By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
Groveport city officials are going on the offensive against mosquitoes this summer as the wet spring means the pesky insects could be plentiful this year.
To do so, the city will return to running its own mosquito spraying and treatment program.
Groveport used to conduct its own mosquito spraying several years ago, but in recent years, the city has primarily relied on Franklin County to come to the city and spray to kill mosquitoes by spray. However, the county mostly will only spray if mosquitoes are found in an area with confirmed cases of West Nile Virus.
Groveport city officials want to be more reactive rather than proactive to help protect the residents.
“We plan to supplement spraying by completing some rounds using our own in-house labor and equipment,” said Groveport City Administrator B.J. King. “We are working on our schedule of sprays for the season. With the amount of rainfall received this spring, we decided to supplement mosquito treatment citywide using equipment and staff that we currently have. We want to get ahead of the issue as much as possible.”
King said work was completed to get the mosquito spraying program and the existing city-owned equipment up and running.
“We have several employees who are licensed to spray,” said King. “They keep their licenses current. We do have the sprayer and are working on maintenance of it to make sure it is ready to go.”
King said a spraying schedule is being prepared.
“Public notice will be given in advance of any sprays occurring,” said King.
The city’s Public Works Department began spraying for mosquitoes throughout Groveport on June 7 at 9 p.m.
According to city officials, since the city will be spraying for mosquitoes and not Franklin County Public Health, call 614-836-5301 or e-mail jreeves@groveport.org if you wish to opt out of having your property sprayed. Officials said there is no way employees can prevent “drift” of the spray, but the spraying can be paused at your property line.
Regarding the costs of Groveport operating its own mosquito spraying program, King said, “We are working on the costs now. We will need to purchase the spray as well as the mosquito treatment tablets and pods to be placed in the ponds to help with mosquito control.”
County information about
mosquito control and prevention
Franklin County Public Health’s Integrated Pest Management Program focuses on prevention, education, and controlling pests at their most vulnerable stage while minimizing hazards to the environment. Data about mosquito breeding locations, areas that traditionally have high adult mosquito populations, and the frequency and distribution of mosquito-borne diseases throughout Franklin County is monitored and treatments are applied when needed.
Residents can help by reporting areas they suspect may be mosquito breeding grounds and by reporting increases in adult mosquito activity. Mosquitoes breed easily in standing water. Check for and drain any standing water around your home to help control the mosquito population.
Common mosquito habitats include:
•Tires, buckets, cans, bottles, and plastic containers.
•Bird baths (drain and refill every three to four days).
•Wading or kiddie pools (drain and refill frequently.
•Pools and hot tubs (keep chlorinated, covered or keep completely dry).
•Pool covers that hold water.
•Boats, boat covers, and tarps.
•Pet food containers and water dishes.
•Clogged gutters and downspouts.
•Leaky outside faucets that create puddles rain barrels that are not properly screened or treated.
•Low areas that form puddles and hold water.
•Planters and pots, including saucers and catch trays.
•Trash cans (use tight fitting lids and keep them covered).
•Mature trees that have developed holes that hold water – fill the voids with sand.
•Anything with the potential to hold even small amounts of water.
Information about Franklin County Public Health’s mosquito management program and a form to request service or report an area of concern is available online at www.myfcph.org or by calling Franklin County Public Health’s Mosquito Bite Line at (614)525-BITE.
Mosquito management programs help control the spread of mosquito borne diseases such as West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, La Crosse encephalitis, and others. The Center for Disease Control states that at this time there is no data to suggest that COVID-19 or other similar coronaviruses (e.g. SARS, MERS) are spread by mosquitoes or ticks.
