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Karen L. Zaterman, CDT
Senior Member
Username: kittiz

Post Number: 14
Registered: 10-2005
Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 02:30 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

OK, Ralph -- I'll bite (ha ha). Please send me your section, I've got to see this one.

I think you're all right -- I'll have to suck it up & do some writing. I've certainly collected enough info... although I find a lot of it is design criteria. I'm already becoming pretty knowledgeable -- for instance, from UC Davis:

"Despite popular beliefs, mosquitoes form only a very small component of the diets of birds and bats, and adults of most mosquito species are not active during the peak daily feeding period of many purported mosquito predators such as adult dragonflies."

The PM has offered to help, too -- we'll call the consultant to fill in the blanks. Thanks for all the help!
Kenneth C. Crocco
Senior Member
Username: kcrocco

Post Number: 54
Registered: 04-2003
Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 09:11 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

In the Illinois country the use of Purple Martin houses has proven to be very effective. Hotels in the area, where located near wetlands, would contruct purple martin houses, nice for the birds, nice for the guests and controls the insects. In spite of the UC Davis quote, there are studies which indicate purple martins are effective. There is an interesting story about the purple martin almost becoming the Illinois state bird because of this. You could look on the web and see some of the most interesting purple martin house "architecture" in Illinois.
Robert E. Woodburn
Senior Member
Username: bwoodburn

Post Number: 118
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 10:08 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Purple Martins are perhaps the most architectonic solution, since they offer the opportunity to design "multifamily" housing compatible with the context (be it architectural, or wetlands rehab) -- perhaps the only mosquito abatement approach that can be integrated into the design concept...
Karen L. Zaterman, CDT
Senior Member
Username: kittiz

Post Number: 15
Registered: 10-2005
Posted on Saturday, June 24, 2006 - 01:46 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

This is interesting and would be a great solution considering their rarity in our area. But, based on quickie research, they may be hard to introduce into the site which is located on the coast of Orange County, CA, & previously was agricultural so doesn't have any trees. From an ecologist quoted on purplemartin.org:

"Presently, with the exception of a scattered population along the Santa Ynez River watershed in Santa Barbara County, all remaining martins have been reported from conifer regions of the National Forests."

and from the same site:
"Martins are not, however, prodigious consumers of mosquitoes as is so often claimed by companies that manufacture martin housing. An intensive 7-year diet study conducted at PMCA headquarters in Edinboro, PA, failed to find a single mosquito among the 500 diet samples collected from parent martins bringing beakfuls of insects to their young. The samples were collected from martins during all hours of the day, all season long, and in numerous habitats, including mosquito-infested ones."

If I was seriously considering suggesting something other than Gambusia Affinis as an option, of course I would do additional research to analyze this. However, based on what I have seen & critically thinking about the source, I would conclude that the mosquito fish is the better option for this project.
(Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted on Monday, June 26, 2006 - 05:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

"Multifamily" or not, it seems likely that the transient nature of the Purple Martin occupancy could be interpreted as an IBC Group R-1 use classification, thereby requiring an automatic sprinkler system.
Anonymous
 
Posted on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 - 03:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Came across this, it seemed apropos:

A mosquito expert weighs in with more than you might
ever want to know:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-57016sy0jun26,0,526395.story?coll=dp-news-local-final

Apparently there are "mosquito dunks" for ponds, pools, etc. that are nontoxic.

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