Montgomery Township to Be Sprayed for West Nile Prevention

The Montgomery County Health Department will be spraying sections of Montgomery Township on the night of Tuesday, August 21 in order to control the adult mosquito population and the spread of West Nile Virus

Sections to be sprayed are and the Eureka Wastewater Treament Plant between 8:15 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

The county health department had first consulted with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Montgomery Township officials, according to a press release.

The health department said the spraying will be done where sampling had shown mosquitoes that carry the virus.

An alternate date of spraying is Wednesday, August 22.

Spraying will not be aerial. It will be done via an Ultra Low Volume sprayer mounted on an ATV.

Spraying will be done by health department workers, according to the release. They will be using Biomist 3+15 at a rate of 1.5 fluid ounces per acre.

Part of the mosquito adulticide includes identifying, eliminating or treating with larvacide areas where mosquitoes are breeding, according to the release.

For further information about the products being used, visit the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/

Here are tips to eliminate mosquito-breeding areas: 

• Identify and eliminate all sources of standing water that collects on your property. Mosquitoes will breed in any puddle that lasts for more than four days.
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water holding containers that have collected on your property. Do not overlook containers that have become overgrown by aquatic vegetation.
• Pay special attention to discarded tires that may have collected water on your property. They can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left out of doors. Drainage holes that are located on the container sides collect enough water for mosquitoes to breed in.
• Have clogged roof gutters cleaned on an annual basis, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to block drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use. A wading pool becomes a place for mosquitoes to breed if it is not used on a regular basis.
• Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens are fashionable but become major mosquito breeding grounds if they are allowed to stagnate.
• Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated. A swimming pool that is left untended becomes a source of mosquito breeding. Be aware that mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on swimming pool covers.