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

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.