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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #271585
Title: Willingness-to-pay for an area-wide integrated Pest Managment Program to control the Asian Tiger Mosquito in New Jersey.

Author
item HALASA, YARA - Brandeis University
item SHEPARD, DONALD - Brandeis University
item WITTENBERG, EVE - Harvard School Of Public Health
item FONSECA, DINA - Rutgers University
item FARAJOLLAHI, ARY - Mercer County
item HEALY, SEAN - Monmouth County
item GAUGLER, RANDY - Rutgers University
item Strickman, Daniel
item Clark, Gary

Submitted to: Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/2012
Publication Date: 9/1/2012
Citation: Halasa, Y.A., Shepard, D.S., Wittenberg, E., Fonseca, D.M., Farajollahi, A., Healy, S., Gaugler, R., Strickman, D.A., Clark, G.G. 2012. Willingness-to-pay for an area-wide integrated Pest Managment Program to control the Asian Tiger Mosquito in New Jersey. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 28(3):225-236.

Interpretive Summary: This study was conducted in conjunction with a research program to develop improved strategies and methods for controlling the Asian tiger mosquito. This mosquito is an important pest which has invaded the U.S and has expanded its distribution to many states. In addition to being a pest, it can also transmit several different mosquito-borne viruses to humans, livestock and wildlife. Results of these interviews with a sample of residents from two counties in New Jersey yielded a positive reaction to these organized mosquito control programs. This conclusion was reached when residents indicated a willingness to pay additional amounts for enhanced control services.

Technical Abstract: Using contingent valuation, the perceived value of an area-wide, integrated pest management program for the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, implemented in Monmouth and Mercer Counties, New Jersey, was estimated. The residents’ maximum willingness-to-pay (WTP) and payment modality was estimated through a telephone survey of 51 randomly selected households. The mean (±standard error) annual WTP for an enhanced mosquito abatement program was $9.54±$2.90 per capita. Most respondents reported that they would have been willing to pay through taxes (35%) or charitable donations (6%) starting immediately or through one of these means in the future (43%), while 16% were completely unwilling to pay for additional mosquito abatement activities. Results projected that the counties’ 1.01 million residents would be willing to pay $9.61 million annually for an enhanced mosquito control program. Thus, collectively, residents would be willing to fund 3.67 times the combined 2008 annual operating costs ($2.61 million) of these two counties’ existing mosquito control programs.