As the weather gets warmer more people will be heading outdoors and to keep those pesky mosquitoes from ruining your outdoor barbecues and fun, the City of Brownsville is spraying for mosquitoes throughout the city.
The vector-control efforts started Tuesday evening and will resume at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the different sectors of the city.
Art Rodriguez, public health director, said public health officials base the spraying on the amount of rainfall the city receives and the number of days that it takes to hatch the mosquitoes.
“After it rains, and we have traps set up throughout the city, we look at the counts of the mosquitoes that are starting to appear on our traps,” he said.
“When it starts to reach a certain number, we know the mosquitoes life cycle and we go in and use a chemical that helps to minimize the number of mosquitoes that hatch from their eggs in the water. Once they hatch, we go and spray for mosquitoes. In this case, city wide because the whole city has received about two inches of rain over the last week and a half.”
There is no set schedule for the spraying for mosquitoes since the spraying is based on the amount of rainfall the city receives. Rodriguez said the best thing residents can do to avoid the infestation of mosquitoes in their homes is to drain the water they might have in the front and backyard.
“The best thing any home-owner can do is walk outside their home and drain any buckets, any plastic toys that could keep water, any plastic bags that are on the ground holding water, or any rain gutters that haven’t been cleaned out,” he said.
“Those are all going to hold standing water and the mosquitoes breed in standing water.”
While the chemicals used for the spraying is safe for animals, Rodriguez advises the community to vaccinate their pets against heartworm disease ahead of the season because mosquitoes carry the disease.
“What we use is safe for people and pets. It doesn’t affect them, it’s very specific to the mosquito anatomy,” he said.
“But, having said that, we always remind people to keep their pets vaccinated for heartworms. Mosquitoes carry the heartworm as well, so it is another way that mosquitoes carry disease. Not only for people but for dogs, which are the heartworms.”
To report high grass or any other issue that might cause infestation of mosquitoes, call the city’s hotline 546-HELP (956) 546-4357.
“We just want to remind people that we thank them for their assistance in tipping, draining the water and cutting the grass outside their house. Those things will help diminish the mosquito population quickly,” Rodriguez said.
The following are the areas sprayed on Tuesday:
>> Mexico Blvd., River/Levee area.
>> San Eugenio, La Plaza Dr.
>> Lima St., San Jose Ln.
>> 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.
The areas set to be sprayed today:
>> Palo Alto Dr., Land-O-Lakes 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.
>> Westlake Ave
>>Bike Trails.
For more information, visit brownsvilletx.gov/577/Public-Health-Wellness.
