Many of you have asked about when Biogents’ mosquito trap ordering page will be available, and the urgency is especially warranted with this week’s heat.Â
Here’s what we know so far:
- Our dedicated ordering page will be live by next Monday. We’ll shout as soon as it’s up and post details on ittybittymosquitocommittee.org
- Biogents ships from a warehouse in Wisconsin, so you won’t be waiting long once your order
- Here’s a preview of the discounted pricing.* Start organizing with your neighbors to take advantage of the bundled discounts!
*We also recognize that even discounted prices aren't accessible for everyone, and we don't want cost to be a barrier to participation. We're actively exploring ways to sponsor traps for neighbors who want to be part of this but need support -- more details on that as soon as we have them. If that's you, feel free to reach out privately at ittybittymosquitocommittee@gmail.com
In the meantime, don’t wait on addressing standing water in and around your property! A walk around your property tossing standing water and treating what you can’t costs almost nothing and makes a real difference. In fact, traps will be much less effective if there are other active breeding spots nearby. We’ve updated the website with tips on where to look and what to do.
Some more updates:
First, a big thank you to everyone who came out to our volunteer meetup last week. It was wonderful to meet so many of you in person and start putting faces to names. There’s a lot of energy in this group and it showed — more to come from that crew soon! And if you want to join in and get more involved, we’d love to have you. Please reach out!
Next, we have two upcoming events:
- Community Zoom, Tuesday April 22 at 7pm: This is a chance to get an overview of the committee, how we’re thinking about our mosquito problem, and ask questions. This effort isn’t just about traps — we’ll cover the full range of strategies we’re pursuing, how neighbors can plug in and answer what questions we can. If you’re new or have been meaning to get up to speed, this is a great entry point. We’ll send a separate note later this week with the Zoom link and RSVP details — RSVPing isn’t necessary, we’d just love to get a sense of headcount!
- Biogents visits Capitol Hill, Saturday April 25: Biogents reps, including at least one of their scientists, are joining us for the Ward 6 Spring Clean. They’ll spend the morning out in the neighborhood meeting neighbors where they live, getting a feel for our blocks, and helping think through trap placement strategy live. Afterward, they’ll head to the Northeast Library for a drop-in session where you can come learn more about how the traps work, ask questions and geek out with their scientist if the mood strikes.Â
Please note that we are looking into live transcription/ASL interpretation for both events and will share more details on what to expect when we send out more formal invites.Â
Calling all block captains
If you indicated interest in being a block captain in the original interest form or by emailing us, we're in the process of adding you to a block captain email list. If you haven’t indicated interest yet but want to take on the role, just email us at ittybittymosquitocommittee@gmail.com and we’ll make sure you’re on it.Â
We’re still figuring out what being a block captain should entail, but the basic gist is that they are the main point of contact for their block. We're roughly defining a block as the row of houses that share an alley, but we understand that not all blocks are the same!Â
Block captains can coordinate bundled trap ordering, help with trap placement and troubleshooting and gently remind immediate neighbors to routinely check traps and address standing water. They may also be the right people to coordinate treating roadside and sidewalk catch basins/grates in their vicinity with mosquito dunks.Â
It sounds like a lot on paper, but it doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment! And we’re here to provide resources and reminders! We’ll open this up to further discussion with the block captain list and talk through questions, ideas and concerns.
The website is a work in progress. Help us make it better!
We’re continually adding and improving content at ittybittymosquitocommittee.org. It’s a community resource and we want it to feel that way. If something is confusing, missing, or wrong, please let us know and we’ll do our best to incorporate feedback quickly.Â
See you on the 22nd!Â
MichelleÂ
The Itty Bitty Mosquito Population Committee Â
ittybittymosquitocommittee@gmail.com