GREENE COUNTY — Greene County Public Health sanitarians will apply adulticide to help control the adult mosquito population in parts of Beavercreek, Fairborn and Xenia on Thursday, July 2.

The application will take place shortly before sundown and continue for approximately 90 minutes, a release from the department said.

Areas that will be treated are:

— North of Shakertown Road, east of I-675, west of Firewood Drive and south of East Patterson Road, Beavercreek

— Rotary Park, Beavercreek

— Five Points neighborhood near Funderburg Road, Fairborn

— Massie and Cato Drive neighborhood, Xenia

According to GCPH officials, fogging helps reduce the mosquito population and the risk of West Nile virus, which can be fatal in some cases.

“When done correctly by our professional sanitarians, this treatment used will not harm people, pets, animals, or the environment,” Laurie Fox, public information officer, said in the release. “We fog in the evening after dusk and are very conscious of our surroundings when fogging. Our sanitarians will stop the application when they see families out walking the neighborhood, our in their yard or an open garage door.”

Fox reported that the 10-20 micron droplets of the chemical used are so tiny that they only affect mosquitoes and insects smaller than that, and the spray disperses after about 20 minutes. Honeybees are not typically affected and local beekeepers stay in contact with the department as to not to spray around their hives. Bees would not likely be affected as they are not active in the evening hours, she said.

According to the department, the chemical used, DuetTM, is strong, fast, and biodegradable. It has superior efficacy, is non-corrosive, has low odor and low toxicity, and is effective at low rates.

If any residents wish to opt out of the adulticide activity in the area around their home, they should contact GCPH at 937-374-5607 or send an email to [email protected].

Ohio EPA awards grant for mosquito control

Greene County Public Health is one of 46 agencies to receive 2020 funding for mosquito control activities.

The local district has been approved to receive $10,930 of the shared $795,000, an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency release said last week.

According to EPA officials, the grant dollars are for the purpose of mitigating the spread of mosquito-borne viruses including Zika, West Nile and La Cross Encephalitis.

“Ohio EPA is pleased to continue offering funding for mosquito control measures that will help local health districts reduce the risks of mosquito-borne viruses in their communities, including cleaning up scrap tires that can become mosquito breeding grounds,” Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson said.

Communities will use the funding for mosquito surveillance, larval control, adult mosquito control, community outreach and breeding source reduction, including trash or tire removal.

According to the release, the grants are part of Ohio Department of Health’s larger effort to mitigate the potential for an outbreak of mosquito-borne viruses. Ohio EPA and ODH have awarded $5.1 million to health departments and communities over the last four years for mosquito control programs.