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Is Your Vector Is Under Control?
The other day, LAist was cruising the freeways at the posted legal speed limit (as always) when we noticed we were alongside a pickup truck with an intriguing insignia on its driver door. "Vector Control District," we read, as the car whooshed past us. We mulled it over, thought at first perhaps it was something we'd slept through years ago in Mr. Gilliland's 4th period Chemistry class, and then...we panicked. Vector? That sounded serious. Earthquake-related? No, no...that's seismic. What then? Chemical warfare? The depleted Ozone? Was this another arm of the government aimed at hyping the ever-present threat of terror? Where was our trusty dictionary when we needed it?
Once we were safely at our destination, we steered ourselves onto the information superhighway, and did what any other citizen of the 21st century would do in our shoes: we Googled it. And then we exhaled. Turns out, the great County of Los Angeles has our vector under control. And vector? Well, they're bugs. Mosquitos, black flies, midges, Africanized honeybees and the like. The Greater LA County Vector Control District has been reducing populations of public health vectors below nuisance levels and all that task entails since 1952. What a relief!
Yes, LAist felt a little silly. But we also felt more informed. And with vector, or anything else, isn't that what counts? We thought so.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
