Mosquito Mitigation in Air Park Neighborhood

[Jan deLuise]

Dear Mayor Moore and Members of the Town Council,

I am writing as a concerned resident of the Air Park neighborhood regarding a significant mosquito infestation we have been experiencing this year.

In seeking information about mosquito mitigation efforts, I visited the Town of Erie’s website and found a list of neighborhoods that are routinely fogged, including:
Arapahoe Ridge, Canyon Creek, Coal Creek Trail, Erie Village, Grandview, Kenosha Estates, Sunwest, and Vista Pointe.

The Air Park is not listed. I then contacted the Parks and Recreation Department, who referred me to Vector Disease Control. When I spoke with them, I was told that they are not contracted by the Town to provide mosquito control services in the Air Park at all.

This raises a serious question of equity and public health: why are residents of the Air Park not receiving the same mosquito mitigation services as other Erie neighborhoods? We pay the same taxes and expect equal access to basic public health protections—particularly when conditions like these increase the risk of disease and degrade our quality of life.

I respectfully request a clear explanation as to why my neighborhood is being left out of a critical Town service, and what steps will be taken to ensure that Air Park residents receive the same protections as other parts of Erie.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to your timely response.

Sincerely,

Jan F deLuise

2480 Cessna Dr, Erie, CO 80516

303-888-6544

j...@aimbc.com

[Brian O'Connor]

Hi Jan,

I received this response from Luke Bolinger regarding the email you sent to Council about mosquito mitigation:

Councilmember O’Connor,

I was forward an email about mosquito mitigation in Erie Air Park. My department manages that contract and happy to provide some background information. I can also provide this information to the resident. I want to clarify that the Air Park neighborhood is very much within the Town’s mosquito control service area. A common misconception is that because Air Park is not listed as a regular spray zone, it is not serviced, which is not the case. VDCI operates a surveillance-based adulticide program, meaning fogging occurs when trap data or multiple service requests indicate that adult mosquito populations have reached threshold levels. In this case, there is no trap located close enough to Air Park to provide representative data, and only one call was received from the area this season.

 

Following the resident’s call on July 31, VDCI dispatched a larvicide technician to inspect the neighborhood for breeding sites. They identified mosquito breeding in the ditches along Cessna, treated those sites, and added them to their database for ongoing inspection. The technician did not observe elevated adult mosquito populations at the time of inspection. While fogging was not warranted based on surveillance data and complaint history, VDCI has addressed the immediate concern by treating breeding areas and incorporating them into the Town’s regular monitoring program.

 

Please let me know if you would like me to connect with Jan or have further questions.

 

Luke S. Bolinger, CPRP | Director of Parks & Recreation

If you have additional concerns or questions regarding the mosquito mitigation in the Air Park, I recommend reaching out directly to Luke. His email address is lbol...@erieco.gov

Please let me know if I can answer any additional questions.

Thank you,

Brian

Brian O'Connor

Town of Erie | Councilmember | District 3
645 Holbrook St | P.O. Box 750 | Erie, CO 80516

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On Aug 5, 2025, at 2:46 PM, Jan deLuise <j...@aimbc.com> wrote:

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[Jan deLuise]

Councilmember Brian O’Connor and Luke Bolinger,

Thank you for forwarding Luke Bolinger’s email to me. I would like to provide some additional clarification regarding my mosquito concern.

I contacted Erie Parks and left a voicemail, and Matt returned my call on July 15th to inform me that VDCI handles all public information and scheduling for mosquito mitigation. On July 31st, I called VDCI and spoke with a woman who told me that the Air Park is not currently in an area scheduled for fogging, and there are no mosquito traps located here. The closest trap is in Vista Ridge. She did offer to send someone to inspect my yard.

On August 5th, a technician came and found a significant amount of live larvae in the ditch near my property. He treated them with Vectobac G granules. When I asked about adult mosquitoes and fogging, he stated that he only handles larvae control and does not inspect or spray for adults. To date, no one has inspected my home for adult mosquitoes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective mosquito control requires repeated treatment of larvae sources and integrated management that also targets adult mosquitoes. A single application is not sufficient to control mosquito populations or reduce disease risk.

Will the Air Park be placed on a routine schedule for both fogging and larvae control, or must the Air Park concerned residents call every 1–2 weeks or after each heavy rain to receive services that other Erie neighborhoods already enjoy?

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Jan F deLuise

2480 Cessna Dr, Erie, CO 80516

303-888-6544

j...@aimbc.com

---

From: Brian O'Connor <boco...@erieco.gov>
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2025 5:30 PM
To: Jan deLuise <j...@aimbc.com>
Cc: members <mem...@eahoa.org>; Scott deLuise <sc...@aimbc.com>; Braun Mincher <br...@braunmincher.com>
Subject: Re: Mosquito Mitigation in Air Park Neighborhood

[Luke Bolinger]

Hi Jan,

Thank you for your follow-up and for sharing additional details about your experience. I want to first clarify that the Air Park neighborhood is very much part of the Town’s mosquito control service area. While it is not in a regular spray zone, Vector Disease Control International (VDCI) responds to Air Park concerns through a surveillance-based adulticide program. This means that fogging occurs when trap data or multiple service requests indicate that adult mosquito populations have reached threshold levels.

 

Historically, the Air Park area has generated very few service requests. VDCI records dating back to 2019 show no other resident calls until your call on July 31, which is why trap data and complaint history have not previously triggered fogging. That said, your report initiated an inspection by a larvicide technician on August 5, who identified and treated breeding habitat in the ditches along Cessna.

 

VDCI’s first step in addressing mosquito concerns is to identify and eliminate breeding sources to reduce populations at their origin. In cases where nearby trap data, combined with multiple resident reports, indicate elevated adult mosquito activity, fogging will be initiated. This approach aligns with CDC recommendations for integrated pest management.

 

All that being said, VDCI has added this site in their database for regular inspection and should future visits by technicians observe elevated adult mosquito populations combined with resident contact, VDCI will recommend fogging. Luckily, we are beginning to see a decline in the trap counts around Erie. If there are other areas around neighborhood that of concern, please have those neighbors reach out to VDCI: https://www.vdci.net/colorado/.

 

Luke Bolinger, CPRP | Director of Parks & Recreation
Town of Erie  |  Parks & Recreation
Phone: 303-926-2796

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From: Jan deLuise <j...@aimbc.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 11:30 AM
To: Brian O'Connor <boco...@erieco.gov>; Luke Bolinger <lbol...@erieco.gov>
Cc: members <mem...@eahoa.org>; Scott deLuise <sc...@aimbc.com>; Braun Mincher <br...@braunmincher.com>
Subject: Re: Mosquito Mitigation in Air Park Neighborhood

 

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