Washoe mosquito abatement underway

Cropped Photo: Erik F. Brandsborg / CC BY-SA 2.0
Cropped Photo: Erik F. Brandsborg / CC BY-SA 2.0(WNDU)
Published: Apr. 11, 2019 at 5:09 PM PDT
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The Washoe County District Health Department held its first

of the season in the early morning hours Wednesday, targeting 1,000 acres from the North Valleys area to Washoe Lake.

The larviciding is planned also for May through August 2019 and will be done by helicopter, the health district said. The Wednesday spraying was early and due to an expected increase in mosquitoes due to the wet winter and spring.

The larvicide will be Altacid P35, “a biological larvicide that exists naturally in the environment which specifically targets mosquito larvae with no affects to humans, fish, water fowl, or other non-targeted insects such as bees,” the district said in a statement. It kills them as larvae and before they become flying insects.

If people are experiencing biting mosquitoes they are asked to call the Vector-Borne Diseases Program at 775-785-4599 and staff will investigate.

The health district offers these tips for dealing with mosquitoes:

  • Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants in mosquito prone areas. Especially in early morning and evening hours when mosquitos are most active;
  • Use mosquito repellents, applying a layer directly on skin, and one on clothing for maximum protection;
  • Keep window and door screens in good repair to prevent mosquitos from entering into homes;
  • Vaccinate horses for Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV); and,
  • Clear areas around living spaces of any free-standing water and containers that can hold even small amounts of water like pet bowls and planters. These may become mosquito breeding grounds.
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