<h1>Fight the Bite: Mosquito Management in Your Community</h1>
Midwest Pesticide Action Center works with many communities on pesticide use issues.  <img class="alignright wp-image-2229 " src="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/website-jpeg-300x230.jpg" alt="website jpeg" width="287" height="220" />Lately, many communities in the Chicago area have raised concerns about mosquito fogging and the potential for unwanted and unintended pesticide exposure. Activists in Oak Park &amp; River Forest, two suburbs to the west of Chicago, asked us to help them raise awareness about mosquito abatement &amp; fogging in their communities. Concerns emerged especially around the potential negative impact of fogged pesticides on human health and the environment. Residents also wanted a better understanding of their Mosquito Abatement District’s activities and how the decisions are made on when and where to fog. With community input, we created a Fight the Bite brochure and bookmark to help inform and empower residents so they can better protect their home, family, and community from unwanted pesticide exposure.

[caption id="attachment_2228" align="alignleft" width="287"]<img class="wp-image-2228 " src="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/mosquito-control-truck-300x171.jpg" alt="" width="287" height="164" /> Image courtesy of  SOURCE[/caption]

Because mosquitoes are a nuisance with their uncomfortable bites and possible disease vectors (West Nile &amp; Chikungunya viruses), Mosquito Abatement Districts (MADs) have many tools to help control mosquito populations in addition to pesticide fogging. In fact, mosquito fogging is actually the least effective method for controlling mosquitoes. Fogging also has the most negative environmental consequences largely due to the likelihood of contact and ingestion of airborne pesticide and its application over a wide area. Its wide dispersal means contact with target insects (mosquitoes) and non-target beneficial insects (honey bees and other pollinators) equally, impacting the entire ecological system.<a href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MPAC-OPRF-Mosquito-Bookmark.pdf"><img class="alignright wp-image-2232 " src="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/oprf-102x300.jpg" alt="oprf" width="95" height="279" /></a>

If you are concerned about mosquito fogging in your community, MPAC would like to help you!  Check out the community education materials we created for Oak Park and River Forest.  If you like what you see, please contact MPAC’s Outdoor Programs manager, Kari Spiegelhalter at <a href="mailto:kspiegelhalter@pesticideaction.org">kspiegelhalter@pesticideaction.org</a> or (773) 878-7378 ext. 204.  She’ll be happy to help.

In the meantime, there are several steps you can take right now to learn more about mosquito abatement in your community:
<ol>
	<li>Contact your local <a href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mosquito-Abatement-Districts-table-8-27-14.pdf">Mosquito Abatement District</a> to learn more about fogging in your area.</li>
	<li>Naturally reduce mosquito populations using MPAC’s <a href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Complete-Mosquito-Factsheet-Update.pdf">complete mosquito factsheet</a>.</li>
	<li>Come to one of our mosquito talks. Kari will be presenting on this topic July 21<sup>st</sup> at 6:30 pm and August 18<sup>th</sup> at 12:30 pm at the
Oak Park Library. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1844962</li>
</ol>
<address><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><em>*U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Mosquito Control Association</em></span></address>&nbsp;

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