Nasty mosquitoes everywhere, even in October? Yes — but it appears that to prevent harming bees and other pollinators, we need to temper our mosquito-killing tendencies.
The subject emerged at this week's Washington County Board meeting when Commissioner Lisa Weik, who represents Woodbury, reported that residents who live near a golf course were asking for help to fight swarms of mosquitoes. Weik contacted the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District and asked that representatives meet with residents, which they did.
Commissioner Fran Miron, a farmer, said he understands the problem but advised caution in how it's addressed.
"As we treat mosquitoes, there's potential to harm pollinators," he said. "There's a balance that has to occur there."
Much of Washington County rallied to the pollinator cause recently when the National Park Service began recruiting partners to reverse a sharp decline in honeybees, monarch butterflies and other pollinators that produce our food. The Park Service oversees the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, which stretches from Stillwater to the headwaters of the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers.
Mike McLean, of the mosquito district, acknowledged the difficult balancing act when spraying "to knock the mosquito population down to a manageable level." Some chemicals are toxic to bees, he said, and workers who spray try to avoid beekeepers' hives.
"We don't want to be in a position of accidentally harming them," McLean said. "If we avoid direct applications around hives and flowering plants, we'll minimize the effect on hives."
The main strategy for mosquito sprayers, metrowide, is to attack larvae before they hatch. That's become a particularly daunting challenge as incessant rain breeds more mosquitoes, McLean said.
