The City of Geneva has maintained a fully integrated, comprehensive community control program that employs a strong emphasis on larval mosquito control (controlling the population of mosquitoes in the larval or egg stage of their life cycle). The City establishes program structure and specifications and makes use of those standards in contracting for the implementation of the program. Geneva’s program employs the following elements:

Larval Site Monitoring

Extensive inspection of known and potential mosquito-breeding sites throughout the City and Township on a 14-day cycle to detect active breeding and implement larvicide applications as required. Most of these inspections require access by foot.

Helicopter Prehatch Larviciding

Helicopter larviciding applications at strategic times during the breeding season to approximately 114 acres of open water throughout the City and Township to confirm treatment to areas of difficult access. Geneva utilizes environmentally safe products for larval control that biologically interrupts the development of the mosquito larvae and thereby reduces the numbers of adult mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes Stocking

Annual stocking of all permanent water features (ponds, retention basins, etc.) located within the City deploying fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) for biological larval mosquito control.

Catch Basin Control

Catch basins, inlets, and manholes throughout the City are treated each season with an extended-release tablet that prevents mosquito larvae from developing into flying, biting adults. Applications are also made to rear-yard catch basins where appropriate. 

Adult Mosquito Monitoring

New Jersey Light traps are utilized and installed in two locations to monitor the adult mosquito population. Light traps are serviced three times per week with technicians sorting and counting the captured mosquitoes. Light trap reports are transmitted to the City for evaluation and record-keeping. Information from the light trap monitoring network is a factor when making decisions to implement adult mosquito control measures.

Adult Mosquito Control

When mosquito surveillance indicates the presence of arboviruses like West Nile Virus or excessively high nuisance levels of mosquitoes, community-wide adult mosquito control treatments using ULV (Ultra Low Volume) equipment and a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered synthetic pyrethroid product approved for the use in outdoor residential and recreational areas may be implemented. One challenge that is inherent in Geneva’s geographical position is that adult mosquitoes can migrate 10-20 miles. As such, many adult mosquitoes are produced outside of our jurisdiction/program treatment area and are carried by prevailing westerly winds into Geneva, circumventing our larval control efforts.

To combat this, adult mosquito control ULV applications are always attempted to be scheduled in cooperation with other local governments (such as the cities and townships of St. Charles and Batavia) to optimize the results of adult mosquito control ULV applications. A community alert is posted to the City's website in advance of adult mosquito control ULV applications. Residents can subscribe to receive alerts via Notify Me.

Clarke, the City's mosquito abatement contractor, also offers text or email notification services in advance of a scheduled mosquito spraying. Registration can sign-up to receive these advance treatment notifications through Clarke's Customer Care Hotline. 

For more information regarding adult mosquito control applications using ULV applications, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.  

Shut-off requests can be made to Clarke for community members who would like to opt out of their private, residential property from adult mosquito control treatments.