Managing mosquito spaces: Citizen self-governance of disease vectors in a desert landscape

Public health agencies’ strategies to control disease vectors have increasingly included “soft” mosquito management programs that depend on citizen education and changing homeowner behaviors. In an effort to understand public responses to such campaigns, this research assesses the case of Tucson, Arizona, where West Nile virus presents a serious health risk and where management efforts have focused on public responsibility for mosquito control. Using surveys, interviews, and focus groups, we conclude that citizens have internalized responsibilities for mosquito management but also expect public management of parks and waterways while tending to reject the state's interference with privately owned parcels. Resident preferences for individualized mosquito management hinge on the belief that mosquito-borne diseases are not a large threat, a pervasive distrust of state management, and a fear of the assumed use of aerial pesticides by state managers. Opinions on who is responsible for mosquitoes hinge on both perceptions of mosquito ecology and territorial boundaries, with implications for future disease outbreaks. •We surveyed Arizona residents regarding their perceptions of mosquito management.•Mosquitoes are a health hazard and residents manage their properties for them.•Residents did not want increased authority involvement in private spaces.•Residents agreed that public spaces attracting mosquitoes should be state managed.•Citizens have internalized personal responsibility for this public health hazard.