When will adulticides be used for mosquito control?
Mosquito adulticides are usually applied as a last resort when public health officials have decided that the health risks from West Nile virus or other mosquito borne illness outweigh the risk from exposure to the insecticide. The public is notified when this decision is made. How are mosquito adulticides applied? Mosquito adulticides are most often applied as very fine droplets that are intended to come into contact and kill flying mosquitoes. This is often called fogging. Longer-lasting adulticides also may be applied to known adult resting areas to provide longer term control. Such treatments are referred to as barrier treatments. What are barrier treatments for control of mosquito adults? Barrier treatments are intended to make a chemical barrier between a mosquito breeding site and an inhabited area. Typically, these are applied by homeowners with handheld equipment to vegetation and other mosquito resting areas around the edges of their property (see www.ext.colostate.
