Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (MCOHSEM)
**UPDATE** Per the Department of State Health Services, the aerial spraying that had been scheduled for July 30th has been moved to July 31st due to weather. Spraying will still begin at dusk and continue through the night.
š Aerial Mosquito Spraying in Montgomery County.
Montgomery County officials and the Texas Department of State Health Services have scheduled aerial mosquito spraying in response to increased mosquito populations affecting recovery work following Hurricane Beryl.
š Date: July 31, 2024
ā° Time: Spraying will begin at dusk and continue throughout the night, weather permitting. If delayed, it will be rescheduled for the next available evening and continue as needed.
Hurricane Beryl and recent rains have created large areas of standing water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. To address increasing numbers of mosquitoes and the risk they pose to the recovery effort and public health, the Texas Department of State Health Services activated its contract with Vector Disease Control International for mosquito control equipment and services.
The insecticide used is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency and will be applied in small amounts (between one and two tablespoons per acre), posing no health risk to people, pets, or the environment. However, people may prefer to stay inside and close windows and doors during spraying.
If you have bee hives, make appropriate preparations for the spraying (cover hives with a loose cloth or tarp that allows air flow. Also place a metal mesh screen material that bees cannot pass through across the hive entrance).
While most mosquitoes that appear after floods do not spread disease, they can significantly affect recovery operations by preventing responders and people affected by the disaster from being outside. Areas of standing water can also increase the number of mosquitoes capable of spreading diseases like West Nile virus.
How You Can Help:
- Dump out standing water around your homes and businesses.
- Apply commercially available larvicide in water that can't be drained.
- Avoid mosquito bites by using an EPA-registered mosquito repellent every time you go outside.
- Ensure window and door screens are in good repair to keep mosquitoes out of homes.
- Thank you for your cooperation in helping us protect our community! Stay safe! š¦
