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For June Groh, walking along Stevens Creek is no longer enjoyable. The once-clear creek that runs near her house on E. Eastes Drive, is now cluttered with garbage, rotting fruit and thriving shrubs. Groh said a strong odor flows from the creek and becomes stifling in the afternoon. It was the last straw when she found a mosquito in her living room.
"The water is not moving, and it has attracted a lot of mosquitoes," Groh, 79, complained. "It has never been this bad before."
Groh is not the only one who has mosquito problems in Cupertino. So far this year the Santa Clara County Vector Control District has received 29 complaints from concerned Cupertino residents, compared with five in 2001 and 21 in 2002.
"The residents who have called us don't always live near the creek," said Norri Tietze, a mosquito expert with the vector control district. "We've found mosquitoes in the tree holes, storm drains and all types of containers in the backyards."
The vector control district attributes the unprecedented number of complaints to the public's increased awareness of West Nile virus, a seasonal mosquito-transmitted infection that caused 284 deaths in 2002.
West Nile virus is normally spread to humans, animals and birds through the bite of an infected mosquito. A mosquito first acquires the infection by feeding on a bird already infected with the virus.
"West Nile virus cannot be prevented from entering Santa Clara County and will eventually arrive here as it continues to move westward," Tietze said. "But controlling the mosquito population will reduce the chance of people being bitten by a mosquito that could carry the virus."
In addition to the West Nile virus, mosquitoes spread such diseases as encephalitis and malaria.
Tietze urges residents to dump out standing water because mosquitoes must have water in which to complete their life cycle. Only seven days are required to complete their life cycle during warm weather.
People can also get mosquito fish for free from the vector control district. Mosquito fish, or gambusia affinis, eat mosquito larvae as fast as they hatch from the eggs. They require no feeding, and care is limited to protecting them from garden sprays or other chemicals.
"We don't promote putting mosquito fish in the creek because we don't want to interfere with the ecology of the creek. We put them mostly in manmade sites," Tietze said.
Vector control technician Mario Ramirez recommends that residents trim shrubs and grass. Although mosquitoes don't develop in grass and shrubs, adult mosquitoes frequently rest in these areas during daylight hours. He also encourages people to catch mosquitoes and send them to the vector control district to identify the species and their breeding places.
To reduce mosquito habitats, the vector control district is working closely with the Santa Clara Valley Water District to remove debris and blocks.
"The water district is responsible for managing flood and storm waters along the county's 700 miles of creeks and rivers," said Mike Di Marco, spokesperson for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. "We rely on the residents to report the problems. Our maintenance crew will respond within one day."
Vector control technicians have visited Groh's neighborhood and sprayed the creek. The pesticide is only toxic to mosquitoes and will not affect wildlife and human beings.
Groh is waiting for the water district to clear the creek.
"I hope the parents stop their children from throwing things into the creek," Groh said. "The odor just stinks. And I don't want more mosquitoes in my house."
For information about mosquito control, call the Santa Clara County Vector Control District at 800.675.1155 or visit www.sccvector.org. To request creek maintenance, call the Santa Clara Valley Water District at 408.265.2600 or visit http://www.valleywater.org.
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