Blood-thirsty bugs out of control Vt Mosquito population grows larger and feistier than ever

Author: Andrea Glaessner

Revered for apples and fall, and notorious for frigid winters, Vermont seems an unlikely habitat for swarms of mosquitoes. Yet this year, a second wet summer yielded the perfect breeding ground for these pesky summertime insects. Now that exotic species have immigrated to the U.S. and mated with less aggressive, domestic species, there is a new mosquito to contend with, one that is more aggressive and more resilient than ever.

Students on campus during summer vacation told The Campus that the mosquitoes seemed to be more aggressive and abundant than usual. Spencer Cox '08 spent the summer in Middlebury and felt the mosquitoes were a damper on his outdoor recreation. Cox said, "The [mosquitoes] were so aggressive, you couldn't even sit on the porch without them gnawing you alive."

But mosquitoes are not only a nuisance; they can also be dangerous. There is evidence that West Nile Virus and eastern equine encephalitis linger among the Vermont mosquito population. The arrival of these two potentially deadly diseases in Vermont has compounded the mosquito problem. The insects are no longer a mere inconvenience, but an actual health threat.

The current mosquito control program operates on funds raised by motorboat registration fees. The state typically spends about $50,000 per year on the program. Given that the registration fees collect between $45,000 and $85,000 per year, the mosquito control program has, up until this year, been able to operate effectively.

But this year, with many more town and districts seeking participation in the mosquito control program, the state spent a whopping $180,000 on larvacide. State entomologist Jon Turmel told the Addison Independent, "We are now out of funds. We won't be able to start dropping larvacide in the spring the way it is now." Nature will run its course and kill off this year's influx of the pests during the long winter, but there are no signs that the pests will not resurface come spring.

In early August, legislators, insect-control district officials and municipal leaders convened in Middlebury to discuss how to raise funds to solve the impending mosquito problem. According to the Addison Independent, feedback from the meeting revealed that state and local insect-control officials have decided on an agenda to combat the problem.

The agenda includes a promise to develop firm estimates on what it would cost to run a statewide mosquito control program. It also includes a promise to request Gov. Jim Douglas to establish, beginning with his next budget proposal, a "mosquito program" line item and a vow to encourage the legislature to consider new rules that would allow counties to establish their own mosquito control districts.

The meeting in Middlebury shows signs that a solution to the epidemic is on the horizon. In the meantime, community members are advised to slap on the insect repellant for the last few weeks of warm weather.