Minot to ground spray for mosquitoes: West Nile Virus detected in city
Trending
West Nile Virus has been confirmed in a northwest Minot mosquito sample sent to North Dakota Health and Human Services, the City of Minot reported on Thursday, July 30.
To prevent mosquito-borne disease, the City of Minot will begin a ground-spray for mosquitoes on Aug. 7. This process could take up to two weeks. Location announcements will be posted on MinotND.gov.
Residents can expect to see mosquito spray trucks traveling after dark and perpendicular to the wind direction, as the weather permits.
"Mosquitoes are often a nuisance, but when West Nile virus is present, it can also be a serious risk to public health," said Bryan Banfill, City of Minot Public Works Operations director. "Vector control techniques are an important balance of environmental protection and infectious disease prevention."
The ground-spray application will use the chemical permethrin, which the EPA signals as a "caution" chemical. Caution is the least toxic of the three pesticide product labels, below warning and danger.
Permethrin will be distributed using ultra-low volume sprayers, the city reported. Fog'Em Mosquito Control was awarded the mosquito surveillance contract early this spring. The cost of the ground spray is $26,238 in the vector control line of the 2026 budget, which the city has available, having conducted just one previous aerial spray.
"West Nile Virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. There is not a vaccine or cure for West Nile Virus and it is not spread from person to person, and while most people experience no symptoms, some may develop flu-like illness and, in rare cases, serious neurological complications," Environmental Health Inspector Lisa Otto-Westman with First District Health Unit said in the city's news release. "Prevention is the key."
First District Health encourages residents to take simple steps to reduce their risk of West Nile Virus. The best protection is to avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and limiting outdoor activities when mosquitoes are most active.
Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Residents can help reduce mosquito populations around their homes by emptying water from buckets, rain barrels, and tires, maintaining proper drainage gutters, and cleaning pet bowls and bird baths regularly."
North Dakota Health and Human Services tracks several species of mosquitoes. Locally, there are two primary species: Aedes and Culex.
According to the North Dakota State University Extension Service, Aedes mosquitoes are the most common, surviving the winter as eggs. The population spikes early in the spring, and Aedes are the least risk for West Nile Virus.
Culex mosquitoes are hardier and survive the winter as adults in a dormant state. The population peaks later in the season, and Culex are most likely to carry infectious disease acquired from birds.
Mosquito surveillance is taking place this year to track the sources of mosquito reproduction environments. Data collected in the Mouse River dead loops is not showing larvae, the city reported. The city stated prevention along detention ponds will continue to be a priority and a likely focus for a hybrid approach to vector control.
The Minot City Council has requested staff gather information on possible mosquito control solutions, including less invasive options. Banfill will present three options and likely recommend a hybrid approach to vector control.
Control options include:
- Aerial application of an adulticide mosquito spray, which has a quality-of-life element when managing mosquito populations. The proper distribution technique is important in the use of the Naled aerial application.
- Ground application using permethrin, a less toxic, synthetic version of a property present in chrysanthemums.
- Natural applications, including a larvicide option called Bti or Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, which is a bacterium that prevents mosquito larvae from maturing when applied in mosquito reproduction environments.
Options for future infectious disease, vector control, mosquito surveillance and budget implications will be presented to Council at the Aug. 17 meeting.
According to the Center for Disease Control, about 2,000 human cases of West Nile Virus are reported each year, North and South Dakota lead the country in cases per capita. The CDC attributes about 120 deaths in the United States to mosquitoes annually.