Spraying Starts Soon To Combat Sioux Falls Mosquito Season

There are a ton a great reasons to look forward to the warm days of summer each year, but this isn't one of them.

Mosquitos.

Those blood-thirsty pests are on their way back to the area which means it's time to prepare for battle.

Fighting Back

Sioux Falls has a game plan in place.

The city's Mosquito Control Program will do its part to limit the number of those pests which spread viruses like West Nile.

Three Crews on the Job

Crews are starting proactive efforts by checking water and treating it to prevent larvae from hatching. About 20 seasonal employees support the program, separated into three crews: trap, lab, and spray. The employees of the trap crew will check over 20 traps all over the city and return specimens to the lab crew, who identify and separate them for analysis.

When a certain threshold is reached, strategically spraying will take place in appropriate areas to reduce mosquito populations and lower the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses.

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High Risk State

In a press release, Public Health Program Manager Jaimie Roggenbauer said, 'South Dakota is one of the highest per capita for West Nile virus in the nation, so that’s why our Mosquito Control Program is so important.'

Get Notified

You can sign up for text alerts to be notified when the City is spraying in your neighborhood. Text the word 'SPRAY' to 888-777 to receive alerts. The City sprays between 8:00 PM and 1:00 AM when necessary.

READ MORE: South Dakota Ramps Up Checkpoints To Curb Impaired Driving

What Can You Do?

Health officials say there are ways limit mosquitos where you live by maintaining your backyard and clearing standing water.

You can reduce your risk of being bitten by wearing long, loose, light-colored clothing and using bug repellant with DEET.