County aims to reduce mosquito breeding grounds
By Steve Van Kooten
This summer has brought a veritable list of plagues to southwest Wisconsin, including cicadas and flooding, but residents should not forget to add the much-maligned mosquito to that list.
To combat the blood-thirsty skeeters, Joseph Writz, owner of Driftless Region Vector Control (DRVC), went through Prairie du Chien and the surrounding communities between July 10 and 12 in search of mosquito breeding grounds to help reduce their population.
“We take a city street map and we drive up and down every street and alleyway, and we keep an eye out for unrimmed tires, mostly, or places that have lots of containers that can hold water,” Writz said. “Tires, in particular, are good for getting generations of mosquitoes to grow quickly just because they retain heat really well.”
Tires left out in the heat and containers that collect water replicate mosquitoes’ preferred breeding environment; in nature, these species seek out tree holes.
DRVC is not concerned with every kind of mosquito, though. The Driftless Region is home to more than 50 species of mosquitoes; however, only a few of them pose a threat to people.
According to Writz, mosquitoes can be separated into two categories: disease-carrying species and nuisance species. The former, which can transmit harmful diseases to people, have different breeding habits than other mosquitoes.
“The ones that are found in containers are more likely to carry diseases like West Nile virus or La Crosse encephalitis,” said Writz. “The ones that are routinely found in wetlands would be more on the nuisance side.”
The diseases these insects can pass on to people, which also include Jamestown Canyon encephalitis, malaria and Zika virus, can lead to costly, long-term health complications, including seizures, cognitive problems and even death. Long-term treatment for conditions associated with these illnesses can range from $5,000 to more than $100,000.
Wrtiz’s business goes through the communities, identifies concerns and makes contact with property owners to either dispose of the containers or cover them up to prevent the mosquitoes from breeding in those areas. Often, property owners are not aware of the issue. Writz will even treat some areas with a larvicide that only affects mosquitoes if the property owner allows it.
According to DRVC data, in 2023, approximately 69 percent of issues identified during their initial sweep were resolved without further intervention. In 69 communities across six counties, Writz checked 596 sites.
While mosquitoes breed and hatch throughout the summer, disease cases tend to spike around the early fall, so DRVC returns to each location between late August and early September to re-check areas of concern.
Writz has worked to reduce the area’s mosquito population for more than a decade. He began working with a county program in La Crosse in 2013 for a summer job, and when that program ended six years ago, he started his own business. Now, his services extend to Houston and Winona counties in Minnesota and Crawford, Vernon, Monroe, Jackson, and La Crosse counties in Wisconsin.
If you would like to learn more about mosquito prevention services or have any questions, contact Driftless Region Vector Control at 608-406-4462 or driftlessregionvc@gmail.com. Further information can be found at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov.
So, if you have spare tires around your yard — rather than your waist —think about getting rid of them. It’s a lot easier than a trip to the gym, at least.
