A familiar insect in 

 coastal Carolina, the 

 Aedes mosquito. 



Seeking wiser ways to control biting bugs 



Most sun worshippers and sports fishermen are 

 willing to put up with an overdose of sunshine. 



But just let a few mosquitoes buzz into the camp- 

 site. In a flash, that haven "away from it all" can 

 become a small torture chamber. 



Although they're not making wild promises to 

 forever rid coastal areas of mosquitoes and all 

 hose other biting insects that can make beach 

 vacations miserable, Sea Grant scientists are look- 

 ; ng for better ways to at least lower their numbers. 



North Carolina State University entomologists, 



rs. Richard C. Axtell and K L. Knight, are study- 

 ing coastal insect control with the aim of better 

 advising local governments and citizens on more 

 effective and environmentally sound ways to man- 

 age mosquitoes and biting flies. Fewer pesky 

 insects could mean more tourists and more dollars 

 for coastal businesses, they believe. 



The scientists began their search for better in- 

 sect control by asking coastal residents how both- 

 ered they are by the biting varmints and what 

 they'd like done about the problem. 



To gauge the problem, they surveyed residents 

 of Pamlico, Pender and Carteret Counties. The 

 survey showed that a large majority of those re- 

 sponding are bothered often by biting insects. 

 Eighty percent wanted more community effort 

 devoted to insect control and most of those said 

 they would be willing to pay for it. 



The scientists paralleled the human survey with 

 surveys of the pests to determine when and where 

 they strike in greatest numbers. To learn more 

 about the insects, Axtell and Knight have studied 

 their life cycles, breeding sites and the conditions 

 that lead to large populations. 



Monitoring, the entomologists say, is central to 

 the success of any pest management program. With 

 precise information on the times and places pests 

 are most severe, controls can be wisely applied. 

 With data on peak population periods, it may be 



possible to predict and prevent large numbers of 

 the biting insects. 



Pest management programs, combining a 

 variety of control methods and using them as pest 

 populations reach peak periods, can save time and 

 money, according to Axtell. Instead of applying 

 control measures on a regular calendar basis, they 

 are used as the problem worsens. 



Management schemes may combine cultural 

 practices, biological controls and chemicals. An 

 effective technique introduced to many local gov- 

 ernments by Sea Grant researchers is ULV, or 

 ultra-low-volume. Instead of "fogging", ULV 

 sprays an almost invisible mist of selected insecti- 

 cide. Monitoring and well-trained operators can be 

 the key to ULV's success, researchers believe. 



Homes for waterbirds 



(Continued from page 1) 



birds have no other place to nest, Parnell points 

 out. 



Facing prospects that dumping on dredge 

 islands may undergo some changes, the scientists 

 are turning their attention to "managing" the 

 islands for continued use by terns and gulls. 



Parnell and Soots believe it is possible to design 

 islands suitable for several species of waterbirds 

 by maintaining some bare areas, some grassy and 

 some thicketed. The researchers lean toward se- 

 lected herbicides for the best control of vegetation. 

 With the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, they are 

 working on an island near Drum Inlet to test 

 island management. 



The scientists aren't really sure where the water- 

 birds nested before dredge islands were built, nor 

 are they certain of the birds' importance in the 

 ecosystem. But they believe that many of the 

 species are in danger of becoming "endangered" if 

 care is not taken to preserve their nesting sites. 



Fishermen hold annual meeting 



More than 125 members attended the Sound and 

 Sea Fisherman's Association's second annual 

 meeting April 20 in Nags Head. 



Keynote speaker was Dr. B. J. Copeland, director 

 of the UNC Sea Grant Program. In his speech, 

 Copeland outlined the activities and goals of Sea 

 Grant in North Carolina. 



He pointed out that Sea Grant studies aimed at 

 stabilizing dredge spoil and eroding shorelines and 

 research to find better ways to reduce populations 

 of biting flies and mosquitoes in coastal areas 

 should benefit fishermen. 



Sea Grant also supports research to find better 

 harvesting and handling methods, new ways to 

 use seafoods, and improved processing techniques 

 and markets, he told the group. 



But Sea Grant's goals aren't met until research 

 results are in the hands of those who need and can 

 use them, the director said. A program of advisory 

 services aims at relaying information from the lab 

 to the coastal community and at taking questions 

 back to the lab for research, he said. 



Copeland urged fishermen to contact Sea Grant 

 advisory personnel with problems and questions. 



The Sound and Sea Fisherman's Association is 

 a co-operative of some 250 small, independent 

 fishermen in the Albemarle and Outer Banks re- 

 gions. Organized two years ago with assistance 

 from Sea Grant's continuing education program, 

 the Association has made visible gains in reaching 

 its goal of increased freezer and storage space. A 

 10,000 cubic foot freezer has been built in 

 Wanchese, Association headquarters. Steps have 

 been taken to acquire additional facilities for fish 

 handling from Ocracoke to the Virginia border. 



UNC SEA GRANT PUBLICATIONS 



The following are publications produced 

 by UNC Sea Grant dealing with research 

 discussed in this newsletter. They are avail- 

 able upon request from the Program Office. 



Marsh building with Dredge Spoil in 

 North Carolina. W. W. Woodhouse, E. D. 

 Seneca and S. W. Broome UNC-SG-72-10. 



Public Rights and Coastal Zone Man- 

 agement. T. J. Schoenbaum. UNC-SG-72- 

 13. 



Public Opinion on Insect Pest Manage- 

 ment in Coastal North Carolina. R. R. Ger- 

 hardt, J. C. Dukes, J. M. Falter and R. C. 

 Axtell. UNC-SG-73-03. 



Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas for 

 Conservation and Beautification. K. 

 Graetz. UNC-SG-73-06. 



The Continental Shelf Lands of the 

 United States: Mineral Resources and the 

 Laws Affecting Their Development, Ex- 

 ploitation and Investment Potential. E. 

 Dahle. UNC-SG-73-11. 



Hydrographic Atlas of North Carolina 

 Estuarine and Sound Waters, 1972. F. J. 

 Schwartz and A. F. Chestnut. UNC-SG- 

 73-12. 



An Investigation of Propagation and the 

 Mineral Nutrition of Spartina Alterni- 

 flora. S. W. Broome, W. W. Woodhouse and 

 E. D. Seneca. UNC-SG-73-14. 



Coastal Sediment Process Associated 

 with a Major Transgressive System. S. R. 

 Riggs and M. P. O'Connor. UNC-SG-74-04. 



Training Manual for Mosquito and Bit- 

 ing Flv Control in Coastal Areas. R. C. 

 Axtell. UNC-SG-74-08. 



University of North Carolina ✓r^v "" 



Sea Grant Program 

 1235 Burlington Laboratories 

 North Carolina State University 

 Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 



Librarian 



State of North Carolina Library 

 109 East Jones Street 

 Raleigh, N. C. 27611 



