PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — The Portsmouth City Health Department plans to spray for mosquitoes Tuesday evening in several neighborhoods on the city’s east side, the department said in a Facebook post.
UPDATE (Aug. 3, 11:52 a.m.): This story has been updated with the correct spraying date from the Portsmouth City Health Department.
Crews will fog the area around the 1000 block of 18th Street, Cedar Street and the stretch from Kinneys Lane to Mabert Road starting at approximately 6:30 p.m. and continuing until about 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to the health department.
The department is asking residents in those areas to keep pets indoors during the spraying. People with chronic breathing problems are advised to turn off their air conditioners or close their windows while crews are working, the department said.
Mosquito control programs like Portsmouth’s typically use truck-mounted foggers to disperse a fine pesticide mist at low volume during the evening hours, when mosquitoes are most active and beneficial insects such as bees are less likely to be exposed. Ohio health departments run these programs seasonally to curb populations of mosquitoes that can carry West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses. A mosquito trapped in Ross County’s Colerain Township tested positive for La Crosse virus last month, the Ross County Health District announced.
Spraying could be delayed or rescheduled if the weather doesn’t cooperate, a common contingency for fogging operations, which are less effective in rain or high winds.
Residents with questions can contact the Portsmouth City Health Department at (740) 353-5153.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Portsmouth City Health Department.
