October 2023 Newsletter

West Nile Virus 2023 Season

Computer generated image of a silhouette of ten birds on their backs (dead)

As of October 10, West Nile virus has been detected in 10 dead birds from throughout San Mateo County. West Nile virus has not yet been detected in any mosquito or sentinel chicken samples in San Mateo County in 2023. Learn more HERE.

West Nile virus is widespread throughout California this summer. If you are traveling, even within the state, be sure to use insect repellent to prevent mosquito bites (learn more here). For information about West Nile virus throughout California, visit westnile.ca.gov.

Termites

Have you had some winged guests around the past few days? Autumn is the time of year for termite swarms. Adult winged termites leave their colonies to mate and establish new colonies.

Side view of a roof rat, which is a long dark grey body with pink ears and feet, and a dark tail as long (or longer!) than its body.

Rodent Prevention and Control

With cooler weather, sometimes rats and mice seek indoor shelter. The District can help you keep rats and mice out of your home. Schedule a comprehensive inspection today to identify key entrance points.

Photograph of a person in a field of dry grass. The person is wearing a white outfit that completely covers their body and includes a piece over their head and face with a mesh screen to see out of. The person is kneeling on the ground and grabbing something in the ground.

2023 Service Requests

The total number of service requests this December are above the five year average for the month (169 compared to an average of 124). This is is because of a substantial increase in rodent and tick requests during December. Tick requests are higher than average because of a project involving residential yard tick inspections that has only been underway for only one year. As the District re-starts…

May contain: soil, plant, tree, and vegetation

2023 Mosquito Surveillance

In December 2023, there were distinct fluctuations of various mosquito species when compared to their five-year December averages. Culex pipiens, a species known for its widespread distribution, exhibited a decreased average count of 0.744, notably lower than its five-year average of 1.557. Conversely, Culex tarsalis displayed a higher count of 0.103 compared to its five-year December average of 0…

Meeting 6pm

A person standing in knee-deep water in a forest hold a mosquito dipper (long pole with a white cup on the end). The person peers into the cup to see if there are mosquito larvae. The person is wearing a tan uniform shirt, blue pants, and hip waders.

Request Service

Click here to request District services; one of our certified technicians can help with mosquitoes, standing water, rodents, and more!

Website Accessibility Policy

San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District is fully committed to providing accessible facilities, elements and channels of communication to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District has a policy of providing an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and commercial screen reading software. All features of the website are coded to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities. We welcome feedback and can often resolve issues in a timely manner if they arise.

If you need any special assistance or accommodations:

Call us at 6503448592

Ongoing Compliance Information

Compliance Officer

San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District has designated a compliance officer for website disability-related accommodations. The compliance officer has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best practices. Contact our accessibility officer to report an issue.

Compliance Procedures and Reports

In addition to testing with users with a wide range of disabilities and coding our website to WCAG standards, San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District regularly scans its website to ensure ongoing compliance, and makes timely changes to any inaccessible changes, if any are found.

Linked Documents and Third Parties

Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites, such as state or federal agencies, that do not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties included in our agenda packets, for example. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties, we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.

See an opportunity for us to improve? Please contact our accessibility officer or call us at 6503448592.

Report a Website Accessibility Issue

We are committed to your ability to access all content, and we will respond to all requests as soon as possible.