Summary of Losses from Insect Damage and Costs of Control in Georgia - 1997

XVIII.  Public Health and Recreational Area Insects

B. T. Forschler and B. L. Sparks

In 1997, flies were the most expensive public health insects to control.  Most of the costs involved garbage management and screening to exclude various filth flies from buildings.  The house fly was the most common filth fly encountered.

Government agencies that were dedicated to the control of a single insect pest were primarily concerned with mosquitoes.  Approximately 90 counties in the state had one or more mosquito control programs.  Mosquito numbers were moderate most of the season.

Ticks, mostly lone star ticks, American dog ticks and black legged ticks, were present in many sections of the state.  Their bite and their ability to serve as vectors of Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) made them important public health arthropods.  There was one reported case of Lyme disease in 1996 compared to 14 in 1995, 127 in 1994, 44 in 1993, 46 in 1992, and 24 in 1991.  There were 65 cases of RMSF in 1996 as compared to 59 cases in 1995, 62 cases in 1994, 37 cases in 1993, 42 cases in 1992, 40 cases in 1991, 19 in 1990, and 25 in 1989.  (Data on vector borne disease provided by the Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Branch, Georgia Department of Human Resources).

                                                         Cost of Control Estimates

Mosquitoes - 40%, Flies, - 40%, Eye gnats - 5%
Yellow jackets - 5%, Others^1,2 - 10%^1,2

1.     Window screens - 10 screens/residence x $10.00/screen = $100/residence x 2,700,000¹ residences = $270,000,000.  20 year life/screen = $13,500,000/year x 75% who have window screens            $10,125,000

2.     Screened doors - 2 screened doors/residence x $60/screened door = $120/residence x 2,700,000 residences = $324,000,000.  15 year life span/screen door = $21,600,000/year x 75% who have screened doors $16,200,000

3.     Aerosol sprays - 2-15 oz. aerosol insecticide spray can/residence.  $4/can x 2 can x 2,700,000 residences = $5,400,000

Subtotal...................................................................................................... $31,725,000

Mosquitoes - 35%, Ticks and Chiggers - 30%, Eye gnats - 25%, Others¹ - 10%

4.     Repellents - 2-15 oz. aerosol spray can/residence.  $3/can x 2 x 2,700,000 residences = $4,050,000

Mosquitoes - 100%

5.     Mosquito Abatement Program (a)   Six abatement districts (Chatham, Bibb, Glynn, Dougherty, Richmond and Muscogee Counties) $ 2,421,650
(b)   About 117⁴ county/city programs $4,500/program   526,500

6.     Doctor fees - 0 encephalitis cases, 38 imported malaria cases $400⁵/case x 38 cases = $15,200

7.     Hospitalization - $4,000⁵ /case x 38 cases = $152,000

8.     Druggist Fees - $100⁵/case x 38 cases = $3,800

Subtotal................................................................................................ $ 3,119,150

Flies - 100%

9.     Garbage removal - $50/residence/year x 2,700,000 residences = $135,000,000 x 10% (portion attributed to insect control) = $13,500,000/year

10.    Garbage disposal units (dumpsters - county, commercial and industrial) - $500/ unit; 1 unit/100 residences.  27,000 units x $500 x 10% (portion attributed to insect control) = $1,350,000.  10 year life span/unit = $135,000/year

11.    Garbage cans (residential) - 2/residence = $15/can x 2 x 2,700,000 residences = $81,000,000 x 10% (portion attributed to insect control) = $8,100,000.  6 year life span/can = $1,350,000

12.    Fly swatters - 2 fly swatter/residence $0.59/fly swatter x 2 x 2,700,000 residences = $796,500

Subtotal...................................................................................................... $15,781,500

Ticks and Chiggers - 100%

13.    Acaracides (residential) - of 2,700,000 residences, estimated 5% purchase $10.00 acaracide for tick control in yards $ 1,350,000

14.    Acaracides (public and private organizations) 20,000

15.    Doctor fees - 66 RMSF cases and 1 Lyme case $400⁵/case x 67 cases = $26,800

16.    Hospitalization - $4,000⁵/case x 67 cases= $268,000

17.    Druggist fees - $100⁶/case x 67 cases = $6,700

Subtotal....................................................................................................... $ 1,671,500

Yellow jackets - 40%, Others¹ - 49% Eye gnats - 1%, Mosquitoes - 10%

18.    Doctor fees (bites and stings) 1 visit/100 residences at $40/visit = 20,286 residences x $40/visit = $811,440

19.    Druggist fees - 1 visit/100 residences at $10/visit = 20,286 residences x $10 = $202,860

Subtotal...................................................................................................... $ 1,014,300

Head lice - 100%

20.    Doctor fees - 4% of 807,288⁶ school children in ages 5-10 = 32,291 at $40/visit x 32,291 = $1,291,640

21.    Druggist fees - pediculicides for head lice - $10/pediculicide x 807,288⁶ school children in ages 5-10 15% estimated infestation = $1,210,932

Subtotal....................................................................................................... $ 2,502,572

1. "Others" includes eye gnats, spiders, biting flies, bees and other stinging insects (other than yellow jackets).
2. Estimated percent importance insect has to control.
3. Estimate of number households, 1997.
4. Based on survey for mosquito control programs by county.
5. Based on New York State Department of Health report of over $4,000 hospital cost/case of Lyme disease reported by CDC, Lyme Disease Surveillance, Volume 4, Number 2, March 1993.
6. Based on 1988 Georgia County Guide, Cooperative Extension Service