During February, laboratory staff continued surveillance for adult Ixodes pacificus (Western black-legged ticks). The continuous on-and-off rainfall greatly limited the number of tick flagging opportunities in February, which is typically a peak month for collecting adult Ixodes pacificus. The weather reduces the questing activity of the ticks and moisture saturates the tick flag, making it less effective as a collecting tool. Parks that were surveyed in February were Ano Nuevo State Park, south of Pescadero and Sweeney Ridge in San Bruno.
At this District, each mosquito control technician is assigned a geographic zone within the county. Currently our service area is split into 9 zones. During February the District rotated the majority of technicians into a different zone. In the picture above, technician Walter Bruj is treating a 12.5 acre marsh in East Palo Alto, which is one of the cities in his new zone. Due to the sheer size of the breeding area, technicians use an Argo all-terrain vehicle for this type of treatment.
