Health District to Conduct Second Aerial Mosquito Abatement

Helicopter larviciding application to reduce mosquito populations

Reno, Nev. Aug. 17, 2020 – The Washoe County Health District (WCHD) will conduct an aerial larviciding application on Wednesday, Aug. 19, to address mosquitos in Washoe County.

The Health District’s Vector-Borne Diseases Program organizes the application of larvicide, which will cover approximately 800 acres in Washoe County from the North Valleys to Washoe Valley.

The application consists of small, granules that contain a naturally occurring bacteria, which prevents the emergence of adult mosquitos. Halting the growth of biting mosquitos will help limit the spread of arboviruses like West Nile Virus (WNV), a virus commonly spread to people through mosquito bites.

The Health District may conduct additional applications (weather dependent) in the coming months to reduce adult mosquito populations; however, health officials suggest taking steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitos during the late-summer and fall months:

• 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 homes
• 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 sources.
• Vaccinate horses for Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV)

The Vector-Borne Diseases Program has mosquito fish available for ponds/fountains, troughs and other large water containers. The small minnow-sized fish feed on mosquito larvae and prevent them from hatching into mosquitos. If you are experiencing biting mosquitos, call the Vector-Borne Diseases Program at 775-328-2434, and staff will investigate the source of the adult mosquitos.

The Washoe County Health District has jurisdiction over all public health matters in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County through the policy-making Washoe County District Board of Health. The District consists of five divisions: Administrative Health Services, Air Quality Management, Community and Clinical Health Services, Environmental Health Services and Epidemiology & Public Health Preparedness. To learn more, visit https://www.washoecounty.us/health/.