This area of Lexington is getting sprayed by the health department for mosquitoes
A specific zip code of Lexington is scheduled to receive mosquito spray treatment Wednesday, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
Officials are planning to spray the 40503 ZIP code area between 3-6 a.m., the health department said. The ZIP code includes certain neighborhoods along Nicholasville Road, Shillito Park and Fayette Mall.
The spraying will only occur if the wind speed is less than 10 miles per hour, the temperature is higher than 55 degrees and there is no rain or dense fog, according to the health department.
The mosquito spray only affects adult mosquitoes that are in the air at the time of spraying, the health department said. The health department uses Duet, an EPA-approved chemical that stimulates resting mosquitoes in trees and foliage, causing them to fly into the air and come into contact with the spray’s mosquito-killing agent, sumithrin.
Duet has been rigorously tested for human and animal safety and is registered for outdoor residential and recreational areas, the health department said
What is the health department’s mosquito spray program?
The health department used to spray mosquito treatment every weekday morning in the summer but now the department only sprays when mosquito traps throughout town reach a certain threshold, according to health department communications officer Kevin Hall. The health department made the strategy switch in 2019 and sprayed about 10 times.
The mosquito trap at Shillito Park showed signs of increased activity, which prompted the scheduled spray for Wednesday in the 40503 ZIP code, according to the health department.
The health department’s ultimate goal is to eliminate large areas of standing water that can serve as prime locations for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Lexington has reported consecutive days of rainfall recently but the area below its average July rainfall of 5.12 inches. The health department said the water can be treated to kill mosquito larvae with a chemical called a larvicide.
“We are increasing activities to kill mosquito larvae in areas where standing water cannot be drained,” Luke Mathis, environmental health and preparedness team leader at the health department, said in a press release. “Targeting immature mosquitoes is a more effective control strategy as it stops mosquitoes from developing into adults that can feed on humans and transmit mosquito-borne diseases like Zika and West Nile.”
How to stop mosquitoes
The health department said Lexington residents can take steps to avoid a growing mosquito population at home, such as installing window and door screens, covering or eliminating empty containers with standing water and getting rid of mosquito breeding grounds like tires, buckets, barrels and cans.
“The battle against mosquitoes starts at every residence in Fayette County,” Mathis said in the press release. “By eliminating standing water, even something as small a capful of rain in your yard, you can remove areas for mosquitoes to lay eggs. It’s important for people to walk around their homes to see what they can do to help curb the mosquito population.”
