Health Department to Spray Larvicide for Mosquitoes in West Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA–The Health Department’s Vector Control staff is planning to apply a larvicidal treatment for mosquito control early Wednesday morning, August 2, before dawn, in West Philadelphia. See the map below for specific locations.

This spray is part of a state-funded program to reduce the number of mosquitoes in areas that have had West Nile Virus-positive mosquitoes in past years, as part of continued multi-layer mosquito control activities. Every mosquito season, the Health Department works to reduce the number of mosquito larvae by treating sewer inlets and encouraging residents to dump standing water, monitors for West Nile Virus-positive mosquitoes, and occasionally sprays to kill adult mosquitoes.

Video footage of the truck-mounted spraying done during daylight hours can be found on the Health Department’s YouTube channel.

Certain mosquito species carry West Nile virus. That virus can cause West Nile encephalitis, which is an infection that can result in inflammation of the brain. People should take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. Be sure to use insect repellent with an EPA registered active ingredient and wear long sleeves and pants or consider staying indoors during these hours.

Residents can help eliminate mosquito-breeding areas around the home by:

You can prevent being bitten by mosquitoes by:

For more information about West Nile virus and the state’s surveillance and control program, go to www.westnile.state.pa.us. For questions of the West Nile Virus program or to report mosquito infestations in Philadelphia, call 215-685-9000.