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Local municipalities see significant mosquito reduction
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
According to a report released by the Denton County Health Department on Wednesday, the county saw a 60-percent reduction in the mosquitoes known to carry West Nile virus, Culex tarsalis and Culex quinquefasciatus, following aerial spraying that took place Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.
Specifically, Flower Mound had a reduction of 67 percent, and Lewisville’s West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes went down by 53 percent.
Overall mosquito reduction county-wide was 56 percent, according to the report.
Cities that opted to participate in aerial spraying set out traps before and after spraying to record mosquito populations.
Flower Mound set out four traps, and the majority of the mosquitoes in those traps were West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes, said Matt Woods, the town’s director of environmental services. Lewisville set out five traps.
“It was a substantial reduction, and we’re pleased with that number,” Woods said, referring to the 67-percent reduction.
County officials, too, were pleased with the numbers.
“That’s a good number because that’s basically six out of 10 mosquitoes that are no longer here,” said Bob Martinez, public health preparedness coordinator for the Denton County Health Department. “Sixty percent is about average. Some areas saw 94 percent or better. A good number of Culex mosquitoes were knocked down.”
Double Oak saw a reduction of 94 percent, but Martinez said ground spraying may factor into the difference. He said Flower Mound and Lewisville may have had less mosquitoes to kill since those two municipalities has conducted ground spraying whereas Double Oak has not.
Lewisville spokesman James Kunke said he is pleased with 53 percent but said residents shouldn’t let their guard down.
“If we knock out half of the adult mosquito population, that will give people relief,” Kunke said. “But the most important thing we took from these results is that people still have to take precaution. Even if all of the adult mosquitoes were killed, their eggs and larvae would develop into adults in about a week. So residents shouldn’t feel like they’re off the hook.”
Throughout the summer, West Nile virus became a growing concern. Humans who are bit by infected mosquitoes can, but not always do, show West Nile virus symptoms. Non-severe symptoms include fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. The severe version of the disease includes severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, confusion, loss of consciousness or muscle weakness. The severe form of the disease can be fatal.
As of Friday, there have been two deaths in Denton County related to West Nile virus. There have been 166 human cases, including 33 in Lewisville and 27 in Flower Mound.
While many people supported the town’s decision to conduct aerial spraying, some people opposed it, fearing the pesticides would hurt various aspects of the ecosystem, such as bees, as well as fish, birds and plants.
Flower Mound officials said the town has not received any calls, however, complaining of negative impacts of the spraying.
Going forward, Martinez said he does not expect more aerial spraying this year, especially since the mosquito season tends to taper off in September.
Flower Mound and Lewisville officials said cities will continue its efforts until the winter. That includes continued larvicide application, mosquito trapping and ground spraying when triggered.
Cities will also continue with education efforts to remind residents how to reduce the number of mosquitoes around their home, as well as how to prevent being bit by mosquitoes.
As far as next year, Woods said the town plans to use what it learned this summer to address the problem earlier.
“This provided us with a good baseline,” Woods said. “We’re going to set the traps earlier next year to see what mosquitoes there are and what percentages of them are carrying West Nile virus. We’re going to work with Denton County to get ahead of it next spring.”
Martinez said the county is looking to establish guidelines that will help officials respond to the virus next year if it happens.
“Hopefully the cycle will be better next year,” Martinez said. “But there is no way of knowing. If we have the same type of winter that we had this year, I expect the mosquitoes to be bad then, too.”
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