BULLHEAD CITY — Bullhead City Pest Abatement will hold a caddisfly community forum on October 30, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Bullhead City Council Chambers located at 1255 Marina Blvd. Forum topics will include biology and ecology of net-spinning caddisflies and current nuisance caddisfly abatement projects.
“The primary goal of the forum is to educate the public on nuisance net-spinning caddisfly biology and ecology, update the public on current nuisance net-spinning caddisfly projects, and give residents the opportunity to directly discuss potential property-level abatement strategies,” said Bullhead City Municipal Entomologist Dr. Michael Cavallaro.
Bullhead City’s net-spinning caddisfly suppression program monitors insect populations throughout the year. Few instances of nuisance net-spinning caddisflies exist globally and are often associated with hydroelectric dams.
Cavallaro leads two caddisfly forums annually, one in the spring and one in the fall. The forums are intentionally timed to coincide with the most intense caddisfly emergence events to promote public education. During the forums, Cavallaro engages with members of the public and provides information about current and future strategies of caddisfly population control.
Cavallaro intends to highlight new projects associated with sodium sulfite bioassays, additional artificial fish habitat deployment, and Bt protein toxicity tests during the October 30th forum. The public is encouraged to attend the forum and learn about the new efforts to control the caddisfly population.
“During this time of year, the magnitude of caddisfly swarming drastically increases for several weeks. Adult caddisflies have a strong phototaxis, i.e., attraction to light. Large bug zappers provide a mechanical means to remove caddisflies,” said Cavallaro. “The cooler weather allows them to swarm for most of the day. Large oscillating fans or air curtains will help deter swarming activity around outdoor sitting areas or home entryways.”
For more information, please call: (928) 763-0109.
