LAKE COUNTY ? Tucked in a corner building that looks more like a single-family house in Lakeport is the home of Vector Control. Scientists examine the little things to answer big questions.
“We do not want to be Lake County”s best-kept secret,” Jamie Scott, district manager and research director said.
To put it simply, Vector Control studies and controls bugs.
Vector Control is an independent Special District that serves all of Lake County with the mission of controlling mosquitoes and other vectors to increase the quality of life and decrease the risk of disease transmission.
It began in 1948, as Lake County Mosquito Abatement District, established in to control the Clear Lake gnat (Chaoborus astictopus). The non-biting bug became a nuisance and the population became so dense along the shorelines, people who remember the era describe not being able to take a breath without swallowing a small swarm of bugs. The tourism industry was getting pummeled by the gnats.
Later the district”s responsibilities were expanded to include mosquito control.
Vector Control will identify mosquito sources and control mosquitoes with bio-rational products and adulticides. At no-charge to county residents, Vector Control will spray for mosquitoes. Additionally they will work with property owners to eliminate or reduce mosquito habitats. They also stock mosquitofish.
Another function of the agency is to educate the community about the bugs in Lake County.
Last year a man called the Record-Bee inquiring about a biting water bug and Vector Control was able to provide the name of the bug and relay pertinent information.
By conducting disease surveillance, the agency can alert county residents about health concerns that might otherwise be difficult to identify.
Tick and tick-borne disease surveillance provides insight and prevention of Lyme disease, a particularly troublesome health issue for those residing in Northern California.
Information about other vectors and the diseases they carry can be obtained from the professionals at Vector Control.
The agency strives to educate the community with a vast skill set about the ecology in Lake County and answer questions about everything that bugs its residents.
To contact Lake County Vector Control District call: 263-4770 or visit 410 Esplanade, Lakeport.
Contact Mandy Feder at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 32.
