2013 MOSQUITO REPORT: WEEK 30
Report based on data collected from traps deployed the week of July 21-27, 2013. Report prepared by Chan Suom, M.S., Dave Lawson, and Nate Boonisar.
1. CURRENT MOSQUITO ACTIVITY/TREND
CDC Light Traps:
CDC light traps collections are mostly average to lower than average this week. The following towns resported higher than average collections: Canton, Holbrook, Millis, Needham, Quincy, Randolph, Westwood.
Gravid Traps:
Gravid mosquito collections continue to be higher than average through all of Norfolk County.
2. CURRENT PREDOMINANT SPECIES
CDC Light Traps:
In the most populous trap sites, we are still seeing high numbers of Aedes vexans, Psorophora ferox, and Coquillettidia perturbans though their numbers are no match for the collections from earlier in the season. Canton is consistently active with high numbers of these mosquitoes. Dedham is reporting lower than average, which is a significant drop from recent activity. Westwood continues with significant Co. perturbans activity. Uranotaenia sapphirina continues to be plentiful in traps across the county. Culiseta melanura populations are lower than average and do not appear to be increasing anytime soon.
Gravid Traps:
Culex pipiens/restuans are predominant in these traps and their numbers had increased substantially over the past few weeks.
3. COMPARISON TO PREVIOUS SEASON
The overall mosquito population for this week is about average compared to the historical averages for each town. Towns along the Neponset and Charles River flood plains are experiencing the after effects of mosquito breeding exacerbated by constant humidity, past past rainfalls, and past flooding events, though the numbers have dropped substantially.
4. WEATHER SUMMARY
Temperatures this week were near normal to start the week with continued moderate to high humidity, but a cold front brought much cooler air to the area at the end of the week. This front brought showers and thunderstorms, some with very heavy rainfall, to most of the area on Tuesday. This was followed by another system Thursday into Friday that brought additional rainfall. Total rains for the week generally ranged from 1.5 to 2 inches district-wide with locally higher amounts. Despite this rain, precipitation this month is near to slightly below normal across the district.
Total weekly rainfall: 1.77 inches (+1.08 in.)
Total Monthly rainfall: 2.29 inches (-0.37 in.)
Total Yearly rainfall: 27.04 inches (+3.11 in.)
5. NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR SERVICE
We received 724 service requests this week, with a total of 7,335 service requests for the year.
6. MCP/COMMISSION RESPONSE
The Norfolk County Mosquito Control District continues to receive a large number of requests, district-wide, for ULV applications and the district continues to respond to these requests with ULV applications.