues.
What does a 1.513 Mill Levy mean?
A mill levy is a unit of measure that is used to describe how much or how little a government agency will get from our property taxes. It is calculated using a percentage of your properties overall value. For instance, if your home is worth $100,000.00, and you were asked to pay 1.513 Mills on that property the equation would look like this.
| Actual Home Value X |
Percentage (fixed #) = |
Assessed Value |
| $100,000 |
7.96% (0.0796) |
$7,960 |
| Assessed Value X |
Mill Levy (GRMCD) = |
$/Year Paid |
| $7,960 |
1.513 (0.001513) |
$12.04 |
In other words, for every $100,000 of assessed value in your property, you would pay $12.04 per year for mosquito control.
Does the mosquito control use chemicals that will harm people, pets, or the environment?
Mosquito control has changed a lot in the past 20 years. The days of calendar spraying with thermo foggers while kids ride their bikes behind them are gone.
The GRMCD launches its attack on juvenile mosquitoes in stagnant water. This approach allows us to focus our attention on a smaller target, stagnant water, -rather than the air that adult mosquitoes occupy. Further, juvenile mosquitoes are incapable of seeking and taking blood meals and are therefore not transmitters of disease. By focusing our efforts on the juvenile mosquito we are able to deal with large numbers of mosquitoes prior to them taking flight and taking a blood meal.
Product Info page.
If the people vote to be included in the GRMCD, when will service begin in the new area?
Limited service for the newly included area would begin in the summer of 2013. Revenue from the included area would not be collected until the following year.
