May 2022 Newsletter

It's tick season (again)!

In January, we reminded you that it was peak season for adult western black-legged ticks. But where did all those adults come from? Most ticks go through four life stages: egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and adult. The adult ticks that peak in the winter were nymphs in the previous summer. Nymphs are most active in spring and early summer, and these tiny ticks pose a greater risk of transmitting disease than adult ticks. Nymphs are noticeably smaller than adults, so you need to be extra thorough when checking for ticks for the next few months. Learn all about how to prevent tick bites HERE.

Learn more about tick life cycles and hosts HERE.

Photograph of a light colored muffin with poppyseeds. There are 5 small brown nymphal ticks on the muffin. The ticks are about the size of a poppyseed. The image is meant to show how small nymphal ticks are. — Can you spot the 5 tick nymphs on this muffin? The CDC published this photograph a few years ago to show people just how tiny nymphs are! Be sure to do a thorough tick check after being outdoors!

We are on Simplicity!

The District recently joined the Simplicity app network. This is one convenient app to get all your city/town and District-related news. The County and several cities and towns throughout San Mateo County will also be sharing news and updates via the app. Visit Google Play or the App Store to download to your device for important updates. Learn more about the app at: https://onesimplicity.com/residents/

Black icon of a bird lying on its back with feet in the air (meant to represent a dead bird)

West Nile Virus Dead Bird Hotline

The California WNV & Dead Bird Call Center (877-WNV-BIRD; 877-968-2473) is live for summer 2022. Public online reporting at https://westnile.ca.gov/ will also continue.

A top-down view of a yellowjacket. The insect has two black antenna, a body with yellow and black stripes, 6 yellow legs, and two light colored wings.

Yellowjackets and Wasps

During the summer months, the District receives numerous calls regarding yellowjackets and paper wasps. These social wasps both have yellow and black markings and are common in San Mateo County, but they have important behavioral differences.

2023 Service Requests

Total service requests this April are near the five year average for April (245 requests compared to an average of 254). However, the request types of insect identification, yellowjackes/wasps and ticks differed greatly from the average. The higher than usual insect identification requests may have resulted from warmer weather after a particularly wet winter and spring, creating optimal conditions…

2023 Mosquito Surveillance

Adult mosquito abundance began to rise in April, which is typical in the spring, but overall numbers remain low. Aedes sierrensis, a mosquito that breeds in treeholes, was first detected this year as an adult during April. It will continue to be present until autumn. Culex erythrothorax has not yet been collected in traps in 2023, although on average it is the most abundant mosquito in April. This…

Meeting 6pm

To observe the meeting, open the Agenda file and click on the Zoom link on the first page.

It's tick season (again)!

We are on Simplicity!

Sign up for updates from San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District