Welcome to Mosquitosf.com, the hub for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission SF Water, Mosquito Abatement Courier Team (MAC Team) powered by Pestec. The SFPUC MAC Team is a group of dedicated cyclists and walkers who help reduce the risks mosquitoes pose to the residents of the City and County of San Francisco. If you see us on the street feel free to say, "hi!"

The MAC team uses carbon neutral methods (bikes and walking) for mosquito abatement in the City and County of San Francisco. Mosquito abatement helps provide a higher quality of life to the residents of San Francisco due to the recent introduction of West Nile Virus to mosquito populations in northern and southern California.

The MAC bicycle team was created in 2005 as a response to the rapid spread of the West Nile Virus (WNV) in California. After the first reported case in New York in 1999, WMV has now claimed over 600 lives, and is considered a serious health threat. Since its introduction to California in 2001, there have been over 800 human cases of WNV within the state. Seventy-four were fatal. As of 2009, San Francisco has no reported human case of the West Nile Virus; however, WNV infected bird and mosquito samples have been discovered within the City and County limits. In 2008, the city was one of only nine counties in California to have no reported WNV, due in a large part to the MAC team, SF Water and Pestec's efforts.

Each member of the bicycle courier team is capable of monitoring and treating catch basins in multiple neighborhoods per day with a reduced risk microbial larvacide Vectolex. Vectolex is approved for use in San Francisco by the San Francisco Department of the Environment. The team covers approximately 750 miles per round by carbon neutral transport and depletes CO2 emissions by 4 tons a month over an eight month period, or roughly 32 tons of CO2 a year while saving San Francisco money.

The MAC team contributes immensely to the City and County of San Francisco's Fight the Bite Campaign. The Fight the Bite Campaign urges area residents to report any mosquito activity as well as any dead birds to the local vector control program. This campaign has helped to track mosquito borne diseases in mosquito and bird samples throughout the City and County. These samples are essential in tracking disease activity in the local mosquito and bird populations, and ultimately help prevent such diseases from infecting people.

A large part of San Francisco's successful mosquito abatement program has been education. Several times a day each MAC team member has conversations with San Francisco residents explaining what they are doing and why. During these brief conversations we are able to educate residents about this unique and carbon neutral program, as well as provide information about where mosquitoes can breed and how San Francisco residents can prevent mosquito activity. It is impossible to reduce mosquito breeding sites without the help of the City and County's residents. Educating people on eliminating standing water as well as encouraging them to report mosquito activity and dead birds, enhances the MAC team's effectiveness throughout the City.