MRCU cranks up efforts in the face of August rain
(CNS): After two very hot dry months, August has been particularly wet so far, leading to an increase in mosquitoes, and the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) has been doubling efforts in response. MRCU Director Dr Alan Wheeler noted that it has rained almost every day this month and mosquito numbers are now high, which is likely to get worse after more than 13cm of rain on Sunday alone.
“Typically mosquitoes will emerge 12 days after heavy rainfall,” he warned. “We saw an increase in mosquito numbers from August 16 and numbers are likely to stay high for the next week or so as further mosquitoes emerge from more recent rainfall events.”
The MRCU was prepared for the rains and last week treated over 12,500 acres with residual larvicide from the air and conducted routine adulticiding operations. Dr Wheeler said that since 1 August, MRCU has conducted eight aerial control and 95 truck-mounted ground ultra-low volume (ULV) operations against adult mosquitoes.
“The highest recent rainfall was on August 20 with an average of 13.6cm collected in the MRCU rain gauges,” Dr Wheeler said. “Mosquitoes are expected to emerge from this rainfall event in the first week of September. MRCU will continue with its control operations until mosquito numbers are back to acceptable numbers in all areas.”
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Category: Land Habitat, Science & Nature
Please do it after 4pm, that’s when bees are less active, they’re so important to the environment and I’d hate to think the spray is terminating them too.
So you are stating the flight program is erratic or dysfunctional due to the resignation of the Chief Pilot? Are you sure he resigned or was it that he did not have his contract renewed? Is the former Chief Pilot happy with the comments you are making against his friends and colleagues?
Dr Wheeler made the mistake of trying to stop the drinking that was going on at the MRCU hangar. There are numerous complaints of drunken fights, physical assaults on people who reported drinking and lost driving licenses. Members of the aircraft section being so drunk that they were considered unfit to do their jobs. What you are seeing here is a campaign by a few ex members of the Department who now have more drinking time on their hands and have nothing better to do. Dr Wheeler put a stop to their drinking so they are trying to damage his career.
I think there are even bigger questions that need answering here. The author is obviously familiar with the ins and outs of MRCU and it is very obvious to MRCU staff who that person is.
The investigation into the previous Director that lasted over a year and was found to be inconclusive sounds very interesting. How is the author aware of this? Did they have access to the investigation report? If the accusations were found to be untrue or inconclusive why was it that Dr Petrie left rather than Dr Wheeler? Would the report be available as a Freedom of Information request?
All of the supposed facts in this post could easily be checked by submitting Freedom of Information requests. I am sure it would make great reading and allow the public to decide who was in the right regarding the accusations made.
Just because you are Caymanian and with the entity for many years, you are not necessarily qualified for the top job.
Please don’t forget to visit the Sister Islands. Remember that pellet loader that was installed on Cayman Brac? Now the plane doesn’t have to go back and forth to Grand to get refilled with mosquito control substances.
Mosquito. Control. The clue is in the name. But the operations manual appears to have been lost in a desk drawer.
Does the poison kill honeybees? I see lots of their dead bodies daily. The honeybees are the most important animal on the planet.
Yes, any bees that are exposed to it will die. That is why the plane sprays after dusk, or at least should be spraying after dusk. However we are seeing many nocturnal insects dying also at our home so I think they are using something broad spectrum. The decline of insects has been rapid and devastating.