Saratoga begins bug battle

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

With this year’s hefty snowfall, the cost of keeping mosquitos at bay in Saratoga for the summer may increase.

“It is a good possibility that there will be a bigger (mosquito) problem this year,” Saratoga Public Works Director Chuck Bartlett said. “It depends on how the snow melts.”

Saratoga officials are advertising for a contractor to spray for mosquitos. Bartlett expects to finish evaluating bids by the end of the month.

“We have stepped up our efforts because of the threat of the West Nile virus,” Bartlett said. Last year, Carbon County saw its first case of the virus. “But one case is one too many,” Bartlett said.

The plan of attack is to target the larvae. The first phase begins in late May, as public works personnel plan to place a larvicide in pools of standing water. The large tablets that last a few months, are designed to inhibit mosquito growth. Usually, larvicides do not pose threats to humans or wildlife because they do not generally leech into groundwater.

In mid-June, mosquito spraying is expected to begin. The Saratoga town budget includes about $70,000 for mosquito control, but because this is a wetter year, Bartlett said it may cost more to spray Scourge 412.

The mosquito control crew monitors Scourge 412’s success by setting up mosquito traps, nets that capture the pests. “We have to count and classify them,” Bartlett said.

According to Bartlett, Scourge 412 doesn’t have major environmental ramifications. It isolates four types of mosquitos and should not harm honey bees or most other insects, though it often does kill some flies.

Still, since all pesticides are inherently toxic, residents should take precautions such as minimizing contact with sprayed surfaces for 24 hours so the pesticide has time to sufficiently degrade.