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April 2025 Newsletter

Staff highlights - Devina and Richard

We are fortunate to have dedicated staff passionate about protecting San Mateo County residents from mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry. We'd like to let you get-to-know our staff and why our staff love their work. This month, we are highlighting Devina and Richard. Devina just had her 15th anniversary of working with the District this week!

Click here to learn more about Richard Arrow, Finance Director

Click here to learn more about Devina Walker, Office Administrator

Person smiling with short grey hair in blue and white shirt and dark blue vest with the District logo on it.
Richard, the District's Financial Director
A woman at a desk on the phone with a sign reading "Mosquito & Vector Control District" in the background.
Devina, the District's Office Administrator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 West Nile Virus Season Starts

Red text says "Report Dead Birds" with a web address (westnile.ca.gov) and phone number (1-877-968-2473) with an icon of a black bird upside down (dead). With the District website (www.smcmvcd.org) and logo in another box in the image

'Bird flu' has likely made you more aware of dead birds in your area. In our mosquito control work, we think about dead birds seasonally each summer because of a different virus - West Nile virus.

West Nile virus occurs throughout California and is primarily a disease that birds and mosquitoes pass back and forth to each other. However, sometimes a mosquito bite can transmit West Nile virus to a person. While most of us will not get ill from West Nile virus, older individuals and people with compromised immune systems are at risk of becoming very ill from West Nile virus.

Our work during the summer months is particularly focused on reducing the risk of people in San Mateo County getting infected with West Nile virus. One way is through our storm drain catch basin program. Another is through testing dead birds for West Nile virus.

Not all birds that are infected with West Nile virus will get sick, but West Nile virus can make some birds - like crows, ravens, and jays - very sick and even cause death. Last year in San Mateo County, we detected West Nile virus in a record number of 37 dead birds.

(An important note as backyard chicken flocks become popular is that chickens do NOT get ill or die from West Nile virus infection.)

Starting on April 15, the California West Nile Virus Call Center will reactivate for calls about dead birds. If a dead bird is reported in San Mateo County, our District will pick it up and test it for West Nile virus. If a bird is positive, we set up mosquito traps around the location the bird was found to determine if there are West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in the area.

To learn more about West Nile virus, visit https://westnile.ca.gov/

Open House - Save the Date

Visit us at our Open House, which will be held Saturday, June 21st from 12-4pm. Our staff will be on-hand to answer questions, display our equipment and insect collection, and offer a variety of hands-on activities for families to enjoy learning about mosquitoes and other vectors.  There will be popsicles, face painting, and Beetle Lady's Pop-Up Bug Museum on-site!

Learn more and sign up for updates on our Open House webpage.

SMCMVCD Open House, 21 June 2025, 12-4pm, 1351 Rollins Road, Burlingame. Visit smcmvcd.org for details.

We're Hiring!

A group of seven uniformed individuals standing beside a white Jeep with a logo on the door. The logo is the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District logo.

We currently have a few positions open for the summer season:

  • Seasonal Laboratory Assistant (1 position)
  • Vector Control Seasonal Aide (multiple positions)

Check our our Current Openings page to learn more and apply.

 

Mosquito Awareness Week, April 13-19

Every April, California Mosquito Awareness Week aims to raise awareness and educate the public on effective mosquito prevention and bite reduction measures, thereby preventing the spread of diseases. Keep these tips in mind for helping have a mosquito-free summer:

"2025 California Mosquito Awareness Week, April 13-19." MVCAC logo
  • Dump standing water at least once a week to prevent mosquitoes from growing - this includes plant saucers, children's toys, wheelbarrows, and anything that can hold water.  Even just a bottle cap of water can grow mosquitoes!
  • Dress in long sleeves and long pants to avoid mosquito bites, especially if outside at dawn and dusk (when the mosquitoes that can spread West Nile virus are more active).
  • When using insect repellent, use one that has an EPA registration number. Ingredients like DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535 are a few of the common ingredients in EPA-registered repellents. Learn more about insect repellents.
  • Report biting mosquitoes to us!  One of our staff will visit to help figure out where the mosquitoes are breeding and how to stop them.  Call 650-344-8592 or fill out a service request online.
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