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Placer Mosquito and Vector Control warns Lincoln of invasive Aedes mosquitoes, urges reporting of dead birds
Summary
Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District told Lincoln City Council it has not yet detected West Nile virus in Placer County this season but has found invasive Aedes aegypti in neighborhoods in and near Lincoln; the district urged residents to report dead birds and eliminate standing water.
Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District officials told the Lincoln City Council on June 10 that West Nile virus has not yet been detected locally this season but invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes — which can spread dengue, Zika and chikungunya — have been found in multiple neighborhoods including downtown Lincoln.
The district’s public information officer, Megan Lovano, said the agency conducts countywide mosquito testing from spring into autumn and relies heavily on public reports of dead birds to detect West Nile virus early. “Once we start to find a couple positive dead birds, a week or two later we’re seeing positive mosquito samples,” Lovano said.
Lovano described Aedes aegypti as a small, daytime-biting mosquito that thrives in urban areas and can breed in very small amounts of water that may seem dry. She said the district’s 2024 surveillance captured 51,692 Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and that teams found the species in 19 neighborhoods last year, 15 of which were new detections.
The district is also using drone applications for larvicide in hard-to-reach low-lying areas and operates a mosquito fish program that places tiny fish in standing water to consume mosquito larvae. Lovano recommended residents “dump and drain” containers that hold water, scrub eggs from pots or water features, repair screens and use EPA‑registered repellents such as products containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Lovano said as of her most recent statewide update there were no local positives in Placer County but 13 positive dead birds and 74 positive mosquito samples elsewhere in California. She warned that climate change is lengthening the mosquito season.
Council members and staff thanked the district for the presentation. A council member reported seeing a dead finch near the city office while the presentation was under way and said she had submitted a report to the district’s online system; Lovano said finches can carry West Nile virus and the district would likely retrieve the bird for testing.
The district urged Lincoln residents to report dead birds at WestNile.ca.gov and to sign up for the district’s email notifications about surveillance and treatment operations.
