Aerial spraying for mosquitos underway in Woodland and Davis
SACRAMENTO- Our record-setting wet winter and hot summer have officials warning people to avoid mosquitoes amid a spike in West Nile Virus detections.
The virus can cause fever, headache, and rash. In severe cases, it can cause paralysis or death.
"West Nile virus can cause serious illness and even death, especially in older persons and those with underlying health conditions," said Dr. Aimee Sisson, Yolo County's Public Health Officer.
Sacramento officials are now stepping up their battle against mosquitoes by moving from ground spraying to aerial spraying, one of the most efficient ways to treat the areas. The Sacramento-Yolo County, Mosquito Vector Control District announced their team will do an aerial spray in the cities of Davis and Woodland in Yolo County for mosquitoes that carry the potentially fatal West Nile Virus.
The aerial spraying will happen for two consecutive nights on Sunday, August 6th, and Monday, August 7th, between 8:30 and 11:00 pm.
"After careful consideration and evaluation of laboratory results and mosquitoes that continue to test positive, we are moving forward with our plans for aerial spraying," said Gary Goodman, District Manager.
The District said their team has been monitoring both cities due to high mosquito populations and infection rates amongst birds and mosquitoes.
"We have been doing continuous ground spraying and both of these cities. We needed the elevated efforts because we needed more than those efforts. We continue to see the high abundance of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile Virus," said Luz Maria Robles from Sac-Yolo Vector Control.
According to the District, aerial treatments are not a risk to the public, animals, and the environment. The treatment also uses Dibrom, an insecticide registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California EPA. This spray has been commony used for mosquito control and is routinely used throughout the United States to control mosquitoes.
The spray will occur in two areas—an area in Davis with 12,000 acres. The boundaries are from County Rd. 29 on the north to Slayback Ranch Ln on the south and from County Rd. In addition, 98 on the west to County Rd 105 on the east.
In Woodland, the aerial spray will be approximately 12,000 acres, and the boundaries are from Churchill Downs Ave. on the north to County Rd. 25A on the south and from County Rd. 96B on the west to County Rd. 103 on the east. The map for the specific areas that will be targeted can be found on www.FIGHTtheBITE.net.
Aerial treatments will be made using Dibrom, an insecticide registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California EPA for use in mosquito control and routinely used throughout the United States to control mosquitoes. While attempts are made to notify the public, the District may postpone, modify or cancel a scheduled application due to unfavorable conditions.
Residents can also sign up for notifications for urban aerial spraying updates by texting "sprayupdate" to 69922 or view live updates on www.FIGHTtheBITE.net.