Mosquito Control

Mosquito Control | The City of Leeds only conducts truck spraying during periods when disease carrying mosquitoes have been detected by the local health department. The Center for Disease control Guidelines indicate that:

Remove places where mosquitoes lay eggs

Removing places where mosquitoes lay eggs is an important step. Mosquitoes lay eggs near water because larvae need water to survive. Professionals and the public can remove standing water to reduce mosquito larvae before they become adult flying mosquitoes.

•Professionals at local government agencies and mosquito control districts may collect and dispose of illegally dumped tires, clean up and maintain public spaces like parks and greenways, and clean up illegal dumps and roadside trash.

•You, your neighbors, and community can remove standing water. Once a week, items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flower pot saucers, and trash containers should be emptied and scrubbed, turned over, covered, or thrown away.

•If needed, a community clean up event can be held to remove large items like tires that collect water.

Control larvae and pupae

Once mosquito eggs hatch, they become larvae and then pupae. Both larvae and pupae live in standing water. Dumping or removing standing water in and around your home is one way to control larvae. For standing water that cannot be dumped or drained, a larvicide can be used to kill larvae. Larvicides are products used to kill larvae before they become biting adults.

The public and professionals can use US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered larvicides according to label instructions.

•Professionals treat water-holding structures and containers in public places, like storm drains or urns in cemeteries. They may also treat standing water on private property as part of a neighborhood cleanup campaign.

•People can treat fountains, septic tanks, and pool covers that hold water with larvicides.

•Controlling larvae and pupae before they become adults can minimize widespread use of insecticides that kill adult mosquitoes

The above is reference material from the Centers from Disease Control.

Note:  The City has not sprayed in the last 4-5 years. Prior to that date, it performed spraying at the parks and neighborhoods identified for west Nile.