Mosquitoes & more: Big Country workshop focuses on disease-carrying pests
The agriculture industry is facing many challenges. While weather and the lack of moisture play a large factor in those challenges right now, farmers and ranchers' concerns also encompass pest insects and their effect on the wellness of their crops and livestock. Because of this, the Taylor County Ag Extension Office hosted experts from around the state to give a Vector Control Workshop.
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'Vector control' describes a strategy to eradicate pest animals or insects to prevent the spread of the diseases they carry. City officials, forest service workers, and even private individuals came from across the state to learn the ins and outs of pest population control, and Professor of Extension Entomologist at Texas A&M University, Dr. Sonja Swiger, spoke about this workshop's main focus.
'We want them to be knowledgeable when it comes to using their pesticides, and that's why they're here, mostly so that they can be trained properly in that. But we also want them to be educated in what they're trying to approach with the pesticide usage,' Swiger shared. 'We try to make sure that they're aware of why they're doing their job, why they're out there controlling those mosquitoes, and why that's important.'
While the workshop discusses a wide variety of pest insects, such as fleas, ticks, and certain fly species, the participants say their main concerns are mosquitoes, and Swiger highlights the key diseases they are most concerned with.
'West Nile is always our issue. That is an annual thing. Since it arrived, it's been every year, but we also watch other viruses. The Dengue virus is one that comes up through the tropics. That can be a concern in the United States. A couple of years ago, Malaria was a concern as well. So, we watch all of them, but West Nile is our main focus,' Swiger explained.
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The workshop also provides certification for individuals in the use of specific pesticides to combat these insects. Representatives from various city municipalities attended, and the hours spent in these classes contribute to maintaining their certifications for handling these pesticides. However, these certifications are not solely for those who operate within a large organization or governing agency.
Monty Moeller is a farmer in the northern region of Big Country who utilizes this class as a cost-saving strategy. Moeller explains that due to the drought conditions faced by farmers in recent years, they have been struggling to cover expenses, such as hiring third-party services to apply specialized pesticides in their fields. To counter these rising costs, Moeller has obtained the necessary certifications to use certain pesticides himself, eliminating the need to outsource this task at a higher price.
'I have a private applicators license where I can apply chemicals that are restricted use to the farm and ranch. It's been tough. It's been really tough. So, they have to cut corners where they can. So, if they can apply their own chemicals, that saves them some money,' Moeller said.
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Due to those same drought conditions, the Big Country will likely see a delay in the mosquito season, but Swiger went on to say that when it does eventually hit, measures like spraying pesticides will still need to be taken in order to fight the risks these disease-carrying insects can spread throughout our area.
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