Beginning Wednesday, the Washoe County Health District will start spraying areas throughout the Truckee Meadows to curb the hatching of mosquitoes.
The larviciding will cover approximately 3,100 acres in Washoe County from the North Valleys area including Spanish Springs to Washoe Lake.
Health officials report the applications will consist of Vectolex granules, a biological larvicide that naturally occurs in the environment. This product is target specific, affecting mosquito larvae with no affects to humans, fish, water fowl or other non-target organism's such as bees.Â
The Health District has started disease surveillance mosquito trapping targeting species of mosquitoes that transmit diseases, including trapping methods for detection of mosquitoes capable of transmitting the Zika virus, should they appear in the Truckee Meadows area.
Health officials remind people that they should take precautionary measures and steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. During the spring and summer months people should:
- Wear long sleeves and long pants in mosquito prone areas
- Use mosquito repellent such as Deet, oil of lemon eucalyptus, Picaridin, IR3535, or other natural products – a layer directly on skin, and one on clothing works well
- Keep window and door screens in good repair to prevent entry for mosquitoes into homes
- Vaccinate horses for Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV)
- Clear areas around living spaces of any free-standing water and containers that can hold even small amounts of water that may become a mosquito breeding-ground
The Vector Borne Diseases Program has mosquito fish available for ponds, troughs and other water containers which will feed on mosquito larvae and prevent them from hatching into biting adult mosquitoes.
If you are experiencing biting mosquitoes call the Vector-Borne Diseases Program at 785-4599, and staff will investigate the source of these adult mosquitoes.
(Washoe County contributed to this report.)
