Northern Indiana health officials not worried about Zika virus yet

More than a decade ago the county’s health department cut its mosquito control program to save money as Circuit Breaker property tax caps began taking effect.

Up until 2005, the roughly $100,000 annual program included a full-time mosquito control specialist, two paid summer interns, facility space rental and money to buy chemicals that kill mosquitoes and their larvae. The specialist and interns would monitor places where water is stagnant, such as ponds, drainage areas and inactive swimming pools, and apply larvaecide as needed. They also applied it in response to complaints.

The department also bought a truck-mounted device for the spraying of “adulticide” but the program was cut before it could ever be used, said department administrator Nick Molchan.

The downsizing has largely made sense because of the cost savings and some doubts about the efforts’ effectiveness, Molchan said. But amid uncertainty over the Zika virus this coming mosquito season, Molchan said he might wish he had the program running again.