Willingness to pay for mosquito control: How important is West Nile Virus risk compared to the nuisance of mosquitoes?

Public health programs that control mosquitoes and other disease vectors have the added benefit of reducing residents' exposure to pest insects. We surveyed homeowners in Madison, Wisconsin, and used an economic valuation method, stated-choice experiments, to measure willingness to pay (WTP) for control of West Nile virus (WNV)-transmitting and nuisance mosquitoes under current and increased levels of WNV risk. Under current WNV risk levels (approximately 1 in 250,000), the average Madison survey respondent was not willing to pay for programs that targeted West Nile-transmitting mosquitoes only (WTP=−$21, 95% [CI −$63, $20]), while WTP for a reduction in nuisance mosquitoes was substantial (WTP=$147, 95% [CI $109, $186]). As the risk of WNV was increased, WTP for control of disease-carrying mosquitoes also increased (WTP=$158; 95% CI [$111, $206] at the highest risk level), but WTP for nuisance control remained high (WTP=$108; 95% CI [$78, $138]). Among homeowners in our sample, the "nuisance factor" was more important than the "disease factor" in terms of respondents' demand for mosquito control.

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Copyright 2012 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers. All rights reserved, USA and worldwide


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Author Dickinson, Katherine L.
Paskewitz, S.
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2012-10-04T00:00:00
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Metadata Date 2025-07-15T21:32:13.494240
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:18196
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Dickinson, Katherine L., Paskewitz, S.. (2012). Willingness to pay for mosquito control: How important is West Nile Virus risk compared to the nuisance of mosquitoes?. UCAR/NCAR - Library. https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d75d8td5. Accessed 01 August 2025.

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