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Bexar County is rolling out its fleet of mosquito fogger trucks with the arrival of hot and wet weather.
The war is not only an airborne operation with pesticide fogger trucks spraying the air. It also has a ground attack with country crews applying larvicide in mosquito infested locations.
Mosquitoes can breed in the smallest of puddles left behind by recent rains. They can also multiply in tall grass, potted plants, bird baths, and rain gutters. It's a good idea to act quick to rid any property of any standing water because mosquitoes don't take long to develop.
"Some of the mosquito species in our area ... can lay their eggs and can grow and hatch in about a week's time," said Ethan Spierling, a pesticide operator for the county.
Spierling said county crews also work to protect residents from mosquito-borne illnesses, like West Nile.
"We also set out traps every week," he said. "So, we put them at different locations, and the county will collect the samples from that. We send those out to be tested. That determines what species they are, and they check them for all the different type of diseases they can carry."
When residents spend a lot of time outdoors, they should wear clothing with long sleeves and pant legs or spray themselves with a repellent they are comfortable with, although products containing DEET are very effective.
