JULY 30, 2024:
Pierre Parks Department staff will fog for mosquitoes in residential areas tonight (July 30, 2024).
Fogging is used to abate adult mosquitoes. however, prevention is the most effective way to control the mosquito population. Park Superintendent Jay Jensen says Pierre sets and monitors mosquito traps each year to help identify the best times for mosquito control operations.
.
JULY 12, 2024:
The first human case of West Nile Virus in South Dakota this season has been detected.
The state Department of Health said Thursday (July 11, 2024) that it’s a Beadle County resident.
Pierre Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Tipton says the city has been doing what it can to keep the virus spreading mosquito numbers down.
Tipton says they use mosquito traps as one way of determining when it’s time to fog public or residential areas.
Tipton says fighting mosquitoes is a never ending battle– until the weather turns cold again.
Since West Nile Virus was first confirmed in South Dakota 22 years ago, there have be over 2800 cases and 53 deaths from the virus.
.
JULY 9, 2024:
Pierre Parks Department staff will fog for mosquitoes in residential areas tonight (July 9, 2024).
Fogging is used to abate adult mosquitoes. however, prevention is the most effective way to control the mosquito population. Park Superintendent Jay Jensen says Pierre sets and monitors mosquito traps each year to help identify the best times for mosquito control operations.
.
JUNE 29, 2024:
In preparation for the Fourth of July holiday, the City of Pierre Parks Department will be mosquito fogging in residential areas this week.
If weather conditions are favorable, fogging of residential areas will begin at dusk Wednesday (July 1) and continue at dusk on Thursday. Fogging is generally done at dusk and can only be done when the wind speed is less than 10 miles per hour. This is the first round of residential fogging for the season, but the Parks Department has been battling mosquitoes, including fogging public properties, since spring.
City Parks and Recreation Director Tom Farnsworth says citizen engagement is key to controlling the mosquito population. He says city crews can’t touch personal property, so residents need to remove breeding grounds such as standing or stagnant water from their personal property.
Farnsworth says bird baths, tire swings and other outdoor containers that collect water can produce thousands of mosquitoes. Additionally, the mosquitoes will breed as long as conditions are favorable; so, Farnsworth says it’s important to continue to remove standing water throughout the summer.
To eliminate mosquitoes in parks, at the golf course and in other green space with heavy foliage the city removes the stagnant water it can, uses larvicide to treat the breeding grounds it can’t remove and then applies a ground spray or fogs the remaining mosquitoes.
Pierre uses a three-pronged approach to reduce the mosquito population. This includes removal of stagnant water to eliminate mosquito breeding habitats, larviciding to kill mosquitoes before they hatch and adulticiding to eliminate adult mosquitoes.
JUNE 12, 2024:
Pierre Parks Department staff will fog for mosquitoes in residential areas tonight (June 12, 2024).
Park Superintendent Jay Jensen says fogging is used to abate adult mosquitoes. however, prevention is the most effective way to control the mosquito population. He says if we can eliminate breeding grounds, we can eliminate much of the pest population.
Pierre Parks Department staff does this by clearing stagnant water from public property and Jensen encourages the public to do the same. He says empty out bird baths, tire swings, or any sort of container that holds water, because even a small puddle can produce thousands of mosquitoes.
The city sets and monitors mosquito traps each year to help identify the best times for mosquito control operations.
Jensen says mosquitoes breed as long as the weather allows. He says they start monitoring traps early and continue monitoring and treating for mosquitoes until cooler weather kicks in.
