Seasonal Mosquito-borne Disease Control Technician

ACCOUNTABILITY:             Employee reports to Mosquito-borne Disease Control Program Coordinator

JOB TYPE:                             Temporary (May – September)

Full-time (7:30am – 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, occasional evenings if necessary for truck sprays with supervisor)

PAY RANGE:                        $17.00 -$18.00 per hour

OVERVIEW: West Nile Virus was originally detected in Pennsylvania in 2000. To assist with detecting, tracking, and controlling the virus, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health, Environmental Protection (DEP) and Agriculture developed a comprehensive surveillance program focusing on mosquitos as the primary cause. The program’s objective is to detect and mitigate the risk of mosquito-borne disease through public education, mosquito surveillance, habitat reduction and control. DEP administers Mosquito-borne Disease Control grants to individual counties or small multi-county regions annually, providing resources to develop programs suitable to the region’s specific environment and populations.

The Mosquito-borne Disease Control Program Technician (technician) assists the Mosquito-borne Disease Control Program Coordinator (Lydia Mohn) with implementing the Mosquito-borne Disease Control grant in Lebanon County. The technician works closely with the coordinator and DEP in conducting hands-on field surveillance and control of vector mosquito species. The technician will be responsible for collecting adult and larval mosquito samples, inputting collected data, and sending samples to DEP for analysis. Areas of increased mosquito activity will be treated by utilizing obtained Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator’s License Category 16.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lebanon County Mosquito-borne Disease Control Program Implementation:

• Collect adult and larval mosquito samples
• Identify new larval mosquito habitat and monitor known habitats
• Identify and sort adult insects
• Enter data in database
• Conduct mosquito control by mechanical and chemical means
• Respond to public concerns

QUALIFICATIONS: Working toward a Bachelor or Associate’s degree or higher or an equivalent combination of education and experience in entomology, public health, environmental resource management, biology, or closely related field.  Candidate will need to obtain technician status with the PA Department of Agriculture within 30 days of hire with the potential to become licensed in CORE and Category 16 pesticide application. Ideally, candidate will be able to work from May 1st to September 30th, but exceptions can be made.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: Employee is required to be dependable and schedule own time to perform routine duties, occasionally without direct supervision. Employee should be comfortable with working independently in the field. Employee shall have patience and determination to analyze a problem thoroughly and resolve it accurately in a timely manner. Employee shall respond promptly and sensitively to public concerns and apply discretion in choosing a method of response. Employee is expected to maintain a personable and optimistic attitude throughout the workday. Employee is expected to remain current with program changes and to obtain and apply new skills required to maintain an optimum level of job performance. Employee will be evaluated on performance and is expected to consistently meet or surpass all requirements and expectations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Job may require walking and traversing all types of terrain in all weather conditions, occasional climbing, and occasional lifting up to 50 pounds. Candidate will be required to work with biting insects that may be capable of spreading disease.

REQUIREMENT: Possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license as issued by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.