The Reading Health Division and the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project will be hosting a community public health informative and educational presentation on the biology of mosquitoes and ticks on July 31 at 7:00 p.m. at the Reading Public Library. This presentation will also cover the diseases that mosquitoes and ticks carry, what is being done to control mosquitoes, a review of attempts to develop community approaches to tick management, and preventative actions that the Town of Reading homeowners can do on their own property.
The presenter will be Dr. Doug Bidlack, Entomologist for the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project. Dr. Bidlack will present information and education on the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project survey and control program for Reading, the biology of mosquitoes and ticks found in Reading, the diseases associated with mosquitoes and ticks, the West Nile Virus (WNV), and the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE or “Triple E”). Dr. Bidlack will also comment on Zika virus, Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, and deer tick virus. He will conclude with various approaches towards reducing the risk of tick borne diseases. Dr. Bidlack has a Ph.D. in Entomology from Clemson University and has been the Entomologist at the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project since 2000.
