Trending
The City of Minot won't get a second aerial spraying for mosquitoes this year, prompting the city to look at alternatives to controlling the biting population both this summer and into the future.
Minot Mayor Mark Jantzer said the city typically asks Minot Air Force Base and the Ohio Air National Guard to conduct a second spraying later in the summer, depending on the cost and the degree of mosquitoes issues. The first spraying has been occurring before the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, which happened this year as well.
Jantzer told the Minot City Council on Monday, July 20, that the Air Force is changing its operation.
"They're not going to be back this summer, from what I understand. So, we do have to adapt and do some other methodologies," he said.
Public Works Operations Director Bryan Banfill said the city mosquito count before the State Fair saw trapping numbers up to 4,800. After spraying, the count dropped 72% to about 1,250 trapped mosquitoes.
"Unfortunately, with what happens in normal years, we ended up seeing another increase a couple of days later, and we're right back up to where we were," he said.
Banfill said his department has contracted with a service provider to assist with vetting the control options.
"It's likely we are going to go into a ground dispersal trial to go ahead and see what effects it's going to have on the residual population that we're seeing today," he said.
Council member Mike Blessum said reducing the mosquito population protects the community's health because of the illnesses that the insects can carry. However, he also voiced concern about the chemicals used in the sprays.
"The ramifications of those can be as bad or worse as a few mosquito bites," he said.
Blessum's motion to direct the Public Works Department to report back on a plan for alternatives to aerial spraying and its investigation into less harmful chemicals passed unanimously.