BULLHEAD CITY, AZ., June 7, 2023 – Bullhead City Pest Abatement will hold a caddisfly community forum on June 15, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Bullhead City Council Chambers located at 1255 Marina Blvd. Forum topics will include biology and ecology of net-spinning caddisflies, current nuisance caddisfly abatement strategies, and future pilot programs with a special focus on the potential application of minimum risk botanical insecticides.

“The primary goal of the forum is to educate the public on nuisance net-spinning caddisfly biology and ecology and to provide updates on existing and future abatement strategies,” said Bullhead City Municipal Entomologist Dr. Michael Cavallaro.

Bullhead City’s net-spinning caddisfly suppression program is among the first of its kind and the only one in the United States. Few instances of nuisance net-spinning caddisflies exist globally and are often associated with hydroelectric dams.

Cavallaro leads two caddisfly forums annually, one in the spring and one in the fall. The forums are intentionally timed to coincide with the most intense caddisfly emergence events to promote public education. During the forums, Cavallaro engages with members of the public and provides information about current and future strategies of caddisfly population control.

“Our program implements a multidimensional, integrated pest management approach to net-spinning caddisfly population suppression, which includes biological, cultural, and physical control methods,” Cavallaro said. “Some examples include Rainbow Trout stocking, artificial fish habitat deployment, modified water release profile from Davis Dam, and light trapping.”

Cavallaro plans to unveil details of two future pilot programs during the June 15 forum. The first program includes the application of botanical insecticides exempt from EPA registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

“Minimum risk pesticides exempt from EPA registration under FIFRA are classified as 25(b),” said Cavallaro. “Products classified as 25(b) can contain botanical oils, such as clove, cinnamon, peppermint, and cedar. All the listed botanical oils are toxic to adult net-spinning caddisflies.”
The second new program Cavallaro will discuss during the forum is the LIGHTS OUT, TRAPS ON light trapping initiative.

The public is encouraged to attend the forum and to participate in the efforts to control the caddisfly population.

“We encourage riverfront residents to continue removing debris from dock pilings,” said Cavallaro. “Vegetation, trash, and other materials snagged on docks are prime substrate for net-spinning caddisfly colonization.”

For more information about caddisfly population control efforts, visit www.bhcbugs.org