The Ada County Mosquito Abatement District (ACMAD) is tasked with managing mosquito populations that pose a threat to public health and welfare within the special-levy funded abatement district. The most common mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States is West Nile Virus (WNV), which can be spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito during the mosquito season (from summer through fall). ACMAD follows an Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) program which is designed to reduce impacts from mosquito-borne disease with minimal adverse effects on people, wildlife, domestic animals and the environment. An IMM program utilizes cultural, physical and mechanical controls, along with education, prevention, biological controls and chemical controls.
WNV was first detected in Ada County in 2005, and in 2006, Idaho led the nation with nearly 1,000 reported cases of WNV. Idaho State Law allows for abatement districts to take all necessary and proper steps for the control of mosquitoes and other vermin of public health and welfare in the district. The abatement district grew to incorporate 406 square miles, with the majority of the district covering major residential and urban areas.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) website shows that there were 16 reported human cases of WNV in Idaho, with 2 cases in Ada County, in 2021.
- There are about 3,000 species of mosquitoes, worldwide. Roughly 175 species reside in the United States, and more than 50 can be found in Ada County.
From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Not all mosquito species are considered West Nile vectors. In Ada County, there are 6 species identified as WNV vectors, only two of which are considered primary vectors (species that share habitat with a West Nile host and feed on humans).
- Mosquitoes are cold-blooded. They prefer temperatures above 80 degrees F and will hibernate below 50 degrees F.
- Only female mosquitoes bite, and they can drink up to three times their weight in blood.
- Females can lay up to 300 eggs at one time and can lay eggs every 3 days.
- Mosquitoes have four distinct developmental stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. On average, it takes about 5 to 14 days for a mosquito to develop from egg to adult (this range varies depending on temperature).
- All mosquito species require aquatic habitats for development during the larva and pupa stages. Mosquito larva can survive in incredibly small volumes of stagnant water.
The Ada County Mosquito Abatement District is focused on controlling the mosquito populations that pose a threat to public health and welfare, rather than controlling all mosquito populations. West Nile Virus is the most common disease spread by mosquitoes and is the primary focus of Ada County.
West Nile Virus is a disease passed between birds and mosquitoes in a cyclical fashion, which can be transmitted to mammals as dead-end hosts. 80% of people infected with WNV do not show symptoms, or show only mild symptoms. Some of the most commonly reported symptoms are fever, headaches and fatigue. Severe neurological symptoms (such as encephalitis) occur in only 1% of those who are infected, but patients can develop severe neurological symptoms (such as encephalitis), which may result in paralysis or death.
Idaho led the nation in human contraction of WNV in 2006, with nearly 1,000 reported cases resulting in 23 WNV-related deaths. WNV positive pools have been identified in Ada County nearly every year since then. ACMAD collects and tests mosquito populations for WNV, and when necessary, employs the necessary strategies to prevent the public’s exposure to WNV positive mosquitoes as much as possible.
ACMAD follows an Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) program, which is designed to benefit and to have minimal adverse effects on people, wildlife, domestic animals and the environment. An IMM program includes education, cultural, physical and mechanical controls, prevention, biological control, and chemical control. We recognize that not all mosquito populations can be completely controlled using these methods. Natural variability in mosquito population abundance, species diversity, time of year, development habitats and environmental conditions demand a combination of an array of control procedures. ACMAD considers all controls carefully, using the aforementioned techniques as well as cost versus benefits analysis, efficacy, potential health effects and ecological impacts, including exposure risk potential for vector-borne diseases.
The Ada County Mosquito Abatement District controls vector mosquito populations utilizing a variety of services. Fill out an online Request for Service form, and one of our staff members will contact you.
Services Include:
- Proactive Surveillance and Mapping Program and Public Mosquito Tracker
- Physical Control Remediation (Habitat Removal)
- Larvicide Chemical Control Remediation
- Adulticide Chemical Control Remediation
- Education and Outreach
