Districts continue to combat mosquitoes in Stanislaus County, as another round of aerial spraying is scheduled Saturday night in areas of Modesto, in Turlock and other communities.
The East Side Mosquito Abatement District announced aerial applications to control mosquitoes in neighborhoods in southwest, north and east Modesto, east rural Riverbank and Empire, from 9 to 11 p.m. Saturday. Almost 9,400 mosquito-infested acres are targeted, the district said.
The Turlock Mosquito Abatement District, which is responsible for the southern and western portions of the county, posted an alert about aerial spraying set for Saturday evening in Turlock (east of Highway 99), Denair and Newman. No hours were specified.
According to notifications, the districts are trying to reduce the risk of mosquito bites transmitting viruses such as West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis.
The mosquito problems extended into late September this year because of hot weather this month, but it’s not unusual to have high mosquito counts in the last days of September. The insects tend to thrive in hot weather.
“We are still getting 100-degree days,” said David Heft, general manager of the Turlock Mosquito Abatement District. “At some point in October, it will crash.”
The Turlock district has arranged for aerial spraying throughout the summer. “We are at the end of it,” Heft said. “We may do one more and that will be it.”
A contractor for the districts sprays a low concentration of Dibrom, which is less than one fluid ounce per acre. The East Side district introduced aerial spraying over Modesto neighborhoods in early August, creating a stir among some residents.
Several homeowners complained about dead fish floating in backyard fishponds the day after the aircraft flew over. Other complaints questioned nighttime spraying over outdoor get-togethers on Labor Day weekend.
Saturday night, spraying will target a north Modesto area stretching east of Vintage Faire Mall to Coffee Road. The district provides a map on its website for residents to see the exact boundaries.
Residents in the targeted areas in Modesto, rural Riverbank and Empire are advised to keep windows closed and stay indoors with family members during the application. Bring pets inside the home and cover fishponds as a precaution.
2023 was a bad year for West Nile
Stanislaus County is coming off a rough experience with West Nile disease. The county recorded 33 neuroinvasive cases of West Nile in 2023. Those cases are often life-threatening illnesses requiring hospitalization. About half the cases last year were within the Turlock district’s boundaries, Heft said.
The county has tallied four cases of West Nile this year, though the number likely will increase as suspected cases are confirmed by the end of October.
Heft said Turlock contracted for aerial treatment of 180,000 acres this year, in order to get a price of 63 cents per acre. The district is nearing the 180,000-acre contractual limit. Last year, Turlock arranged for spraying of 201,610 acres.
The general manager said the aircraft is available to the Turlock and East Side districts on weekends. A half dozen other abatement districts contract for the same aircraft. Turlock and East Side have less priority as add-ons to the original agreement between the contractor and the other districts.
“Our decision to spray is based on mosquito trap and testing results,” Heft said by email. He said the chemical is in such a low concentration it’s not a health concern, but people can take precautions (closing windows, bringing pets indoors) if they feel anxious.
Heft said the Turlock agency received a flurry of complaints when it started aerial applications over cities eight years ago. He said he hears more complaints today about mosquitoes that are not being controlled, in particular the aedes aegypti species that aggressively bite people outside their homes.
That species is targeted for control in California because it’s capable of carrying dengue fever and Zika.
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