Cass County Vector Control will soon launch its annual assault on mosquitoes.
Though Vector Control is attacking standing water - prime breeding ground for the insects - ground spraying won't commence until trap counts, which now average 15 mosquitoes at sites in Fargo and West Fargo, reach an average of 100. That usually happens by the second week of June.
At local businesses, Vector Control employees will suggest ways homeowners can wage their own mosquito battles throughout June.
"We want to make ourselves available to answer questions about what the right product would be for each individual situation," said Angela Balint, Vector Control director.
Mosquito-control products are similar, Balint said, but they differ in price and length of protection. Some products are hazardous to pets.
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"You just want to make sure that you're reading the labels," she said.
Mark Hulbert, store manager at Scheel's Ace Hardware in Fargo, said sales of products that kill mosquitoes have been on par with previous years.
The store sells a variety of products, from chemicals that kill mosquito larvae in standing water to machines that attract, catch and exterminate the bugs.
"We see good sales in all the categories," Hulbert said.
Besides being a nuisance, mosquitoes, as carriers of the West Nile Virus, pose a public-health threat.
Most people infected with the virus show no symptoms, which include swollen glands fever, headaches and body aches. But in rare, severe cases, most often occurring in people older than 50, the disease can be fatal.
"We definitely want people to know that it still is out there, and it will appear this season," Balint said. "We want people to take precautions throughout the season."
Twelve people in Cass County and three in Clay County were infected with the virus last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were no deaths.
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Bryce Haugen at (701) 235-7311
Mosquito meetings
Vector Control employees will answer mosquito-related questions at the following south Fargo locations:
- Lowe's, 4901 13th Ave. S., from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday June 10 and 24.
- Scheels Ace Hardware, 1417 S. University Drive, from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday and June 10.
- Wal-Mart, 4731 13th Ave. S., from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.
