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Adulticide Program Commencement: CMMCP’s
adulticide program starts in late May or early June to coincide with the
emergence of spring brood mosquitoes. The program ends in August or September
as the adult mosquito population begins to decline and low evening
temperatures make adulticide spraying inadvisable. Both the start date and the end date of the
adulticide program relate directly to the current adult mosquito population,
status of vector-borne diseases and the prevalent weather conditions. These
dates will vary from year to year. Adulticiding is done by CMMCP after
astronomical sunset up until astronomical sunrise. The
adulticide program responds to requests from residents or town officials in
our service area, or to the threat of mosquito-bore illness as defined by the
local Board of Health or the Mass. Dept. of Public Health. No area-wide,
random, indiscriminate spraying is performed by CMMCP. We respond only to requests from the public,
town or state officials to initiate the adulticide process. Prior to any
adulticide operation, surveillance is gathered to gauge the current mosquito
population in the area to be sprayed, we ascertain the current weather
conditions, and establish other factors that may influence the efficacy of
the application. Surveillance data may be gathered in a variety of ways, by
light traps, gravid traps, landing counts or other means. No application of
any product for the control of adult mosquitoes will be performed if the
mosquito population is too low, or if weather
conditions may inhibit an application or is against the information listed on
the product label. If a town is scheduled for a given evening and no
adulticide requests were received, we will only perform landing rates or
provide other services in town. All landing rate information is placed in a
database to be analyzed for prevalent species, population counts, etc.
Landing rates are suspended when mosquito-borne viruses have been identified
in ULV SPRAY TRUCK
Adulticide Notifications: 1.
Each year in
late January or early February we send a letter to each Town/City Clerk with
information about the pesticide exclusion process from 333CMR, the
Massachusetts Pesticide Regulations. We outline the procedure for
“Exclusions from Applications”, and request the Town/City Clerk
inform the public in their town about this process. Suggested means are local
newspapers, posted notices and on local cable stations. In early April we
contact all Town & City Clerks and pick up all registered exclusion
letters they have received up to that date. Clerks will call the CMMCP office
when additional exclusions are received and these are usually faxed to our
office to be placed immediately on the exclusion list. CMMCP will continue to
receive exclusions throughout the year by phone, fax and e-mail, and these
exclusions are added to the list as soon as our office receives them. 2.
A minimum of 2
weeks prior to the start of each month in the summer spray season, CMMCP will
send a schedule to the Town/City Clerk, Board of Health, Police Departments
and other departments as requested by the town outlining the scheduled days
and evenings we will be in their area. They are notified that some additional
work may be performed off-schedule, usually as a result of high mosquito
populations, mosquito-borne disease or weather factors. Specific spray areas
are not outlined to the towns at this point due to continuing incoming
service requests and the surveillance that needs to be gathered before each
application is performed. 3.
Each evening
CMMCP schedules any applications, a list with the potential spray areas
including resident’s name and address is given to the local Police
Department by our field staff. This is the only time CMMCP will release a
resident’s name unless directed to do so by higher authorities, and the
Police Department is asked to keep the information confidential. This list
also includes emergency contact information should the Police Department need
to contact personnel at CMMCP for any reason. 4.
After 3:30PM
each day, the website maintained by CMMCP will list all potential spray areas
for the evening. This is the same list given to the Police Department but
does not include the resident’s name or exact address, only the town
& street name. 5.
The CMMCP
phone system will also have a recording with the list from the website, and
is operational after 3:30PM. During business hours all requests for this
information is handled in person by CMMCP staff. 6.
On rare
occasions and only under specific instances, CMMCP field staff will contact
residents listed on the exclusion list directly to inform them that an
application may be done in their area, and that their property will be
excluded from this application. The instances will include medical and/or
other extraordinary reasons. CMMCP office and field staff is not able to
contact everyone on the exclusion list prior to each scheduled application.
CMMCP field staff makes every effort to contact all exclusion properties at
least once per year but time constraints may not make this possible.
Residents are expected to use the CMMCP notification process as outlined in
sections 4 & 5 above to keep informed of the scheduled spray areas. 7.
Residents
requesting service are notified prior to an application performed in their
area in person or by a note left at their door. Field staff will survey the
areas to determine the extent of the application, look for additional larval
areas, and educate the resident about basic mosquito biology and proper
sanitation methods to reduce mosquito breeding in their yards. The resident
will be questioned to see if special circumstances exist, such as any health
concerns, areas in the yard to concentrate on or avoid, etc. The field
technicians are also available to answer any questions the resident may have
at that time. Brochures and other literature are given to all service
requests with additional information. We
recognize the difficulty in the notification process, and we strive to inform
as many people as possible regarding our adulticiding, but it is also the
responsibility of all residents to be informed of any procedures that they
require information about. ULV PORTABLE (HAND) SPRAYER
Adulticide Service Requests: 1.
The most
common form of adulticide request CMMCP receives comes from residents
contacting CMMCP via telephone or e-mail with a health concern or nuisance
complaint from mosquitoes. Occasionally a resident will visit CMMCP’s
headquarters and voice a mosquito related concern or complaint, and some
requests are received by fax. 2.
If a member of
a business or condo association, or anyone requesting adulticiding for an
area not in their direct control requests an application, this request must be
faxed to CMMCP on official letterhead, and must contain a contact name and
phone number. CMMCP will schedule an application, with a rain date, and then
call back the contact person with the dates. CMMCP informs the contact that a
notice should be posted in any and all visible areas with the program
information, potential dates and our phone number as well as the requesting
contact person’s information. 3.
Member town or
state officials will contact CMMCP with requests on behalf of a constituency
or group. 4.
Residents may
contact a CMMCP employee in the field and request adulticide service. The
request may be investigated then if time allows, but any adulticide spraying
may have to wait for proper notification to be placed if not already done so. All
requests for service are databased in the CMMCP computer system with town,
date, name, address, service information, data collected, product application
information & applicator comments. This database is kept confidential
unless CMMCP is informed by higher authorities to release the information. Surveillance before an application: Surveillance
before an application may be gathered in many ways, but the most common
method is called a “landing count”. Field technicians are
dispatched to the general area that the adult mosquito service requests have
been received and perform this procedure. A landing count consists of a field
technician counting the number of mosquitoes that land on their person during
a specified time. Landing counts generally take place in the late afternoon
or early evening when many mosquito species become more active. The number of
mosquitoes landing per minute is then recorded along with other information
such as time, date, temperature, wind speed, and cloud cover. Weather
information is gathered by means of electronic devises such as the KestrelŽ
portable weather station. Landing
counts allow us to determine if our application is necessary and if the
optimal conditions exist. Weather conditions also play a large role. The
temperature and wind speed must not conflict with label restrictions. If
mosquitoes are determined not to be in the area in sufficient numbers, or
weather conditions are not favorable, we do not perform the application. This
service requested will then be turned back into the CMMCP office to be
rescheduled. Landing counts provide information about mammal-biting species
that is used by applicators to help determine if there is a need for an
adulticide application. We also use the collected adult mosquito samples from
these landing counts to identify exactly what type of mosquito is prevalent
in the area at that time and may help to tailor our larvicide program in the
future. All landing counts are databased in the CMMCP computer system.
Landing counts will not be utilized in vector control situations once virus
has been identified and will be suspended for the rest of the season.
Surveillance data can also be gathered by light traps, gravid traps or sent
over by the Department of Public Health. Extent of the Application: All
field staff employed by CMMCP is licensed and/or certified by the
Massachusetts Pesticide Bureau. They received training to identify mosquito
larvae and adults, and on the complexities in performing adulticide
applications. The extent of any given application is based on many factors;
current mosquito populations, weather conditions, number of requests received
in an area, topography, exclusion properties and other aspects. All exclusion
properties in the area are identified in the daytime and if time allows the
resident is contacted. We employ 2 means of
adulticiding, truck-mounted and portable sprayers. A field technician may use
one or both of these devises, depending on the circumstances at the time. The
application may be limited to the back yard(s), or may be extended out to
included parts of, or whole neighborhoods. Listed exclusions in the area and
other political or civic situations will also determine the extent of any
application. The field technician is given discretion in the extent of the
application according to the situation at the time and using their best
judgment according to their experience and training. All applicators are in
full communication with other field staff and office personnel during their
shift. All spraying is done in accordance with the MSDS and label of the
product in use at that time. Timing of Applications: ˇ
Early to late evening: This is a time when many mosquito species are
active and the product we use is most effective. The overwhelming majority of spraying by
CMMCP is done during this timeframe.
It also is a time that reduces the exposure to many non-target
organisms. New labeling precautions
for pyrethroid products, with one exception, prohibit applications to blooming
crops or weeds when bees are actively visiting the treatment area. The
exception is when applications are made to prevent or control a threat to
public and/or animal health determined by a state, tribal or local health or
vector control agency on the basis of documented evidence of disease causing
agents in vector mosquitoes, or the occurrence of mosquito borne disease in
animal or human populations, or if specifically approved by the state or
tribe during a natural recovery effort. Per a policy adopted by the State
Reclamation & Mosquito Control Board on August 20, 2007, applications of
pyrethroid products by ULV and course application have the following
restrictions: When targeting species of concern and potential vectors of
arboviruses, standard, locally established adult mosquito control
efforts—including aerosol and foliar, may commence prior to sunset and
continue after sunrise when conditions are appropriate to achieve efficacy
and in accord with all other labeling directions and restrictions. The above
exception applies when the following criteria are met:
The SRMCB can revise
this policy as new information becomes available about labeling requirements
in order to update and conform to those changes Mosquito-borne illnesses: Any
and all applications for mosquito-bore disease such as West Nile Virus or
Eastern Equine Encephalitis are done in conjunction with the local Board of
Health and the Mass. Department of Public Health. Many factors too numerous
to outline here are considered before an applications in done for the control
of vector-borne diseases. Information is available from the MDPH website or
from local Boards of Health, and is outlined in the “Massachusetts
Vector Response Plan”. The Children and Families Protection
Act (CPA): All
components of the CPA are complied with by CMMCP. No applications to school
property will be done unless all components of the CPA are up to date and in
place. Adulticide Exclusions: Exclusions from our
program are outlined in the Mass. Pesticide Regulations, 333CMR §13.04,
paragraph 6, subsection 1(b). Residents who have excluded their properties
through this legislation must send a registered letter to their City or Town
Clerk before March 1 of each year. The letter must include the names of the
property abutters, and the exclusion property is required to be marked every
50 feet with paper plates or similar means indicating “No Spray”.
CMMCP personnel pick up these registered letters at the Town Clerk’s
office in early April of each year. These names and addresses are added our
spray exclusion list for that city or town. We maintain a spray exclusion
list for every city or town in which we operate. Additional exclusions may be
received by CMMCP throughout the year by phone, fax, e-mail, and letter, in
person at our office or by contacting field personnel. All exclusion requests
remain on our “No Spray List” until the residents request to be
removed from the list or relinquish control of the listed property. If
time allows, our applicators may notify residents on the “No
Spray” list if an application is scheduled in their area that evening.
This gives our applicators a chance to meet these residents, ask and answer
questions, and survey their property. On rare occasions and only under
specific instances, CMMCP field staff will contact residents listed on the
exclusion list as “Contact when in area” to inform them that an
application may be done in their area, and that their property will
definitely be excluded from this application. The instances will include any medical
and/or other extraordinary reasons. CMMCP office and field staff is not able
to call or visit everyone on the exclusion list before each application. Some
additional factors that influence the decisions before an application: ˇ
Wind: No
applications are made once wind gusts prevent applicator from controlling
drift within a reasonable expectation. Each product may have specific
instructions/restrictions on the label for wind speed. ˇ
Temperature: No applications are recommended once the temperature drops below 50oF.
Each product may have specific instructions/ restrictions on the label for
temperature. ˇ
Setback from water: No applications are recommended within 100 ft of a body of water. Each product may
have specific instructions/ restrictions on the label for setback from bodies
of water. Identification and Location of Exclusion
Properties: The
exclusion properties for each city and town are located on a clipboard that
each applicator takes with them at the beginning of his/her shift. In addition
to the names, addresses and other comments (asthmatic, pregnant, notify
first, etc.) of the exclusion properties, the following information is
included on the No Spray list:
All
cities and towns in our service area have been divided into map sections, and
the corresponding section number is located on the No Spray list as well as
all adulticide and larvicide service requests. This gives the applicator a
quick reference as to whether there are exclusion properties in the area of a
potential application. Before
any applications are performed the area is surveyed and compared to the
addresses on the No Spray list to confirm and identify the locations of any
exclusion properties. If properties are identified that do not exist on the
exclusion list, this information is included on the applicators work report,
and written on the exclusion list in his/her possession. The exclusion list
on file at the CMMCP office is then revised and reprinted. If
any exclusion is called into the CMMCP office during the work day when the
exclusion list has already been taken by an applicator, this applicator is
called on direct link radio (Nextel) or cell phone to alert then to the new
exclusion property location. Properties that are
marked according to 333CMR §13.04, paragraph 6, subsection 1(b) are identified,
and exclusion properties not marked accordingly are located with a
geographical reference (white house, house number, red fence, etc.) to be
identified later as the application is being performed. In an instance where
an applicator is assigned to an area not familiar to him/her, this applicator
will coordinate with the Crew Leader assigned to that District to be informed
about exclusion properties and all other situations that demand special
attention. With any questions that arise, the Crew Leader, Director of
Operations and Executive Director are all available using direct link radio
or cell phones during each shift. Applicators Licensing &
Certification: The
Massachusetts Pesticide Bureau licenses and certifies all applicators
employed by CMMCP. CMMCP applicators are dedicated year-round mosquito
control professionals that continue to educate themselves on pesticide
application, vector-borne diseases and advancements in mosquito control
techniques through pesticide workshops and other certification courses. These
workshops and certification classes are held throughout the year and are
mandatory for all CMMCP employees holding a pesticide license. New
applicators train with experienced CMMCP personnel for 1-2 weeks until they
are confident they have gained the necessary knowledge and skills to perform
adulticide applications competently. Retraining is offered to all employees
prior to the start of the adulticide season. Retraining may include reviewing
the current CMMCP SOP policy, reviews and updates to new pesticide
regulations, and reviews of current products in use at CMMCP. These items and
many others are also covered in the bimonthly Field Staff meeting held during
the adulticide season. Emergency Contacts: All
applicators in the field are all equipped with direct link radio (NextelŽ)
and cell phones, and are given a list of the following contact names &
numbers in case of an emergency situation or if any questions arise: 1.
Police Dept.
phone number for each town they are working in. 2.
3.
Home and cell
phone numbers of the Executive Director and the Director of Operations of
CMMCP. 4.
Cell phone
numbers of other CMMCP employees on shift. 5.
Phone numbers
for emergency spill response for Mass. DEP, All trucks are equipped with a 3-ring binder with laminated pesticide
MSDS sheets & labels, as well as other fact sheets. This information is also
available at the CMMCP headquarters, and from the CMMCP website. All trucks
are equipped with an emergency spill response kit if a pesticide spill were
to occur. All emergency phone numbers are included on the face of these kits. Equipment Used: Applications
are made by using Ultra Low Volume (ULV) sprayers. No thermal fog or mist blow equipment is used by CMMCP at this
time. CMMCP employs two types of ULV sprayers, truck mounted and portable
handheld sprayers. The sprayer flow rates are either fixed, such as in the
portable sprayers, or variable, as in the case of the truck-mounted sprayers.
The flow rates for these sprayers are calibrated at the start of each season
according to the specified label rates and may be rechecked periodically if
indications warrant. These sprayers are also checked at the beginning of each
season for proper droplet size as outlined on the pesticide label. Droplet
size may also be checked on a periodic basis if indications warrant. ULV maintenance schedule: Maintenance and
calibration of the ULV sprayers is an important part of our adulticide
program. Maintenance reduces repair costs and equipment downtime, and
frequent calibration assessments will determine that we are following label
guidelines and performing ULV spray operations at the optimum settings. As a rule, the following minimum standards apply:
The
following recommendations are to be implemented and performed as time allows:
NOTE: all work done shall be recorded in the ULV Sprayer
Maintenance Log. *Individual reports as
well as a note in the maintenance log. Laminate these reports and place in
the pesticide label binders for each vehicle. Equipment Security: ULV
equipment in use at CMMCP falls under strict security. All employees are
required to wear photo identification at all times while on shift. The ULV
spray equipment is locked up in several ways; 1.
The spray
heads are locked at the end of each shift and can be removed and locked in a
separate storage container. 2.
The flow
control boxes are locked at all times. 3.
The pesticide container
is locked at all times. 4.
Employees lock
the trucks and any other equipment when they are away from the vehicle for
any extended length of time. 5.
The electronic
control boxes can be removed to disable the ULV rig entirely. Pesticide Usage and Reporting: All
applicators carry in their vehicle a pesticide logbook. This logbook is used to record all
pesticides loaded onto their vehicles and all pesticides used after an
application. The logbook contains the following information: 1.
Date and Time
pesticide is loaded 2.
Type of
pesticide loaded onto vehicle 3.
Amount of
pesticide on truck prior to loading 4.
Amount of
pesticide loaded 5.
Vehicles
registration number 6.
Employee
initials Recording Pesticide Usage: All truck-mounted ULV
sprayers are outfitted with an hourmeter which
records the total time the ULV sprayers were in use. The amount of adulticide
for any given application is calculated by multiplying the time of use by the
calibrated flow rate. Currently we utilize a dip stick method of calculating
the pesticide output. At the end of every shift a report is filled out by
every applicator for each town they worked in. These reports include the
following information: 1.
Date 2.
City or Town 3.
Applicators
name 4.
The
applicator’s Pesticide License/Certification number 5.
Vehicle
registration number 6.
Product name 7.
EPA
Registration number(s) 8.
Total amount
applied 9.
Location(s) of
applications There
is also room for the applicator to make any additional comments he/she may
find appropriate or necessary. Distribution of Pesticide Usage Reports:
Copies
of the reports named above, as well as all other work reports, are
photocopied and delivered to each Board of Health throughout the season. The
original report is kept on file at the CMMCP office. CMMCP also files a
Pesticide Usage report with the Massachusetts Pesticide Bureau every year as
mandated by law. This report contains the names and total amounts of all
pesticides used by CMMCP during the year. CMMCP Annual Report: Every
year CMMCP complies an individual annual report of all work performed during
the calendar year for every member city & town. Copies are made and
delivered to many departments, including but not limited to: Board of Health,
Board of Selectmen, City/Town Clerk, Conservation Commission, etc. Additional
copies can be prepared if requested. Complete reports with information from
all cities and towns are made and given to the CMMCP Board of Commission, the
CMMCP Executive Director, CMMCP Director of Operations, and to the State
Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board. The report includes a description of
our services, entomology summary, dates, locations and work performed during
the year, a year-end summary, and other pertinent information. Copies of all
annual reports for all years of service dating back to 1974 are on file at
the CMMCP office. Safety Equipment: All
applicators are equipped with respirators, latex/nitrile gloves, long sleeve
shirts and long pants to minimize their exposure to any products in use at
CMMCP. Any items in need of repair or replacement can be brought to the
attention of any member of the CMMCP Safety Committee, the Operations
Foreman, the Director of Operations or the Executive Director. Misapplications & Employee
Reprimand(s) Every
effort is made by all employees of CMMCP at all times to assure that we apply
products competently. We recognize that on occasions errors can occur, and
disciplinary actions may be necessary. In this instance the following rules
may apply: 1.
On the first
application to an exclusion property, the applicator is spoken to; the No
Spray list and SOP policy is reviewed by the applicator and a senior staff
member. 2.
On the second
misapplication, in addition to #1 the employee may receive a written
reprimand to be placed in the employee’s personnel file. 3.
On the third
misapplication, in addition to #1 & #2, the employee may receive an
unpaid leave of absence, the length of time to be determined by the Executive
Director. 4.
On the fourth
misapplication the employee may be terminated at the discretion of the
Executive Director. Many
factors are involved in determining disciplinary action, the timeframe
involved, the extent of the misapplications and other extenuating
circumstances. The ultimate decision on any disciplinary action falls under
the discretion of the Executive Director. Conclusion: CMMCP
continues to strive towards its goal to reduce mosquito exposure to the
public, and the potential for disease transmission by mosquitoes, by
utilizing proven, sound mosquito control techniques. Our staff receives
constant training, our fleet is continuously updated with the state of the
art equipment, and we review our practices and procedures each year to adapt
to the new strategies that are introduced in our field. This document is meant as a guide to
adulticiding, and may not cover every situation we may encounter. Training,
experience and common sense dictate our response in any given situation.
Advances in mosquito control techniques, the introduction of new products and
equipment, and changes in laws and regulations will necessitate the revision
of this document as necessary. |
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