Mosquito Control Policy
•Encourage public participation in reducing health risks associated with disease-carrying insects through education and action.
•Identify mosquito breeding grounds to focus treatment efforts.
•Balance environmental issues and public health safety issues.
Things Residents Can Do:
The best way to reduce insect bites is to take preventative measures before going outside
•Use insect repellant.
•Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. When traveling in areas known for ticks, mosquitoes or other insects, including tall grass and wet or wooded settings, wear long sleeves and long pants.
•Brush clothing and check for insects after being outside. Check pets as well.
•Fill or drain areas where water may collect more than one week.
•Clean clogged roof gutters so water cannot stand.
•Empty and refill birdbaths every few days.
•Dispose of old tires or other debris that holds water.
Things City of Washington Is Doing:
•The Street Department is tasked with identifying mosquito breeding grounds and focused treatment areas.
•City events, such as the Fair, organized sports (baseball/softball/football/soccer), and July 4th celebration are events the City treats prior to holding the event.
•There are two methods to treatment:
⇒Add larvicide into pools of standing water to prevent development.
⇒Dispersing treatment, utilizing fogging methods, to reduce adult populations.
Chemicals Used (Upon request, the Material Safety Data Sheet MSDS can be provided):
•Depending on the situation, the City will use one of the following three EPA registered three larvicides to treat areas where mosquito larvae is potentially present.
⇒Speheratax SPH (50 G) (Granular Larvicide)
⇒Altosid Pellets WSP
•Depending on the situation, the City will use one of the following two EPA registered fogging chemicals to treat areas were mosquitos are potentially present.
⇒Biomist 4+4 ULV
Treatment Methods / Training / Timing of Treatment:
•All applications of chemicals are applied in adherence with the MSDS.
•The City of Washington has been utilizing fogging and larvicide methods for over 20 years with great success to reduce populations of mosquitos and reduce the number of diseases transmitted.
•Prior to mosquito season, the fogger is calibrated once a year by Univar or Clarke. This ensures the proper amount of chemical is being disbursed.
•A typical fogging operation occurs 1 hour before sunrise or 1 hour before sunset. These times are specifically chosen to:
⇒Maximize the effectiveness by applying when mosquitos are most active
⇒Reducing drift by fogging during time where light winds occur
⇒Minimizing the potential exposure to other, non-target, insects such as bees. Bees are typically less active during the application times.
•Annually, each fogging crew attends a mosquito training course, sponsored by the chemical supplier to ensure the operation is done in safe and effective manner in accordance with the MSDS.