President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday directing various federal agencies to "develop and implement a campaign" across Washington, D.C., "to, by 2028, reduce the Asian tiger mosquito, Egyptian mosquito, and other invasive mosquito populations, as appropriate, by 90 percent and reduce the tick population by 50 percent, with further reductions as practicable." As a part-time resident of the District, I can only say, "Hooray!"
The order directs agencies to deploy standard techniques for controlling the pests, such as dumping standing water where mosquitoes breed (draining the swamp?) and reducing the tick host populations of rodents and deer. But even better, the agencies are enjoined to "consider sterilization techniques, safe genetic modification, and use of safe, beneficial bacteria" and to "prioritize and expeditiously advance or register novel tick and mosquito control methods or products that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency finds to be both safe and effective."
