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February 2025 Newsletter

Staff highlights - Ryan and Tara

We are fortunate to have dedicated staff passionate about protecting San Mateo County residents from mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry. We'd like to let you get-to-know our staff and why our staff love their work. This month, we are highlighting Ryan and Tara.

Click here to learn more about Ryan Thorndike, Operations Supervisor

Click here to learn more about Tara Roth, PhD, Vector Ecologist

 

Smiling person with shoulder-length light colored hair, in a tan uniform with a grassy background.
Tara Roth, Vector Ecologist
Photograph of a person looking at the camera, wearing a gray shirt with the District logo on it
Ryan Thorndike, Operations Supervisor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water under houses - more common than you'd expect

"Mosquitoes can indicate water under your house. Schedule a visit so our technicians can check! 650-344-8592 www.smcmvcd.org Mosquito control is a taxpayer-funded service." San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District logo and a computer-generated image of the side of a house cutaway to show the inside of the house and the crawlspace with water in the crawlspace. There are mosquitoes flying in the crawlspace and out to outside the house.

With all the rain we've recently received, please keep an eye out for water under your home.  Water under your house can cause problems, including creating a place for mosquitoes to grow.  Please let us know of water that is under your home for more than seven days. We can help stop mosquitoes from growing in the water while you deal with getting the water drained.

Continuing education for our staff

People sitting in a conference room facing a presentation screen.

A few weeks ago, many of our staff attended the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California annual conference. Attending presentations on a variety of mosquito- and vector-themed topics helps us stay up-to-date on best practices and emerging technologies. Staff earn continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain the certification required to be Vector Control Technicians in the state of California. To learn more about the continuing education process for our staff, click here.

In addition to attending, our staff presented a poster and two presentations. Angie presented a poster about Dermacentor ticks found in odd places.  Rachel presented a talk about the District's use of Nextdoor to share information, as well as co-presented a talk about how to build a classroom education program.

District Tours

Would you like to learn more about the District, mosquitoes, and how our work protects public health?  We have opened a few weekday slots for tours of the District. Consider signing up for a tour!

Not available for a weekday tour, but interested in learning more about what our District does? We host an Open House each year, typically in June. Keep an eye out for this year's Open House date in a future newsletter!

Check your rain barrel for mosquitoes!

Computer generated image of a rain barrel top with a small hole in the mesh. Little mosquito larvae are in the water, and adult mosquitoes are flying out. The text reads "Rain barrels can breed mosquitoes. Check today that your rain barrel is securely screened. Not sure if you already have little larvae growing into adult mosquitoes? We can check!" "650-344-8592 www.smcmvcd.org" "Mosquito control is a taxpayer-funded service."

Have a rain barrel? Check for mosquito larvae! To prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your rainwater collection containers, cover each container snugly with window screening. Already have larvae or are unsure if you have larvae? We can check! Please fill out a service request or give us a call.

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