Nick McWilliams reporting – The New Philadelphia City Health Department is planning for mosquito spraying Friday evening.
Spraying is expected to start at 8:45 p.m., weather permitting, on the Southside from Commercial Avenue to the Southside Community Park.
Environmental Health Director Zachary Phillips says that the goal is to knock down the number of adult insects to assist with nuisance bites and the potential spread of disease like West Nile.
“The spray we use actually kills them relatively quickly on contact. And it also disturbs them if they’re resting to get up in the air, and it will also kill them. The chemical we use is fairly harmless to humans. It’s at a very low concentration and it does not stay within the environment very long.”
Additionally, Phillips reminds residents to remove standing water from around their homes. The health department also has a larviciding program to kill eggs before they have hatched.
As is standard, those with respiratory problems are asked to consider staying indoors during the work and close windows to prevent irritation. For more, call the health department at (330) 364-4491, ext. 1208.
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