Norristown To Spray Chemicals To Fight Mosquito Populations

NORRISTOWN, PA — Norrisotwn will be sprayed with chemicals to help control the mosquito population and limit the threat of West Nile Virus next week, officials announced.

The spraying will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 6 from 7:45 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in an area around Norristown Farm Park that also includes East Norriton and West Norriton Townships.

Residents who are within the boundaries of the spray area outlined above should stay until 30 minutes after the event. Health officials also recommend closing windows and turning off air ventilation systems.

The spray is a Duet Duel-action adulticide, which will be dispensed at a rate of 0.75 ounces per acre from a truck-mounted sprayer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified Duet as safe for the environment.

See also: 42 Mosquitoes Carrying West Nile Found In Montgomery Co. This Season

Spraying will focus on areas where sampling from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Montgomery County Department of Health has shown that moquitoes carry West Nile.

The rain date is Sept. 7.

The county offers the following tips to eliminate mosquitoes:

Tips to eliminate mosquito-breeding areas:

• Identify and eliminate all sources of standing water that collect on your property. Mosquitoes will breed in any stagnant water that lasts for 5 or more days.
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, or similar water holding containers that have collected on your property. Do not overlook containers that have become overgrown by aquatic vegetation.
• Pay special attention to discarded tires that may have collected water on your property. They can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left out of doors. Drainage holes that are located on the container sides collect enough water for mosquitoes to breed in.
• Have clogged roof gutters cleaned on an annual basis, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to block drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use. A wading pool becomes a place for mosquitoes to breed if it is not used on a regular basis.
• Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens are fashionable but become major mosquito breeding grounds if they are allowed to stagnate.
• Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated. A swimming pool that is left untended becomes a source of mosquito breeding. Be aware that mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on swimming pool covers.