Experts taking steps to keep Zika virus out of the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control is working to stop the spread of the Zika virus.
And its strategy is to keep the mosquito carrying the virus from getting to the valley.
Experts said once the Aedes mosquito is here, it’s very difficult to get rid of it.
That’s why they’re being proactive and taking steps to keep the pest away before it’s too late.
While the Aedes mosquito is not in the desert now, experts said it’s only a matter of time.
“There is always a potential for a mosquito to come here to the valley. Our district is currently setting traps throughout the valley from Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs all the way down to Coachella and Mecca,” said biologist Melissa Snelling.
She said these traps specifically target the Aedes mosquito.
“This trap is looking for a different activity of the mosquito. We have mosquitoes that are actively searching for a human to bite and there is an smell that attracts mosquitoes. Other traps that we have give the female a place to lay their eggs,” Snelling said.
They’ve set traps at locations where there is a high chance it may be found, including nurseries because plants brought in from other parts of the state could carry them.
And RV parks because they could be living in travelers’ potted plants.
Biologists said one of the best indicators that you’ve been bitten by an Aedes mosquito is if you were bitten in the middle of the day. That’s different from our local mosquitoes, which bite in the evening hours.
Biologists want your help to fight the Zika virus.
“It becomes very important for public support and public involvement. If they see this mosquito if they’re getting bitten by a mosquito that’s black and white,” said Jeremy Wittie, the general manager of the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.
The mosquito’s eggs can travel, they can live without water and that makes them difficult to get rid of.
“The challenging thing about these two mosquitoes is they are specialists for urban habitats. They do very well breeding in small areas of water in potted plants in the home,” Wittie said.
While the mosquitoes are not here yet, experts said they’re in cities as close as Riverside and it’s only a matter of time before they come here.
Representatives from the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District will be at this weekend’s Date Festival, spreading the word about the Aedes mosquitoes.
They said the more the public knows, the easier it will be to prevent the problem.
