The City of Brownsville has started spraying for mosquitoes this week after heavy rains over last week and this week produced an onslaught of mosquitoes.
Officials said they started larviciding earlier this week in areas where there is standing water and will continue to fumigate the whole city beginning this weekend at 5 a.m. They estimate to be done by Tuesday.
The weather has been our biggest challenge. So, we think that starting Saturday, if the weather goes well, we’ll be able to do Saturday, Sunday, Monday and be done by Tuesday,” Health Director Art Rodriguez said. “That’s tentative, weather permitting. Right now, we are doing some isolated areas where there is either a park, or we know there will be a public event and the mosquitoes are already grown up.”
Rodriguez said the spraying for mosquitoes begins at 5 a.m. because that’s when there’s less wind and there’s less people outside. He said the city had to delay larviciding because the ongoing rain would wash away the chemical that was used.
Rodriguez said the health department is gathering water samples from several areas throughout the city to measure the growth and development of the mosquitoes, so that they can determine which parts of the city are ready to be sprayed and which parts still have mosquitoes developing in the water.
To avoid having more mosquitoes at home, Rodriguez advices the community to dump any standing water outside their home where mosquitoes can grow and to avoid being out at dusk and dawn.
“I just want to remind people that they can prevent a lot of the mosquitoes by dumping their water and mowing their grass,” he said.
The following is the schedule for the fumigation process which will start at either 5 a.m. or 6 p.m. depending on the weather:
>> For Saturday: Mexico Blvd – River Levee; San Eugenio – La Plaza Dr.; Lima St – Ruiz St.; Orange St. – Queta St.; Polk St. – Calle Retama; Lakeside Blvd. – Calle Galaxia; El Paso Rd. – Honeydale Rd.; Harvard Ave. – Fireside Dr.; and the bike trails.
>> For Sunday: Palo Alto Dr. – Land O Lake Dr.; Palm Haven Dr. – Rey Jaime St.; Eloy St. – Victoria Ct.; Killian St. – Kingway Dr.; Janet Ln. – San Marcelo Blvd.; Sugar Tree Ln. – Paris St.; Juniper Dr. – Dennet Dr.; and Westlake Ave.
