Pesticide Program

Pesticide Handling, Use, and Storage

Mosquito Management for West Nile Virus

Commercial Applicator Certification Requirements:

• Applicators who are considering spraying for mosquitoes must be certified by the SDDA in the commercial applicator G (General) category and the mosquito specific category 9 (Public Health)
• The commercial applicator tests can be taken by going to your local extension office.
• Upon successful completion of the tests a commercial license application will need to be completed and submitted to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture.
• The license fee is $ 25.00 and is current for two years. If an individual already has a license and just needs to add the Category 9 (Public Health)there is no additional licensing fee. Government employees are fee exempt from the $25.00 dollar license fee.

Adult Mosquito Control Recommendations:

• Ground based (truck mounted) application of adult mosquito control agents has several positive attributes. Where road access is adequate, such as in urban and suburban residential areas, ground application can achieve good coverage. Ground applicators can also spray at night targeting mosquitoes when they are most active. Ground applications are prone to skips and patchy coverage in areas where road coverage is not adequate or in which the habitat contains significant barriers to spray dispersal and penetration.
• Aerial application can cover larger areas in shorter time. This is a critical positive attribute when larger residential areas must be treated quickly. Aerial application is also less prone to patchy coverage than ground- based application in areas where road coverage is not adequate. However, many aerial applicators will not fly at night, reducing the ability to target mosquitoes when they are most active. Cost benefits of aerial application over ground application may not be realized unless relatively large areas are treated.

Mosquito Control Options:

• Several formulations of a variety of active ingredients are available for adulticide applications.
• Always read and follow product label directions. Some products require notifying the public of the intended use area before any applications occur. Many of the products also require notifying beekeepers of the intended use area so they can remove their bees from the area because many insecticides are highly toxic to bees.
• The following product information links are intended for use as a reference guide only.

Toxicity and Hazards of Selected Insecticides

Adulticide Products for Adult Mosquito Control (pdf)

Larvicide Products for Larval Mosquito Control (pdf)

Barrier Treatment Products for Mosquito Control (pdf)

Toxicity and Hazards of Selected Insecticides

Other Links:

• Products & Promotions That Have Limited Value for Mosquito Control (link)
• Department of Health, West Nile Virus Surveillance (link)

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