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HEALTH Vector Control is drying up the mosquito population with tire collection Tire collection removes thousands of potential breeding areas Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Aug. 25, 2016 at 5:00 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Aug. 25, 2016 at 5:00 PM » Social News CENTRAL POINT — One minute, 10 worn tires are stacked in Walt Mooring's van. They're gone the next, removed quickly by a Jackson County Vector Control crew and stacked in black rubber columns with thousands of others. Mooring, of Central Point, would have brought more, but 10 was his limit. "I've only got four more anyway," he says. Mooring doesn't drop a cent on the disposal, but he has reduced the chances of having mosquitoes breeding on his property. He's one of hundreds of Jackson County residents utilizing Vector Control's free tire dropoff event, which started Wednesday and will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The event is open only to Jackson County residents, and attendees are asked to bring an ID or a utility statement to verify residency. Only tires off the rim that do not exceed 34 inches will; be accepted, and each household can bring a maximum of 10 tires. Vector Control manager and biologist Jim Lunders said the old tires will be picked up by another company and disposed of in a kiln at a cement plant. Vector Control officials say the tires are magnets for mosquitoes, capturing water from sprinklers or rain that they can hold for months. These old Michelins and Firestones can each produce hundreds of the bloodsuckers in a week's time. Buckets, coffee cans, wheelbarrows, clogged gutters and a host of others can do the same thing. "Tires are one of the many backyard mosquito sources that cause us and the community real problems," Lunders said. "Tires hold water an extremely long time. We haven't had rain in months, and many of these tires have water in them still." West Nile Virus, which can be spread by the insects, is the agency's key concern. By Thursday afternoon, Lunders estimated, about 2,700 tires had been dropped off. During the inaugural tire-collection event in 2015, Vector Control collected nearly 8,000 tires. In addition to the drop-off, Lunders said, area residents should be diligent about eliminating standing water sources around their home. Water troughs and ornamental ponds should be stocked with mosquito fish, which are available for free at the district office. "It's always a good idea to walk around your property and take a good look," Lunders says. "Anything that can hold water for seven days can produce mosquitoes." Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Aug. 25, 2016 at 5:00 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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