Weather permitting, the Longmont mosquito control contractor will begin spraying five areas of the city after mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus have been found in Fort Collins.
The five “hot spots” that Vector Disease Control International will spray, according to a notice on the Longmont West Nile information website – www.LongmontColorado.gov/WestNile – are Sandstone Ranch, Union Reservoir, Great Western / Mill Village, Left Hand Creek in the Creekside and Longmont Meadow View areas.
The city website also includes a link to a Vector Disease Control map of those areas, tinyurl.com/yxj8kvp9, along with other parts of Longmont that are not scheduled to spray on Thursday night, but could be sprayed. in the future, depending on where mosquitoes are found.
West Nile virus-carrying Culex mosquitoes increase in number as temperatures rise. Human infections can occur without symptoms or can cause mild or severe illnesses, such as fever, extreme fatigue, headaches, or body aches, and can lead to chronic disability, including tremors, loss of vision, paralysis, or even death.
Fog to kill adult insects in the air is activated when West Nile Virus positive mosquitoes are discovered in Larimer, Boulder or Weld counties and when Longmont traps exceed 150 mosquitoes.
Longmont generally notifies residents of the planned spraying for Thursday by posting on its West Nile website on Tuesdays.
Vector Disease Control maintains a database of Longmont residents who have requested notifications that their neighborhoods need to be sprayed or are asking the company to turn off their spray machine while passing those people’s homes. People can register through the company’s website, tinyurl.com/yythcdpf, or by calling 970-278-9977.
Boulder County public health officials urge residents to take precautions to protect themselves. They advise to remember “the four D”:
- Use DEET-enhanced insect repellent or an alternative.
- Dress in long sleeves and pants.
- From dusk to dawn, avoid the outdoors.
- Drain standing water outside the home, such as bird baths, outdoor pots, or tires stored outside.
