Tire Piles and West Nile Virus

With West Nile Virus (WNV) making its way across the country, health officials began eyeing tire piles as a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes. SWRC's summer students, in cooperation with the Sask. Scrap Tire Corp. and Sask. Health, tested tire piles for the presence of mosquito larvae over the summer. Sask. Health determined the mosquito species from any larvae the students collected. Not a lot of the water sitting in tire piles contained larvae. Of the few that did, the mosquito species that carries WNV in humans did not show up until the beginning of August. This is as expected, since the species normally is an end-of-summer visitor.

Of the testing done this summer, mosquito larvae (of any species) were more prevalent in piles of larger tires (like tractor and other agricultural tires) found or stored in tall grassy areas that had been sitting for some time.

There are a number of pest control strategies available to homeowners, communities and tire dealers to control mosquito larvae. The easiest and most effective is to get rid of the tires around your home or property. The proper stacking of tires prevents standing water from accumulating, decreasing the likelihood of a breeding ground for the mosquito. For more information, contact mosquito control experts, the public health authorities in your jurisdiction, or watch for more information as we prepare for the next mosquito season.

(Source: WasteWatch, October 2003)

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