What residents need to know
Justin Fausek, director of Montgomery County Mosquito Control, said so far in mosquito season–which runs from May to October– there has only been one sample of West Nile Virus found countywide and no human cases.
"We set traps for those mosquitoes all throughout the county every week, and we bring the mosquitoes that we catch back to our lab, and we identify the species that we collect, and then if they are a species that can carry and transmit disease in that area we have them tested for that disease," Fausek said.
If West Nile Virus is discovered in an area, the county will begin treatment steps which include spraying mosquito insecticides. On the community side, Fausek said residents can help limit mosquitoes by eliminating standing and stagnant water around their yards.
"All mosquitoes have three of their core life cycles in an aquatic stage," Fausek said. "So if you can get rid of any water that stands for, say, a week or more, then you're eliminating any chance they have to lay their eggs and eventually hatch into adults."
If homeowners have water features on a property that cannot be dumped out—such as fountains and ponds—Fausek said the county offers one free sample of a mosquito water treatment which will lower the survivability chance of mosquito larvae.
"The best thing is what we call source reduction," Fausek said. "That's true for the ones that can carry disease, which are only active in the evening, or the ones that are just very annoying, which happen to be active mostly through the daytime."
If residents have questions regarding mosquito abatement or would like to request a water mosquito treatment, the Montgomery County Mosquito Control can be reached at 281-364-4203.
