The Cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks have scheduled citywide spraying for mosquitoes for tonight, Thursday, September 16th, from approximately 7:00 p.m. until midnight.
West Nile virus has been identified in the Grand Forks region. The cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks urge citizens to take extra precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
The mosquito most common for transmitting the West Nile virus is the Culex tarsalis. This mosquito is most active from sundown and throughout the night into the early morning hours. To help reduce your risk of getting West Nile virus, the Health Department recommends the following protective measures:
- Use insect repellent that contains DEET.
- Limit outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when possible.
- Eliminate standing water around homes (e.g., buckets, flowerpots, old tires, wading pools and birdbaths).
Most of the mosquito control spray equipment is noisy and will be traveling at 10-15 mph while spraying. Grand Forks has a couple of electric sprayers that are relatively quiet. The mosquito control trucks are identified and travel with flashing yellow lights. To ensure spray effectiveness during the spray operation, winds should be 10 mph or less and no inclement weather present. Winds higher than 10 mph or inclement weather may result in the spraying being suspended until conditions improve.
