To help reduce eye gnat problems in Jacumba and Escondido, the County Board of Supervisors Wednesday directed the Chief Administrative Officer to work with the County Farm Bureau and other interested parties.
The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Wednesday, with Board Chairman Bill Horn recusing himself, to direct the CAO to return to the Board in 90 days with recommendations to alleviate the long-standing problem that has been attached to organic farms in those areas. Horn recused himself from the vote because he is a certified organic farmer.
Residents in both Jacumba and Escondido have complained for several years about eye gnats.
The California Department of Public Health describes eye gnats as a “nuisance fly” indigenous to the state, “associated with causing considerable annoyance between the months of April and November to residents living in the lower desert regions of Southern California.” Eye gnats are notorious for swarming around the faces and eyes of people and animals.
A study conducted by the County Farm and Home Advisor identified an organic farm, Bornt and Sons Organic Farm, as producing great numbers of eye gnats in Jacumba.
Supervisors Dianne Jacob and Pam Slater-Price said Wednesday that the farm and the County Department of Environmental Health implemented strategies to reduce eye-gnat numbers, but that eye gnats were still a problem and “a tougher strategy was needed to address the issue.”
Jacob said she hoped the County could find a solution that would “bring back the quality of life” to the two communities and also encourage and enhance organic farming in San Diego County.
Residents in San Pasqual have also complained about eye gnats they suspect originate from an organic farm. Organic farms do not use pesticides that can often knock down insect populations.
