Working Together to Protect Public Health

As we move into the second half of mosquito season, we'd like to thank the residents of the Four Rivers Vector Control District for your continued support, mosquito reports, and patience. Thanks to a combination of favorable weather, proactive mosquito management, and community participation, this season has been one of the most successful we've seen in recent years.

Board Vacancy – Help Shape the Future of Your District

The Four Rivers Vector Control District is currently seeking a new Board of Trustees member following the resignation of Rich Parker, who recently stepped down due to increasing work commitments that prevented him from giving the Board the time it deserves.

We sincerely thank Rich for his dedicated service over the past several months. During a period of significant transition, he played an important role in helping the District regain its footing and move toward a stronger future. We wish him the very best and appreciate the time and energy he devoted to serving our community.

If you have a desire to give back to your community and help guide the future of the District, we encourage you to apply.

Board members serve as volunteers and generally attend:

• One Board meeting each month
• Occasional committee meetings
• Annual training opportunities

This is an excellent opportunity to make a lasting difference in protecting public health while helping ensure responsible management of taxpayer resources.

Mosquito Season Update

District crews have been fogging each evening, focusing on areas where mosquito complaints have been received and locations where surveillance indicates treatment is needed.

Fortunately, mosquito populations have remained significantly lower than many previous years. This is likely the result of several factors, including:

• Lower snowpack and reduced spring runoff
• Extensive early-season larviciding
• Continuous surveillance and treatment of breeding habitats

Our field staff is out Monday through Friday locating mosquito sources, treating standing water, and mapping breeding locations to improve future control efforts.

In addition to ground crews:

• The District boat continues weekly operations along the river system, treating shoreline breeding areas.
• Drone applications continue to reach difficult-to-access habitats efficiently while reducing costs and minimizing pesticide use.

Every mosquito source we eliminate today means fewer mosquitoes tomorrow.

Investing in Better Service

This year marked several major operational improvements for the District.

We began the season with:

• New and upgraded fogging equipment
• GPS tracking installed on every fogging vehicle
• A modern chemical tracking system that documents exactly when, where, and how much material is applied

These improvements allow the District to provide greater transparency, improve efficiency, and ensure treatments are accurately documented.

Several residents have also signed up for text message notifications, allowing them to receive advance notice when mosquito control activities are planned in their neighborhood.

Over the next several years, the District also plans to replace aging vehicles to build a safer, more reliable fleet for long-term operations.

Building a Stronger District

One of the biggest accomplishments this year has occurred behind the scenes.

The District's audits are now caught up, marking an important milestone toward restoring financial accountability.

While previous years identified significant financial and operational deficiencies, the current Board and staff have worked tirelessly to improve both the District's operations and its financial management.

The District Manager continues working closely with the District's auditors and financial professionals to strengthen internal controls, improve record keeping, and build a financial system that meets the highest standards of accountability and transparency.

This work may not be as visible as a fogging truck, but it is equally important to ensuring the District serves the community responsibly for years to come.

Strategic Planning

The District has also begun developing a long-term Strategic Plan that will help guide operations over the coming years.

If you have experience in planning, budgeting, public service, or simply want to share ideas about the future of mosquito control in our community, we'd love to hear from you.

Community involvement helps make the District stronger.

West Nile Virus Monitoring

Each season, District staff collect mosquitoes for testing as part of our West Nile virus surveillance program.

To date, mosquito populations have remained low enough that West Nile virus activity has not been a significant concern within the District.

Surveillance will continue throughout the remainder of the season to help protect public health and provide early warning should virus activity increase.

Looking Ahead

While we're entering the final innings of the 2026 mosquito season, staff anticipate a slight increase in mosquito activity over the next few weeks.

Fortunately, our crews continue working aggressively to locate and treat breeding sites before mosquito populations become a nuisance.

Early intervention remains the most effective mosquito control strategy.

Keep the Reports Coming

If you're experiencing mosquitoes around your home or neighborhood, please let us know.

The easiest way is through the Mosquito Hotline on our website, where you can submit a report online. You can also call the District directly.

Our 24-hour call center is available to receive mosquito reports and ensure they are entered into our field mapping system so crews can investigate as quickly as possible.

Your reports directly influence where our crews inspect and, when justified by mosquito populations, where treatments are scheduled.

We Want to Hear From You

Whether you have a suggestion, concern, compliment, or constructive criticism—we genuinely want to hear it.

The good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly, help us improve our service and become a better District.

We also hope these monthly newsletters are more than just another email in your inbox. Our goal is to keep you informed about mosquito activity, explain how your District operates, and share the progress being made as we continue modernizing operations.

If there is a topic you'd like us to cover in a future newsletter, please let us know. Chances are, if you have a question, someone else does too.

Thank you for your continued support of the Four Rivers Vector Control District. Together, we're building a more responsive, transparent, and effective mosquito control program for our community.