Battling the bugs: City details mosquito-control efforts

The wet spring meant a strong start to mosquito season, though city officials say they’re hopeful they’re getting ahead of the insects.

A 20-person team is tackling mosquitoes daily, both in the field and in the laboratory.

“It’s truly a public health program,” said Dominic Miller, the city’s environmental health manager.

The program started in 2003 following “a large number of people that were afflicted with West Nile virus,” he continued, while acknowledging “there’s a quality of life aspect to it as well.”

The city is broken into 18 zones, with at least one trap in each zone. Traps are turned on Monday morning and run Tuesday through Friday. The mosquitoes caught in the traps are analyzed daily in a laboratory to determine whether they are the type of mosquito that can carry West Nile.

“That’s what we use to decide whether a spray is needed or not,” Miller said.

If so, crews typically work from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. spraying around town. During the day, they’re “looking for sources that are potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” he continued. “If we can eliminate the moisture before it’s an adult and flying around … that’s a better program.”

The recreation trail also is sprayed at least once a week.

The city sprays at night when the mosquitoes are out, unless it is too cool, too windy or raining. Recreational trails may be sprayed in the evening or morning hours because mosquito activity is at its peak at dawn and dusk.

“The products used in our sprays are specifically formulated for mosquito-control purposes and have been proven to present low risk to people, pets and the environment,” according to information from the city. “If you have a medical sensitivity or wish to avoid the trucks, please sign up for text alerts so that you can make personal decisions during our control efforts.”

So far, no mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile, and the overall number — at least for today — was trending down.

“It shows our efforts are working,” Miller said. “They’re seeing about what they expected with the amount of moisture we’ve had this year. It’s tracking very closely to what they’ve seen in the past.”

The team making it happen includes everyone from college students and teachers to 15-year veterans.

“They understand this is a very important program for the city of Sioux Falls,” Miller said. “They take it serious. They have fun with it. But they understand what their role is to help the city of Sioux Falls.”

You’ll also see the team out at events such as Levitt at the Falls concerts educating people about how to address mosquitoes.

“They’re not our friends,” Miller said.

Get connected

To learn what zone you’re in, visit the interactive spray zone map. To learn where the city will be spraying for mosquitoes, text SPRAY to 888-777. To report a mosquito issue in your neighborhood, use the city’s See Click Fix app.