SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Mosquito bites are one of the not so glamorous sides to summer. That’s why some communities invest in spraying neighborhoods and researching when its needed.
“Over 100 of the nuisance mosquitoes for two consecutive nights: that triggers a spray. Over ten of the disease carrying potentially disease carrying mosquitoes for two consecutive nights: that triggers the spray,” Sioux Falls Environmental Health Manager Dominic Miller said.
The city of Sioux Falls sends out around five trucks on a spray night. Crews use around three gallons of chemical and 12 gallons of water per truck. The chemical, Aqua Zenivex, is mixed with water using a pump system.
“It kind of looks like a gas pump almost. You pump that right into those black tanks on the back of the sprayer and it mixes it for us,” Seasonal field worker Maddi Anderson said.
It’s then turned into a vaporized mist that can travel up to a one block radius, meaning crews don’t need to drive down every street.
“Part of the safety of it with these types of equipment is that it’s so low volume coming out in that mist and since it’s diluted down with water, it’s very little chemicals because you don’t need a lot with mosquitoes since they are so small. You just need those tiny droplets in order for them to fly through,” Anderson said.
Miller said the mosquito just needs to come in contact with the mixture.
“They come in contact with the droplet and then the droplet instantly interacts with their nervous system and drops them out of the sky,” Miller said.
During the day, crews focus on larvicide treatments and spraying around areas like city parks. In good news, crews said they’re starting to see a drop in mosquito numbers.
The city is broken into 18 different spray zones.
