Short Bites Monthly
Your digest for May 2023.
Short Bites Monthly ensures that our data as a public health agency remains transparent to the public and to people who are interested in our mission.
Events
- Thank you to the following cities for booking us for their city’s events in advance: Alhambra, Arcadia, Altadena, Bradbury, and Monrovia.
Image of District staff working a community event.
Outreach Efforts
- The District continues Enhanced Neighborhood Support (ENS) in several neighborhoods to identify and eliminate habitats to reduce the threat of disease.
- Resources are being deployed to account for habitats with recent rain activity through the Winter months.
- The District is in the second phase of its Spring swimming pool condition confirmation effort with 65% compliance.
Image of a Technician checking on the status of pools in his zone.
- Have you seen swarms of flying bugs in your neighborhood? They are midges, not mosquitoes. Midges swarm, are nearly the size of a mosquito, and do not bite or transmit any diseases.
Image of midges swarming.
- Due to the Winter rains, San Gabriel Valley residents are seeing an influx of midges!
- Midge season can last from April to July but once the heat turns up or large water sources dry up, midges will decrease in population. In Southern California, mosquitoes do not swarm but still pose public health threats with their diseases.
EcoHealth Newsletter
- EcoHealth Newsletter informs you of professional development opportunities, FREE available NGSS- aligned programs, & the latest teacher resources for you to use in the classroom.
Images of our Education Specialist working on an EcoHealth Newsletter.
Citizen Science
Images of a student collecting a water sample for the Vector Inspector Program.
- Students in the San Gabriel Valley can be mobilized to aid us in the battle against mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. Teachers can enroll their class today.
Vector Inspector Program: Kinder - 6th
Operation Mosquito GRID: grades 6th - 8th
Digital Communication
- Our District reminds residents to prepare for mosquito season and prevent mosquito bites for holiday weekends.
Image of our social media outreach for April.
- This month, we added reported numbers that reflect full calendar months to accurately track our District social media platforms.
- The District also created promotional content for the annual California Mosquito Awareness Week.
- The District continued a partnership with the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District for their annual Conservepalooza. This resulted in 3 social media posts, including a video.
We continue to focus on maintaining essential vector surveillance including mosquito trap routes, arbovirus testing, providing weekly data to the District, and maintaining the mosquito fish and mosquito colonies.
Image of our Surveillance staff identifying mosquito species.
Data Collection
Image of average mosquitoes per trap by sampling location and by city/community. The size of the bubbles on the map reflects the relative numbers of mosquitoes caught at each trap.
This chart depicts the overall abundance of mosquitoes collected during the current reporting period. Species listed on the far right are sorted by total amount collected during this reporting period.
This chart depicts the total number/types of traps set during this reporting period.
- This month, San Gabriel Valley has been impacted by an unprecedented amount of rain and persistent cold temperatures. While rain refills local aquifers, it also delays the standard mosquito season.
- As daily average temperatures continue to rise, we anticipate seeing an increase in mosquito abundance.
Before you go, check out the links we love this month …
How planting California natives helps bring back monarch butterflies, and other pollinators 🌱
- We are facing diminishing numbers in pollinator populations. Researchers identify the problems with habitat loss and climate change. Learn how you can have impact on your local ecosystem.
Learn @ Home with California Botanic Garden 🐛
- California Botanic Garden has created FREE interactive worksheets for your students and family to enjoy! Worksheets have been tailored to specific grade levels and are downloadable in English and Spanish.
Build Butterfly Gardens with National Geographic 🦋
- Protect the Earth by creating an oasis for garden heroes and attract these cool creatures to your yard.
Want to receive our monthly digest in an email? Sign up to get monthly email alerts 📧 through our Bite Back Program.
Communications Department Mission Statement:
Increase transparency and credibility through multi-media dialogue in order to engage and motivate internal, local, regional, statewide, and nationwide stakeholders to take action and become public health agents of change in their communities.
🖋 Written by Ally Gaspar, Outreach Assistant