MDA entomologist urges source reduction as best defense against Asian tiger mosquitoes in College Park

Gene Zastrow, an entomologist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s mosquito control program, told College Park residents on July 9 that the state’s approach emphasizes integrated pest management and community source reduction as the most effective way to limit nuisance and disease-carrying mosquitoes.

“Only female mosquitoes bite because they need the blood for eggs,” Zastrow said, explaining basic mosquito biology and why reducing breeding sites matters. He described roughly 60 species in Maryland across about 10 genera and said only about 10 species are of concern for vectoring disease.

Zastrow said two established mosquito-borne threats in Maryland are West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). “About 20 percent of the people infected develop symptoms,” he said of West Nile; he also noted EEE’s high impact on horses and severity in human cases. Zastrow added that malaria and viruses such as Zika and dengue are typically travel-related when they appear in the state.

On control tactics, Zastrow said the MDA program prioritizes methods with lower environmental impact: biological controls, biorational…