I probably don’t need to discuss this season’s mosquito news, but I’m sure most of you have been busy just trying to keep up with calls and concerns from clientele. Lower Michigan has been dealing with a large crop of floodwater mosquitoes from the May rains on top of our usual spring species. Recent dry conditions (at least in my area) have slowed things down a bit, but Coquillettidia and Anopheles are fast making up for any drops in spring and summer floodwater populations. Consequently, it seems I’ve been talking to reporters as much as I’ve been doing any "real" mosquito research.

Interacting with the press and public is an important component of effective mosquito control that can often be underestimated. It can also be very challenging. Cases in point are several articles included in this issue. One article deals with the elimination of mosquito control programs based on budget concerns and a perception that we don’t need such programs anymore, another discusses misinformation about DDT, and a third gives an example of a useless (or worse) product sold to the uninformed as an effective mosquito repellant. In the original article on budgets for mosquito control in Illinois, the caption for the accompanying photo erroneously indicates that someone setting up a gravid trap is pouring "insecticide into a tray". Sadly, such errors are not uncommon.

Clearly, we continue to deal with many people in our districts, the media, and even the legislature, who do not understand mosquito or disease dynamics, and what constitutes a sound control approach. Usually, I find it rewarding to educate these folks and to take the time to try and explain what can be complex answers to mosquito nuisance or mosquito-borne disease questions. As you know, however, it can also be frustrating to see your best effort at such misinterpreted or ignored when it appears as a news story or in public policy. My message in response to this is "Keep at it". Informing people about why the job you’re doing is important and how pains are taken to minimize health and environmental risks are paramount to continued effective control. We all need to do our part to present the full picture of what we do (including risks) in clear terms. Some people may never be swayed by facts, but as I’ve said before, I’m optimistic that reason will eventually prevail.

I wish you all a safe and productive summer. May all your dealings with the press and public be pleasurable. (I’m guessing "few and tolerable" should be substituted for "pleasurable" for most of you).