CITY STARTS MOSQUITO CONTROL OPERATIONS
The City of Pierre uses a three-pronged approach to control the local mosquito population –larviciding, adulticiding, and prevention. By the end of this week, the City will have all three tactics in play.
“Hatching usually starts just a few days after a rain,” said Bryan Tipton, City Parks and Recreation Director. “Because of the recent moisture, we started larviciding this week.”
Larviciding is a process used to kill mosquitos before they hatch by applying a ground treatment. The City uses it at parks and sports fields. The second tactic, used to eliminate mosquitos that have hatched, is adulticiding. Weather permitting, that process will begin for the season Thursday, June 16.
“We’re planning to fog Steamboat Park around dusk,” said Tipton. “We want to get in that space to get rid of as many mosquitos as possible before Oahe Days kicks off.”
The third and most effective way to control the mosquito population is to eliminate their breeding habitats, and that’s where property owners are essential to mosquito mitigation.
Tipton said, “The City clears stagnant water on city property, but we can’t touch personal property. So, it’s important for our residents to remove standing water from their property.”
Home owners should empty out bird baths, tire swings, and any outdoor containers that collect and hold water. A small puddle can produce thousands of mosquitos.
“We have been monitoring mosquito traps since this spring, but there hasn’t been much traffic. I suspect all of the recent moisture will change that,” said Tipton. “This is just the beginning of this year’s mosquito control program.”
Mosquitos breed as long as conditions are favorable. People should continue to eliminate stagnant water throughout the summer to help control the mosquito population.
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