Mosquito Control Underway in Oswego

OSWEGO, IL — If you’re concerned about mosquitoes during the summer, the Village of Oswego has announced that its annual efforts to minimize the mosquito population have begun.

The efforts will help reduce the risk of mosquito-born diseases like Zika and the West Nile Virus, according to the village.

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“Mosquito-borne disease are rare but serious,” said George Balis, entomologist for Clarke, the city’s contractor for larviciding and surveillance operations. “West Nile is endemic to the Chicago area and can resurface at any time, given the right weather conditions. And while Zika may not pose a large risk for local transmission, it has very serious side effects including birth defects.”

So far this year, Clarke has mapped mosquito breeding sites and has begun treating those sites with Natular, an OMRI-listed larvicide to prevent mosquito eggs from hatching into adult mosquitoes, according to the village.

Oswego’s adult mosquito control operations will begin when surveillance detects a rise in adult mosquito populations or the presence of West Nile Virus or other mosquito-borne disease.

Health officials recommend that people take the following steps to help reduce the risk of contracting any mosquito-borne disease, according to the village.

• Apply insect repellent that include DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

• Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.

• When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt

• Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.

• Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.