Staff highlights - Arielle and Theresa

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 Arielle and Theresa. Both of these amazing scientists work in our laboratory and are tick experts!

Click here to learn more about Arielle Crews, MS, Vector Ecologist

Click here to learn more about Theresa Shelton, MS, Vector Ecologist

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Lyme Disease spreads through the bite of an infected tick. Nymphal (baby) ticks pose a greater risk of spreading the bacteria that cause Lyme Disease. Most people who get Lyme disease are infected by these tiny ticks, which are more common in the spring and early summer. While the risk of getting Lyme Disease from a tick in San Mateo County is low, the risk is not zero. 

Follow the links below to learn more about:

• Lyme Disease
• Our results from testing thousands of ticks over the past 15+ years
• How to protect yourself from tick bites

Great news if you live in San Mateo County - we are currently running a program through which you can request a no-cost tick-bite prevention kit!  Sign-up here and allow several weeks for your tick kit to arrive.

Another great resource is this video we collaborated on with graduate student Kacie Ring, MS at UCSB to help people learn about tick-bite prevention.  Check out the video HERE:

Learn about Midges

Did you see Foster City's educational video series about coyotes? We loved the videos so much that we asked if they would collaborate on a video about midges with us. Midges are small insects that look very similar to mosquitoes. We typically get many calls about midges in the spring and early summer, especially from residents in Foster City, the eastern part of the City of San Mateo, and Redwood Shores. The good news is that, although they can swarm and be annoying, the midges in these areas do NOT bite. The video featured Theresa, whose expertise is insects that live in water - a perfect expert to teach us all a bit more about midges. Check out the video HERE!

Open House - Save the Date

Visit us at our Open House, which will be held Saturday, June 21st from 12-4pm. Our staff will be on-hand to answer questions, display our equipment and insect collection, and offer a variety of hands-on activities for families to enjoy learning about mosquitoes and other vectors.  There will be popsicles, face painting, and Beetle Lady's Pop-Up Bug Museum on-site!

Learn more and sign up for updates on our Open House webpage.

We're Hiring!

We currently have a few positions open for the summer season:

• Vector Control Seasonal Aide (multiple positions)

Check our our Current Openings page to learn more and apply.