PENDER COUNTY – Pender County Health and Human Services, department of Environmental Health, is actively spraying for mosquitoes following Hurricane Florence.
“We started spraying immediately,” said Carolyn Moser, Pender County Health and Human Services director. “We are using a larvicide that kills mosquito eggs and we are spraying to kill adult mosquitoes.”
Some counties are opting for aerial mosquito spraying. According to FEMA, counties using aerial spraying must meet specific requirements including restrictions on spraying state and federal managed areas, water bodies, rivers and streams, schools, organic farms, bee hives, and aquaculture sites.
“We value our beekeepers, organic farms, and our natural resources,” said Moser. “An aerial spray may not provide the targeted treatment Pender County needs right now.”
“A vector (aerial) spray would be costly,” said Moser. “The aerial spray may last four days, depending on weather, and it kills adult mosquitoes only. It doesn’t include larvicidal applications that kill mosquito eggs.”
Spraying by truck offers both the chemical and larvicidal applications. The chemical applications work for seven days.
The environmental health department started spraying as soon as the storm ended in accessible areas and increased the treatments as roads began to open to travel.
“We have received additional state funding to continue our program,” said Moser.
“However, residents can help control mosquitoes by ‘tip and toss’,” said Moser.
Tip and Toss is a process of tipping standing water in birdbaths, buckets, wading pools, old tires, and items where water gathers and becomes stagnant and tossing old items that you don’t need such as outdated children’s toys, old tires, and cans.”
“We’re addressing the mosquito problem,” said Moser. “We are spraying all areas of the county, four hours in the morning and four hours in the evening.”
Watch Pender County’s website at pendercountync.gov or Pender County’s Facebook page for storm recovery updates. Pender County Emergency Management will post updates on the Facebook page at facebook.com/penderem and on the website http://www.penderem.com. If you need assistance call the EM office at 910- 259-1210.
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