Pinal County Division of Environmental Health Vector Program crewmates Tami Schuler & Garry Bouquot are very busy this time of the year by trapping & testing mosquitoes for any signs of West Nile virus.
But now with the housing slow down, another challenge to keep mosquitoes at bay has landed on their doorstep, so to speak: Foreclosed properties with swimming pools that have been neglected & are becoming breeding areas for mosquitoes.
“These pools have become a bigger problem than ever in our efforts to control mosquitoes,” said Environmental Health Specialist Tami Schuler. “In prior years the number of vacant homes with neglected green swimming pools averaged around 30 in any given year. In all of 2007, we had a total of 115 reported neglected pools at vacant properties. As of May 27th, we have 117 active neglected pool complaints, for 2008.”
So now, along with their mosquito trapping & testing activities, Schuler & Bouquot are attempting to contact property owners, banks, or foreclosure trustees’ by any means necessary.
“Our Assessor’s website is a great tool to help us find the owners,” Schuler said. “If we can’t find the owner that way, we will call the banks & try to track down the owner through them.”
It is simple to treat a green pool with chemicals that stop the growth of mosquito larve.
“It’s nice that there are chemicals that will keep the mosquitoes at bay, but really we would hope that the owners would drain the pool before they leave to reduce health & child drowning hazards,” Schuler stated.
Statewide numbers of West Nile have been very low in the beginning of 2008 due to a cool spring & low rainfall. Statewide, only 2 cases of mosquito West Nile infection was reported in the Yuma & Maricopa County.
“We’ve been trapping for 2 months,” Schuler said. “We have placed 115 traps & tested 62 mosquito samples. None of the samples have shown any signs of West Nile.”
Schuler and Bouquot credit Pinal County residents for their past efforts at keeping their properties free of standing water. They are now asking residents to report any abandoned pools to their mosquito hotline at 1-866-287-0209 extension 6200 or (520) 866-6200.
“The residents have come through in the past, we are counting on them again to help us stem the mosquito population,” Schuler said. “All of us working together make a great team against West Nile & mosquitoes.”