Week of June 16

 

Learning to Use the Golden Eagle Fogger

This week I got hands-on experience using the Golden Eagle thermal fogger, which sprays a product called Zenivex (Etofenprox). I had heard about adulticiding before, but seeing the process in action and helping to carry it out was something completely new for me.

We used the fogger in some of the more heavily wooded and overgrown areas around the city, especially in spots that are harder to reach and don’t get much regular upkeep. These are prime areas for adult mosquitoes to hide during the day, especially species that can transmit diseases like West Nile Virus. The goal was to target adult mosquitoes directly to help reduce their numbers in areas with high activity or trap counts. The city requires that we catch at least 200 adult mosquitos in a gravid trap to qualify the need for insecticide sprays. 

Even though in the blog post photo I’m wearing an N95 mask and face shield, Zenivex is very safe to use. The protective gear is mostly a precaution to avoid direct exposure to the fog when we’re close to it during application. It doesn’t pose a risk to people, pets, or pollinators when applied correctly and in the right conditions. It was also interesting to learn how timing and weather play a role in when we spray, especially making sure there’s no wind and that it’s done around sunset when mosquitoes are most active.

It was a cool experience to learn about the equipment and the proper procedure for using it. From fueling the fogger to seeing the mist trail through the woods, it gave me a better understanding of how cities manage adult mosquito populations as part of their integrated vector control programs.


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