The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture has released an extensive article on controlling mosquitoes on horse farms and on rural properties. This article covers:
- Introduction
- Life Cycle of the Mosquito
- Reducing Breeding Areas for Mosquitoes – the First Line of Defence
- Reducing Exposure – the Second Line of Defence
- Cautions When Using Insecticides on Horses
- Pesticides for Mosquito Control – the Third Line of Defence
- Larvicides
- Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis)
- Methoprene
- Adulticides
- Alternatives to Pesticides
- Summary
- Protect Yourself and Your Horse
- Reference
- More Information
Following is the introduction to this article.
“Since 1999, the spread of West Nile virus across North America has brought with it a number of challenges. The first preventive measure, and the least challenging, is to vaccinate all horses with the standard 2-shot West Nile virus vaccine. This is followed with booster vaccinations as recommended by your veterinarian. The greatest challenge is how to control the mosquitoes responsible for spreading the virus. There are approximately 75 species of mosquitoes in Canada, all of which hatch their eggs in water and feed on blood. Some species feed primarily on birds, some on reptiles and amphibians, some on mammals (including humans), and some feed on both birds and animals. Mosquitoes that feed on both birds and mammals tend to predominate in late summer. It is the control of these species, the so-called “bridging vectors,” that is critical in preventing the transfer of West Nile virus from infected birds to mammals such as horses and humans.”
Click on any of the listings above or go to the complete article here.
