With mosquito season in full swing, area governments are deploying thousands of dollars in labor and materials to protect citizens from the pests.
While many residents may remember the buzz of motorized sprayers mounted on the backs of trucks, Columbus has been using mosquito pellets for about 25 years, according to Public Works Director Casey Bush.
The pellets, which the city dispenses in ditches and other areas of standing water, kill mosquitoes before they grow to adults.
“Normally, right before the summer time we’ll have a crew that goes around and throws them in the ditches,” Bush said.
Bush said residents who have standing water around their homes can call the public works department at 662-328-4481. Bush said the city will dispense pellets if the standing water is on city property, such as a ditch, or will allow residents to use the pellets if the water source is on private property. He said the city doesn’t charge to dispense citizens for the pellets.
However, mosquito pellets cost the city about $3,000 per case, Bush said, and he gets them about once per year. He said residents have requested more mosquito pellets lately, which may lead to increased mosquito control spending for the city.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to keep West Nile and Zika virus from coming to this community,” Bush said.
Lowndes County Road Manager Ronnie Burns said the county sprays in areas where mosquitoes are prevalent and at citizens’ requests. He said the county has three sprayers.
County workers also put mosquito pellets in ditches and other areas with standing water, Burns added.
“Normally we get $10,000 in the mosquito budget,” Burns said. “We might use less if it’s not a bad year, or if we use a lot, I can ask for more.”
So far this year, Burns said, his department hasn’t received a lot of citizen requests for mosquito spraying.
Starkville, Oktibbeha
Starkville and Oktibbeha County both spray for mosquitoes.
Edward Kemp, Starkville city engineer, said the city typically takes calls from citizens and sprays on an as-needed basis.
“If there’s a complaint from a resident of a high population, they can call the street department and leave a message,” Kemp said. “They’ll create a work order to add to the mosquito route. They typically gather up several work orders and do it in the early morning hours or the evening, when mosquitoes are most active.”
Kemp said the city will also spray preemptively for events that draw large numbers of people, such as festivals or football games.
Residents can call Starkville’s street department at 662-323-9676.
Kemp added he doesn’t typically receive mosquito reports, but they can be widespread throughout town.
“At one time this summer, we’ve sprayed the entire town,” he said. “It’s very expensive and takes a lot of time. Other than that we’re not a (set) route.”
Starkville also uses mosquito larvacide pellets. Kemp said they’re placed in all of the city’s drainage channels and creeks.
He said he wasn’t sure of exactly how much the city spends on mosquito control, but said it’s “minimal,” at less than $20,000.
Oktibbeha County Road Manager Victor Collins said the county uses one spray truck that works in a circuit that includes the towns of Maben and Sturgis. He said it’s hard to estimate how much the county spends on spraying for mosquitoes because county workers do the job and costs vary based on overtime pay.
Recently, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors has been approached by two companies — Mosquito Control Services in June and Vector Mosquito Control in July — for mosquito control solutions. However, Board President and District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer expressed hesitance toward those options.
“We’ve been approaching mosquito service like we do everything else–kind of cautiously,” Trainer told the Dispatch on Monday. “We understand it’s important. But at the same time, our resources are limited and we have to make the best use of our resources. We had a company come in and do an assessment of our situation, and they determined they could put a program together. The only thing about it is the cost was between $175,000 to almost $200,000.
“That was a big leap of faith, going from very little in the mosquito budget to spending almost $200,000,” he added.
Recently, discussion has emerged between Starkville and Oktibbeha County for an interlocal agreement for mosquito control. District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller suggested the county reach out to the city.
Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman said the city attorney is working on a draft of an interlocal agreement that, if approved by aldermen and supervisors, would allow city mosquito control equipment to be used in the county.
“The major issue is a capacity issue with getting parts of the county sprayed for mosquitoes,” Wiseman said.
Prevention
The Mississippi Department of Health is primarily concerned about the transmission of West Nile Virus and Zika Virus, said MDOH Communication Director Liz Charlot.
So far, there have been nine case of West Nile Virus in Mississippi this year, according to the Mississippi Department of Health. One case has been reported in Lowndes County. The state has seen 14 cases of Zika Virus, with two in Oktibbeha County and one in Noxubee County.
Zika has sparked national concern as it’s spread through South and Central America and has recently started spreading through local transmission in south Florida.
Though Mississippi has had 14 cases, none have been caused by transmission through mosquitoes in the state. And while MDOH has not observed the species of mosquito that carries the virus in Mississippi, Charlot said the agency is warning people to be careful, especially when traveling to places where local transmission is prevalent.
Zika virus can cause microcephaly, a condition where babies are born with heads that are too small.
“Anyone who is pregnant or planning to get pregnant should not travel to Zika-affected countries,” she said. “If you do go, we recommend that you protect yourself from mosquitoes for three weeks after you get back.”
The disease can be transmitted sexually, and Charlot said MDOH recommends that men who travel to affected countries use protection during sexual intercourse for two to six months after returning.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile Virus doesn’t cause symptoms in the vast majority of people. However, about one in five people can experience symptoms such as body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. A few rare cases can cause severe, symptoms such as swelling of the brain.
So far, no West Nile Virus or Zika deaths have been reported this year in Mississippi.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.