Mosquito district presents 50% pilot drop, warns of rising chemical and vehicle costs

Michael Mitchell, the district representative, told the council the Turlock Mosquito Abatement District operates with 12 full-time and eight seasonal staff and an annual operating budget of about $3.6 million funded through property assessments.

Mitchell said surveillance traps in the area found West Nile–positive pools but no local human cases and that a sterile‑male trial in southern Turlock produced roughly a 50% reduction in trap counts. "We had about a 50% reduction of mosquitoes in traps with this," Mitchell said, and the district plans a similar 25‑acre pilot in Hughson starting in May.

He detailed logistic and cost constraints for the sterile-male program: the producer is based in Indiana and mosquitoes must be released within 24 hours of leaving the lab, raising transport complexity and expense; the program is roughly $14,000 per season and requires twice-weekly releases for six weeks. Mitchell also cited a chart listing chemical expenses at $855,388 and said the district hopes to reduce pesticide use if the pilot proves effective.

Mitchell described operational tools—drones for inaccessible areas and partnerships with property owners for source reduction—and legislative progress on SB 1250 to allow treatment access in sealed vaults. He warned that California vehicle electrification rules create a pressing equipment cost problem: he estimated a roughly 133% increase to replace the district's heavy trucks with EV equivalents, which would be unaffordable without grant funding.

Council members asked about reporting protocols; Mitchell said the district routes calls to a state 800 number when local offices are closed and cited an example where a dead-bird report led to West Nile confirmation.

No council action was required; the presentation was for information and further operational and budget planning.