Services
These are services offered to residents in addition to our daily programs to treat mosquitoes
CITIZEN SERVICE REQUEST
In conjunction with data from our trap network, these calls determine where treatment will be conducted on a daily basis.
Throughout the mosquito control season residents routinely call in to report mosquito activity in their area. The number of calls for each township is tallied daily. These numbers, along with trap counts, disease activity, weather forecast, as well as when the area was last sprayed are used to determine where treatment will occur each evening.
During an average mosquito control season SCMAC receives over 3,000 calls from residents reporting adult mosquito activity in their area. If you are experiencing adult mosquito activity in your area we encourage you to call our office at
(989) 755-5751 between 7:00am and 5:00pm, Monday~Friday.
PRIORITY REQUESTS
Residents hosting an event can request a specific day for their property to be treated.
Each address is limited to two priority requests per year. Special conditions apply.
SCMAC provides a customized service for those residents and businesses having special functions or events on their property. Priority service requests are usually scheduled for the evening prior to the event. Treatment is performed during the normal spray shift, usually between sunset and midnight. Each address is limited to two priorities or special function requests per year. SCMAC completes requests for more than 2,000 events annually for property owners in Saginaw County.
Any county resident may request their property to be treated by calling (989) 755-5751. Please note that we are limited to the number of requests that can be completed in a single evening and availability for services is never guaranteed. Please call well in advance to better ensure availability.
A Liability Release Form must be signed by the property owner anytime a mosquito control vehicle is requested to leave the driveway to complete treatment. This form states that SCMAC and the County of Saginaw will not be held responsible for any property damage associated with the request. For property that is inaccessible for treatment with a truck mounted sprayer, hand held units are available.
There will be times when mosquito numbers rise significantly, and/or mosquito disease is detected in bird or mosquito samples. In these instances we reserve the right to reduce the number of priorities we will accommodate or put a temporary hold on these special services. Mosquito and disease control is more effective for the entire county if our trucks treat from the road rather than individual yards. We are able to treat several miles of road in the same amount of time it would take for one priority.
MEDICAL CERTIFICATION
Residents who are severely allergic to mosquito bites may qualify for our Medical Certification Program.
SCMAC has developed a special program for residents who are severely allergic to mosquito bites or have a documented medical condition that warrants increased treatment for mosquitoes.
To receive benefits from this program, a resident must obtain a Medical Certification (MedCert) Request Form by either contacting the office or going online. The form must be filled out completely and the resident must obtain a doctor's stamp or prescription slip confirming that severe allergies or special medical needs are present. These forms must be completed every year to ensure accurate information. Residents meeting SCMAC requirements will typically receive yard treatment when a ULV zone sweep is conducted in their township. Sometimes yard treatment will NOT be performed due to wet ground or mosquito outbreak situations that require a more community-wide mosquito control method. Residents who request treatment that requires the technician to drive off the designated driveway are required to sign a Liability Release Form. This form states that SCMAC and the County of Saginaw are not held responsible for damages associated with treatment off of the property owner's driveway.
Medical Certification (MedCert) Policies – Revised 2017
DEADLINE to Apply for Program is July 15th for current season
Mosquito control staff must be allowed to access the property to conduct larval, adult mosquito, and disease surveillance anytime throughout the control season (April – October).
The MedCert form must be filled out annually including either a doctor’s prescription slip with signature or a doctor’s stamp confirming that SEVERE allergies are present or special medical need exists. Original MedCert form (no photo copies, emails, or faxed copies are accepted) must be mailed or dropped off to SCMAC.
SCMAC staff will visit the property and determine if the following eligibility requirements are met. Residence must meet all four items listed below to become a MedCert. If requirements are met, services will begin within 7-10 business days.
Distance between the MedCert house and the next road behind or beside MedCert house must be greater than 300 feet (measured from curb). If distance is less than 300 feet, property is receiving adequate coverage during normal zone sweeps (under this guideline many urban properties would NOT be eligible to be a MedCert).
Distance between the road, in front of the MedCert house, must be 75 feet or greater (measured from the edge of the road) to the nearest point of the house. If distance is less than 75 feet then property is receiving adequate coverage during normal zone sweeps and is NOT eligible to be a MedCert.
Must have green reflectorized address sign at/by drive as described in Saginaw County House Numbering Ordinance (#113).
SCMAC staff will evaluate MedCert property to determine the most effective and efficient application. Limits by SCMAC may be placed on the size of area sprayed or the time spent at each location.
If man-made mosquito breeding sites are found on a MedCert property the following steps will be taken:
A letter is sent to the resident advising them they are creating a mosquito problem and they have 10 business days to correct the problem.
SCMAC will revisit the property to inspect for breeding. If breeding is found a second time (anytime throughout the control season) another letter is sent to the resident advising them they have 5 business days to correct the problem. No service will be given to the MedCert until next inspection visit.
SCMAC will revisit the property to inspect for breeding. If breeding is found a third time (anytime throughout the control season) the MedCert property is immediately removed from the MedCert program for the remainder of the control season.
Resident may reapply the following control season, but if breeding is again found on the property at any time, the MedCert property is immediately removed from the MedCert program for the remainder of the control season.
If spray route is blocked, a letter is sent to the resident asking them to correct the problem. If route map is blocked three times during the season, resident will be removed from the MedCert program for the remainder of the year.
Business properties are not eligible to be a MedCert unless it serves as a primary residence.
Only one address per MedCert household is eligible for treatment.
There are times when conditions warrant this program’s specialized services to be reduced or suspended due to high mosquito populations, weather, or wet ground conditions. Please be advised that spraying of your property is NOT guaranteed.
To best deliver community-wide mosquito control, it is the Director’s discretion whether treatment is provided from the driveway or road based on the above conditions
All requests must be postmarked no later than July 15th of current year to be eligible for MedCert program. NO MedCert requests will be accepted after this date.
BTI DISTRIBUTION
As part of our self-help larva control program, SCMAC distributes Bti granules to residents in Saginaw Country. Briquettes can be acquired at certain stores.
Or request service over the phone, through the website, or on the notification app. Once we receive your request, our technicians will address the situation as soon as possible.
May-AUGUST
Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) is a naturally-occurring soil bacterium that bio-degrades quickly, leaving no residue. This product specifically targets mosquito and blackfly larvae. Bti presents minimal environmental risk and is not a chemical, but rather a biological control.
SCMAC’s Bti distribution program gives the homeowner the ability to control the larval mosquitoes on their property. Homeowners can pick up Bti, free of charge, from SCMAC’s main office at 211 Congress Avenue in Saginaw.
It is important that the homeowner understand the proper use of the Bti product in order to get the best results. Since Bti breaks down rapidly in the environment, it needs to be put in the mosquito habitat when the larvae are present. Just sprinkling it around the yard in hopes of treating future flooded areas does not work; the larvae must be present at the time of treatment. The mosquito larva is the least mobile, most concentrated, and accessible stage of the mosquito life cycle. By targeting larvae in stagnant water like: ditches, flooded fields, pools, and artificial containers, countless mosquitoes are eliminated before they reach the adult biting stage.
Each citizen is given a product label and instruction packet regarding the proper procedure for applying the Bti products at the time of product distribution.
LONG DRIVE
If your home is further than 300 feet from the road, you may qualify for our Long Drive program. Trucks treat approved driveways during routine treatment of any given treatment zone.
SCMAC has developed a Long Drive program to promote effective ULV applications. Drives that qualify for the program are sprayed when regular zone sweeps are conducted in their area. To qualify for the program a citizen can call our office at (989) 755-5751 to request that their property be reviewed. These are the criteria that each property must meet to qualify for the program:
House must be greater than 300 feet from any road to be eligible.
Measurements are taken from the nearest point of the house to the edge of the pavement, not the shoulder of the road.
Businesses are NOT eligible.
Must have a house on the property parcel.
Must have a prepared area to turn around.
This area must be kept clear of obstruction, including vehicles.
The property in front of the home has significant vegetation providing areas of mosquito harborage.
The property cannot be receiving treatment from a neighboring long drive.
August 31st is the deadline for this program, and requests submitted after this date will be reviewed the following year.
If a drive is reviewed by our foremen and approved for the program, a stake with reflective stickers around the top will be placed adjacent to the end of the drive. This stake aids our technicians in finding the drive during nighttime treatment. These drives are also marked on our spray maps.
We do ask that any citizens approved under this program remove the stake in the fall after the mosquito control season has been completed (September 30th) and replace it in the spring (usually at the end of April or the beginning of May).
If your stake has been damaged, misplaced, or you would like to request that your property be reviewed for the program, please call our office.
NO SPRAY
Residents may request to forgo any form of mosquito control by SCMAC. We also work with beekeepers and organic farmers according to their needs.
Each year SCMAC receives requests from residents that their property not be treated. We honor all requests regardless of the reason. A system has been developed with the No Spray addresses arranged by treatment zone. The information is organized into No Spray books which every technician is required to carry. Books are updated as new requests arrive.
Our route maps clearly depict No Spray locations and, for added safety, technicians are required to double check this information by comparing their route map with the No Spray book.
Reflective yellow signs are furnished to No Spray residents free of charge. It is the property owner’s responsibility to place the signs at property boundaries in such a manner that they are visible to the technicians treating the area.
Residents
Residents who wish to be No Sprays are given the option of which type of treatment they wish to avoid. Some residents do not want any type of treatment on their property while others allow us to treat with the organic larvicide Bti.
Beekeepers
Both professional and hobbyist beekeepers are located throughout the county. Many of these individuals request that treatment be continued in their area but wish that it only be done after dark to ensure that their bees have returned to their hives. SCMAC makes every effort to take into account every special situation including organic farms as well as pesticide sensitive citizens.
Letters
Letters are mailed annually to all individuals on the No Spray list to verify that our information is accurate. If a citizen does not respond for three consecutive years, they are removed from the No Spray program. Forms are available in our office or online. If you have any questions about being on our No Spray program or any other part of our treatment program, please do not hesitate to call us at (989) 755-5751.
Pesticide Sensitive Notification Registry
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have established a Pesticide Sensitive Notification Registry. This registry consists of people who have registered with the State and require notification when pesticide applications are performed in their area. SCMAC conforms to all rules pertaining to this registry.
For more information visit the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's website.
