Mosquito control efforts are ramping up just in time for the Fourth of July holiday.
Both the New Philadelphia and Tuscarawas County Health Departments sprayed for the first time Monday night, targeting the unincorporated areas just outside New Philadelphia and Tuscora Park.
Tuscarawas County Environmental Health Director Mike Kopko expects more of these operations in the coming weeks as mosquito activity tends to rise with the warmer temperatures.
“It’s all data driven. Either a West Nile positive will have us spray or a high trap count will cause us to spray, and I do anticipate more spraying.”
There haven’t been any West Nile confirmations in the local area; however, Kopko says they’ve been starting to see higher trap counts.
“The numbers that we got in the traps were about 200. When we get a high trap count like that it shows that the population of mosquitos in those areas are relatively high, and that initiates our adult mosquito control activities.”
Anyone wanting to opt out of mosquito spraying this summer should contact the health department where their property is located.
Residents can also take measures by eliminating areas of standing water.
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