The City of Sealy put out the notice on their social media profile that they will begin spraying for mosquitos beginning next week and continuing every two week until the end of September between the hours of midnight and 5:00 am.
While the pesticide is approved by the EPA, residents who are concerned about exposure are advised to take the following precautions:
- Avoid being outside while spraying occurs, close windows and consider keeping pets inside.
- If skin or clothes are exposed, wash them with soap and water.
- Rinse homegrown fruits and vegetables with water as a general precautionary measure.
- Cover small ornamental fish ponds.
While spraying in public rights of way can somewhat reduce the number of mosquitoes in a given area, the results are only temporary. Health officials concur that the reduction or elimination of mosquito breeding areas is the best technique for mosquito control. During mosquito season, the city strongly recommends that all residents take the following preventative measures:
- Drain Stagnant Water: Remove stagnant water from swimming pools, bird baths, flower pots, trash containers, children’s toys, clogged rain gutters and other places around your property. Place environmentally-friendly Bti briquets in stagnant water that can’t be drained. Bti can be purchased at local home and garden stores. Any amount of standing water can give mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs. Most mosquito species require 8 to 14 days to complete their development, so puddles and other areas of standing water become a cause for concern if they don’t dry up and remain stagnant for more than a week.
- Maintain Yard: Properly maintain your landscaping to help reduce the mosquito population. Mosquitoes go to cooler, humid, shady areas in your yard during the daytime to rest and escape hot dry summer air. Thinning shrubs and cutting down tall grass and weeds will reduce the harborage areas and number of mosquitoes in your yard.
- Use Insect Repellent: Use insect repellent whenever you spend time outdoors, day or night. Look for a repellant with DEET or another EPA-registered repellant such as Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, PMD or IR3535. Read instructions prior to using insect repellants, especially when using repellants on children.
- Dress to Prevent Bites: Wear long sleeves and pants to leave less of your skin exposed.
- Repair Screens: Damaged screens may allow mosquitoes in your home. Repair screens used for ventilation.
If you should have any questions regarding the spraying you can contact the Public Works Department of the city by calling (979) 885-3511.
