SLED Opportunity · MASSACHUSETTS · TOWN AND COUNTY OF NANTUCKET
AI Summary
The Town of Nantucket seeks bids for mosquito surveillance, testing, treatment, and public education services for FY27. The one-year contract includes larvicide application, adult mosquito trapping, consulting, and compliance reporting. Bidders must have a PhD entomologist, pesticide licenses, and experience with mosquito control in marsh habitats.
The Town of Nantucket ("Town"), through its Department of Public Works, invites qualified responders to submit bids for MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE & CONTROL FY27. This Invitation for Bids ("IFB") is made in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 30B.
The Town of Nantucket is located within the County of Nantucket. The Town functions under a Town Manager/Select Board form of government. The Select Board operates under a Charter and enacts policies intended to promote and enhance the general welfare of the Town. In addition to customary municipal operations, the Town operates a skilled nursing facility, a public school system, two wastewater treatment facilities, a housing department, and a solid waste facility.
The Town of Nantucket is located 30 miles off the south coast of Cape Cod. It was settled in 1659 and incorporated in 1671. The Town has an annual year-round population of approximately 18,000 and up to 65,000 seasonal residents. The island is 14 miles in length and 3 1/2 miles wide. Nantucket is comprised of residential, commercial, and large tracts of undeveloped land, including a state forest. Transportation routes include a busy airport, a thriving seaport, and a locally maintained road system which includes urban, suburban and rural road systems.
Workers' Compensation, covering the obligations of the CONTRACTOR in accordance with applicable Workers' Compensation or Benefits law.
Services under this bid include surveillance, testing and treatment of public properties and private properties as allowed by property owners, for control of mosquito populations between June 2026 and June 2027, as well as consulting with the Department of Public Works and the Department of Health & Human Services (hereinafter "Departments") to implement mosquito control, permitting and public education.
1. Responsibilities
Meet with designated Town representatives to determine areas previously surveyed and found to be a problem and to identify other potential problem areas. The Town will provide a list of previously treated areas.
2. Surveillance
Surveillance is a non-chemical inspection method that involves classification of mosquito breeding sites, larval presence and distribution surveys, and adult mosquito biting and trapping surveys, as well as identifying mosquitoes to species. Larval surveillance will be conducted while the employee is undertaking larviciding.
The successful bidder will consult with the Nantucket Public Health Director or their designee when determining where to place adult mosquito traps during the months of April through October.
Adult surveillance should be conducted weekly. If not to be tested for arboviruses at this time, then to be used to measure species composition and population size of adult mosquitoes. This can later be used in addition to larval sampling to determine efficacy of program. Adult surveillance tools to be used on island include CDC light traps, light and dry ice traps, gravid traps and resting traps. (Assume 100 surveillances)
Adult mosquito and larval surveillance reports must be submitted to the Nantucket Public Health Director via email at least once (1x) per month from April through October. The Adult Mosquito Surveillance Report must utilize trinomial nomenclature (i.e., genus, species, subspecies). If any single trap at a given location contains five (5) or more specimens of either Culex pipiens, Culiseta melanura, Coquillettidia perturbans, Aedes sollicitans, Aedes vexans, Ochlerotatus canadensis (formerly Aedes canadensis) OR, Culex salinarius, those specimens must be transported using approved protocols to an approved lab for testing for West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
3. Testing
During the mosquito season, on a weekly basis, the successful bidder should conduct larval surveys. This means that all sites that have been known to contain mosquitoes in the past are checked for the presence of mosquito larvae. This is accomplished through the use of a standard dipper (350 ml). Other methods of direct inspection include searching for new larval habitats (i.e. artificial containers) and developing mosquito habitats (i.e. water that has been blocked from running).
Records of larval stage and numbers per dip shall be recorded with monthly reports. A few samples should be saved for later ID. Landing rates of adult mosquitoes are also noted. Further, light traps are placed at various locations around the county. Mosquitoes are removed from the light traps, counted, and identified. Finally, although it can be subjective, discussing the level of the problem with people in the area can help in a pest inspection. (Assume 100 tests)
4. Treatment
While source reduction is the preferred treatment choice, there are some circumstances where removing standing water would be impractical. In these cases, a larvicide is used. The type of larvicide used to control the mosquitoes will depend upon the developmental stage the insects have reached when discovered. Larvae in the 1-3 instar stages are treated with either Bti (a bacteria) or in a catch basin environment Bacillus sphaericus in water soluble pouches. Fourth instar mosquito larvae and pupae must be treated using a different method, as the larvicides already mentioned are not able to affect their development at these stages. A light mineral oil is applied in cases where the mosquitoes have developed past the 3-instar stage.
Catch Basin Management: A targeted larviciding treatment to catch basins and storm drains to control mosquitoes in their aquatic stages and prevent emergence as adult mosquitoes, especially the suspected West Nile Virus Vector Culex (sp.) that typically breeds in these structures. These should be inspected to determine possible mosquito breeding locations. (Assume 100 treatments)
5. Reports, Permits, State, and Local Agency Compliance
The successful bidder will assist the Town in filing paperwork and reports with the appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies. This may require report generation, permit filing, and attending state and local meetings.
6. Public Education
The successful bidder will develop and produce hardcopy educational materials, attend civic meetings and schools to communicate about general mosquito control and specific activities on Nantucket, participate or organize events as requested by the Departments. (Assume 10 meetings per year)
7. Consulting
The successful bidder will provide consulting services to the Departments regarding Nantucket’s mosquito control short term and long-term plans, development and consultation on source reduction and habitat management techniques, and generation of specific studies or reports as requested by the Departments. (Assume 100 hours)
Commercial General Liability Insurance on an occurrence basis with a combined single limit of not less than $1 million. Coverage is to include premises and operations, coverage for liability of subcontractors. The policy shall contain an endorsement stating that the aggregate limits will apply separately to the work being performed under this Agreement.
Mosquito Control Sites Previously Treated by the Department of Public Works
Area: DOWNTOWN NANTUCKET
Location: Brant Point
Sites:
Area: NORTH OF NANTUCKET ISLAND
Location: Cliff Area
Sites:
Area: WEST OF NANTUCKET ISLAND
Location: Madaket
Sites:
Area: SOUTH OF NANTUCKET ISLAND
Location: Bartlett’s Farm
Sites:
Area: NORTH-EAST NANTUCKET ISLAND
Location: Wauwinet
Sites:
Area: NORTH-WEST NANTUCKET ISLAND
Location: Pocomo
Sites:
Area: EAST END OF NANTUCKET ISLAND
Location: East-End of Island
Sites:
Area: NANTUCKET ISLAND
Location: Private Location
Sites:
Automobile Liability Insurance of not less than $1 million combined single limit covering owned, hired and non-hired vehicle use.
The successful bidder shall report testing locations and results as well as larviciding locations, application rates and frequency on a monthly basis, to the Department Heads, or their designees.
This is a one (1) year contract. This contract shall be in effect from June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027.
All work is to be quality work and shall be performed according to the standards of the industry and according to the plans, directions and/or instructions, as presented by the authorized representatives of the Town of Nantucket.
(a) Bidder must have a PhD Entomologist on staff and provide a copy of a resume for this person.
(b) Bidder must show capability to test mosquito pools for mosquito borne diseases through PCR or RAMP method.
(c) Bidder must provide evidence of staff experience in identifying mosquito species present in Nantucket.
(d) Bidder must provide evidence of staff experience in monitoring and controlling mosquito larval sites in Marsh habitat.
(e) Bidder must provide evidence of capability to perform these duties.
(f) Bidder must provide proof that the Contractor owns or leases all of the equipment necessary to provide the complete service and include a list of any equipment in the bid response.
(g) Bidder must have been in the field of pesticide application for a minimum of five (5) years and must provide proof of this.
(h) Bidder must have a pesticide application license and must include copies of all applicable licenses in the bid response.
(i) Bidder must have a larvicide application license and must include copies of all applicable licenses in the bid response.
(j) Bidder must have a valid driver’s license and include a copy of the license in the bid response.
(k) Preference will be given to contractors who have experience in achieving approval of a mosquito control plan with the Massachusetts State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board.
Payment is to be on a monthly basis with the Contractor submitting an itemized invoice showing dates that services were performed as follows:
--Cost per Adult mosquito control surveillance: (units are single trap site, per night)
--Cost per larval site inspected: (Units are per site inspected)
--Cost per larval site treated: (Units are Acres treated)
--Cost for Reports, Permits, State and local agency compliance (Units will be fixed price for annual requirements, and hourly rate for special reporting)
--Cost for Public Education (Units will be fixed price for annual requirements)
--Cost for Consulting (Units will be hourly rate)
Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. FAILURE TO SIGN AND UPLOAD BOTH FORMS WILL DISQUALIFY THE SUBMISSION PER MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS.
Insurance Required: Bidder shall obtain and maintain at its expense and from insurance companies of a Best Rating of A or better, which are licensed to do business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, insurance as set forth below.
Please upload your proof of insurance.
Bidder must provide a complete list of municipal customers who it provided services in the past three (3) years. Reference information must include Company/Government Name, Contact Person, Current Phone Number, Email Address and Dates of Service.
Poor References may be a basis for determining that a bidder is not responsible.
Signature page from the Town's contract, signed by an authorized individual as a good faith statement that the Contractor is willing to enter into the Town's standard contract form. Please see Sample Agreement in ATTACHMENT A.
Please download the below Bid Response Form, complete, and upload. FAILURE TO COMPLETE, SIGN AND UPLOAD THIS FORM WILL DISQUALIFY THE SUBMISSION PER MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS.
Please upload a completed W-9 Form if you have not worked with the Town of Nantucket in the past. The W-9 will be used to set up the Contractor as a Vendor for the Town of Nantucket.
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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