The City of Benbrook will be spraying for mosquitoes this Friday, September 18, 2020. Weather permitting, crews will begin spraying at approximately 11 p.m. Friday and conclude by 6 a.m. Saturday, September 19.
The area to be sprayed is within a half-mile radius of the 8200 block of Circle S Road. The area is generally bounded by Rush Street to the north, Llano Avenue to the south, Twilight Drive S to the west, and Coates Circle to the east. Click here to view map.
The spraying is being done after Tarrant County Public Health reported that a mosquito recently caught in a trap in the area tested positive for West Nile Virus. Most human cases of West Nile virus are mild, though it can be serious. As a safety precaution, the City of Benbrook’s policy is to spray when a trapped mosquito tests positive.
The amount of mosquito control pesticide that is sprayed from the truck is not harmful to people or pets. However, as with any pesticide, residents are encouraged to minimize their exposure.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recommends the following measures to reduce your risk of being bitten by mosquitoes:
- Drain or dump out all standing water around your home.
- Clean clogged gutters.
- Empty bird baths and flower pot drain dishes weekly.
- Store buckets, toys, and wheelbarrows so they do not hold water.
- Outdoors, wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts.
- Choose fabrics with a tight weave instead of knits or other loosely woven materials.
- Outdoors, use mosquito repellent containing one of these ingredients: DEET, IR3535, Picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. (The CDC states that, when used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are safe and effective.)
For more information about the spraying, please email Bennett Howell, bhowell@benbrook-tx.gov, or call 817-249-6063.