Minnesota. The land of over 50 species of mosquitoes —  I mean — the land of 10,000 lakes. That has a much better ring to it. It’s gotten to the point where native Minnesotans call the pest the “unofficial state bird”. With so many of these little buggers zipping around, it’s hard to figure out where to begin in the long fight of dealing with them. Don’t lose heart, the Minnesota state legislature has got you covered.

According to section 18G:14 of the Minnesota Statutes, “ The abatement or suppression of mosquitoes is advisable and necessary for the maintenance and improvement of the health, welfare, and prosperity of the people. Areas where mosquitoes incubate or hatch are declared to be public nuisances and may be abated under this section. Mosquito abatement may be undertaken under this section anywhere in the state by any governmental unit.”

Yes, it’s true. These pesky bloodsuckers are officially a public nuisance. Spread the word.

In the state of Minnesota, citizens experiencing some serious mosquito problems can request for the abatement of this nuisance with aid from the governing bodies. Minnesotans voted for this! Upon some light research, I found at least three government or private bodies that offer mosquito-specific pest control services just in the Twin Cities area.

There’s a subdivision of this specific law that requires for biennial voting on this government-sponsored mosquito control. Voters may voice their opinions in requesting the extension of these services or for them to be discontinued.

Under subdivision 6, a committee for mosquito control is set up, “A governing body that has decided, in the manner required by this section, to engage in mosquito abatement, shall appoint three persons to serve as members of a mosquito abatement board with powers specified in subdivision 8.”

The career prospects in the mosquito abatement business, at least from a legislative point of view, may be few and far between. However,  this is also a unique opportunity to say the least. Just imagine a section of a resume saying, “has served on a local mosquito abatement board”.There’s even a mosquito abatement board i.e. a collection of officials whose duties include the swift and successful reduction of mosquito populations! It’s like a midwestern dengue fever dream come true.

Get it? Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes.I’ll be here all year folks.

Minnesota residents have long endured the scourge of these winged beasts, but making their mere presence a public nuisance? I didn’t realize there was such a thing.

The state of Minnesota has declared a war on mosquitoes and its weapon of choice is the law. Mosquito hatching grounds are carefully monitored by government bodies and kept in check to prevent massive spikes in the populations. As silly as this all seems, if you ever walk around in Minnesota in the summer, you know how bad the mosquito problem is.

Since there’s a codified law about getting rid of them, I think I’m not alone in saying that mosquitoes suck (ha). Don’t be afraid to go out swinging or swatting when you see these little pests. It’s legal!

Van Allen can be reached at [email protected].