The public's view of mosquito problems in an organized control district

Mosquito control programs provide abatement services to residents of urban, suburban and rural areas. The differing perceptions of these programs by residents of the Jefferson County Mosquito Control District (Texas) are examined using a mail survey. Mosquito problems start occurring earlier in the year for urban residents. The average number of bites per hour per night was 11. Rural residents used more self-administered control methods and incurred greater expenditures for these efforts than other residents. A majority of respondents recognized the effectiveness of the mosquito control district's current abatement efforts, but 56% supported greater use of nonchemical control methods. The study methods are expected to be useful in other areas to address similar problems.