By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
Sandoval County is rolling out a new weapon in its war on mosquitoes this summer — a specialized truck that shoots a bacteria-laced mist 100 feet into the air to kill larvae before they ever become adults.
The Public Health Road Runner 54564 truck goes into service in July, starting along the Rio Grande and Bosque, prime breeding territory for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus — two species known to carry viruses including West Nile, dengue and Zika.
“When we reduce the mosquito population, we then reduce the human infection and death rates in a community,” said Paul C. Sandoval, Ph.D., president of Roadrunner Public Health, Inc., the vector control contractor hired by the county.
The mist carries a naturally occurring soil bacterium that disrupts the mosquito life cycle at the larval stage. Sandoval says it is harmless to humans and animals, and drifts over rooftops to settle on standing water in flower pot saucers, pool covers, and cisterns — exactly where these mosquitoes breed.
The truck is one piece of a larger county arsenal that includes ATVs, thermal foggers, a six-track vehicle that can reach water 30 feet deep, a drone for surveillance, Gambusia fish deployed as biological control and a mobile lab for on-site virus testing.
Residents can expect to hear and see the truck operating in their neighborhoods.
Protect yourself now
Dr. Sandoval warns that Aedes mosquitoes bite during the day — peak hours run from 3 p.m. through 11 a.m. He recommends residents limit outdoor time during those windows and use EPA-approved repellents on skin, clothing, hats and gloves.
More details
- Eliminate standing water around your property: empty flower pot saucers, cover pools, and drain any containers after rain
- The mist truck deploys starting in July along the Rio Grande and Bosque, then moves through Sandoval County neighborhoods
- Sandoval County covers 3,714 square miles and more than 160,000 residents across Bernalillo, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Cuba, Jemez Springs, and a dozen pueblos and tribal nations
Sandoval County Vector Control Program
Website: sandovalcountynm.gov
Media contact: Shawn Perry-Turner, Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: 505-867-7640 | Cell: 505-382-2753
CDC Mosquito Resources
cdc.gov/mosquitoes