By Kullen Logsdon, From The Morning Sun

Since 2014, Chippewa Township has gradually seen its mosquito problem dissolve.

With help from APM Mosquito Control, the township’s mosquito population decreased significantly in 2015 and 2016.

Because of the significant rainfall this year, however, mosquito numbers have reached dangerous levels and have brought in several complaints across mid-Michigan communities.

Chippewa Township Supervisor Robert Smith said having the mosquito experts come in has kept the township has made a huge difference.

“With the exception of this year, they’ve got them knocked down compared to what they used to be,” Smith said. “But even this year, I don’t think it is as bad as the years they never sprayed.”

Chippewa Township is currently one of the only communities in mid-Michigan that hires contractors annually to control the mosquitos. Mt. Pleasant City commissioners, however, announced at their last meeting they are considering joining them.

Smith said the township pays between $62,000-$67,000 annually to control the mosquitos and said it is worth every penny.

“People don’t realize that they cost us money on dogs with heartworm medicine, and with horses and everything else that mosquitos can kill,” he said. “You have to pay to treat the animal. I don’t think they realize the benefit to doing it. It’s pretty minimal cost.

Mt. Pleasant City Manager Nancy Ridley said she’s heard good things from Midland and Chippewa Township and the city’s staff is currently doing research to determine if spraying will be cost efficient.

“We’re doing the research right now on it and we hope to report back to them at their July 24 meeting,” she said. “Once they have that information, they will then decide if they want to pursue doing that in any way.”

Mt. Pleasant officials ordered the same process in 2015 and agreed to hire the mosquito company for 2016. However, a new city commission board overturned that decision before APM could come in.

Ridley said the city has received one written complaint, but have had several residents come in person to speak their frustrations.

Ben Seago, a manager at APM, said the incredible amounts of rainfall in Mt. Pleasant is something he has rarely seen. He said the mosquitos hatching — known as aedes vexans — breed in water and are particularly vicious.

“The mosquitos you see in the spring time might not be the same ones you see in the summer,” he said. “These ones are small. They are aggressive. They are day time biters as well as night time biters. We’ve had a ton of calls come in and have been really busy.”

Seago said mosquito eggs can lay dormant for up to three to four years. When ditches were flooded due to the rainfall, it could have hatched thousands of mosquitos at the same time, causing the increase in the population.

APM has upped its dosage in certain areas across mid-Michigan to fight the outbreak, but can only do private areas outside of Chippewa Township.

Seago said jobs in residential areas can cost home owners anywhere from $35-$60 depending on the job. The company can use either truck sprayers or backpack sprayers to fight the mosquitos.

Seago added that homeowners can help prevent mosquito outbreaks around their homes by monitoring items or places holding water. He said homes they commonly get calls from have wheel barrels or buckets holding large amounts of water — breeding grounds for the mosquitos.

“If people can empty out anything around there home that holds water, that can help a lot,” he said.

If Mt. Pleasant does proceed with hiring the company, Seago said he would target catch basins, roads and parks firstly before moving to other parts of the city.

IMAGE: In a very controversial experiment, genetically engineered mosquitoes, which were bred to transmit a gene during the reproductive process that kills their offspring, have been used in three countries ó the Cayman Islands, Malaysia and Brazil ó to counteract the quickly spreading mosquito-borne viral infection dengue fever. (Photo by USDA)

For more on this story go to: http://www.themorningsun.com/general-news/20170718/chippewa-township-supervisor-recommends-mosquito-spraying-to-other-communities