Mosquito district to cover all of Sonoma, Marin counties

Thursday, December 2, 2004; B1, B3

The fight against West Nile Virus, which can sicken and kill humans, will be more effective now that voters have approved an expansion of the Marin-Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District, officials said this week.

West Nile Virus, which reached Sonoma and Marin counties earlier this year, is harbored by birds and transmitted by several species of mosquitoes.

Officials went to voters to expand the boundaries of the district, which levies a small tax to raise money to control mosquitos and other pests.

The results of the vote, finalized this week, show that 61.2 percent of Marin and Sonoma county residents who were not previously in the district voted in favor of joining the district. A 51 percent majority was enough to pass.

The district will now include all the land in both counties. So the battle to eradicate mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus will no longer be limited by the district's borders, said District Spokesman Chris Canterbury.

"A lot of these annexed areas sit right next to the old district boundaries, but mosquitoes and birds don't recognize political boundaries," Canterbury said. "It's important for us to be able to take on the entire county and not try to piecemeal it."

That will be valuable next spring because the two counties will be in the second year of the West Nile Virus cycle, typically the most lethal period, said District Manager Jim Wanderscheid.

"We're anticipating West Nile Virus will hit us hard this spring," Wanderscheid said. "But we're going to be able to put people in the field right now and start evaluating this stuff. We don't have to wait six months."

The district is hiring more field technicians, and during the winter will map mosquito breeding areas in the newly annexed parts of the county.

The district uses species-specific microorganisms to kill mosquito larva in the water before they hatch, rather than waiting and spraying air-borne pesticides on adults.

"Mosquito control has changed over the years," Wanderscheid said. "We're not using the harsh chemicals they used years ago. We're depending on public education and bacterial larviciding in a site-specific program."

Public education is an integral part of the program, because property owners can do a lot to eliminate mosquitoes on their property and reduce the risk of bites, Wanderscheid said.

With the expansion, the district is now the third-largest mosquito control district in the state, Wanderscheid said.

The tax for those in the district averages about $19 a year, but varies depending on property size. The budget will grow from some $3.4 million a year to a projected $4 million a year. The figure is relatively small because much of the annexed area is rural.

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You can reach Staff Writer Carol Benfell at 521-5259 or cbenfell@pressdemocrat.com