The City of Pierre will start its aerial assault on the local mosquito population this evening (May 30, 2023).
Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Tipton says hatching usually starts a few days after a rain. He says with the weekend moisture, they’re doing what they can to tamp down the anticipated hatch.
Fogging is used to kill adult mosquitoes and larvicide is used to eliminate the mosquitoes before they hatch. Tipton says they do that through a ground treatment in parks and sports fields. He says larviciding will begin soon.
Tipton says the third– and most effective way– to control the mosquito population is to eliminate their breeding places. He says home owners should empty out bird baths, tire swings and any outdoor containers that collect and hold water because a small puddle can produce thousands of mosquitoes.
Tipton says parks staff clears water from public property, but they can’t go onto private property, so they need property owners to manage their own space.
Pierre sets and monitors mosquito traps each year to help identify the best times to ramp up mosquito control operations. Tipton says they start monitoring activity early in the season and will continue to check traps as long as mosquito breeding conditions are favorable.
Comments