Elmhurst Amps Up Mosquito Control Measures in Wake of Recent Rainfall

ELMHURST, IL - A citywide mosquito abatement sweep scheduled for Tuesday night will mark the third for Elmhurst this season.

The city contracts St. Charles-based company, Clarke, for its mosquito control measures, which are aimed at preventing the insects from breeding and suppressing their populations. And minimizing local mosquitoes does more than keep residents comfortable — It minimizes the risk of contracting a mosquito-borne infections, such as Zika or the the West Nile Virus.

“Illinois identified its first West Nile human case quite early in 2016,” Emily Glasberg, Clarke's entomologist, has said. “The high temperatures and rainfall have created ideal conditions for mosquitoes that carry West Nile to breed, and we are working to interrupt that cycle.”

The contractors' representatives have noted that the probability of mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus is very low, "this far north," reminding residents that local cases, to date, have been travel related.

Clarke's process includes surveillance for potential vectors; mapping breeding sites, treating storm drains with larvicides to prevent eggs from developing; and "adulticiding," or dispersing an ultra-low volume product that interacts with the bugs' wings to reduce adult populations. The company also monitors rainfall to determine when large broods of wet weather, nuisance mosquitoes may be emerging.

Elmhurst has opted for Clarke’s EarthRight™ service program, which uses highly effective, naturally derived products applied with green delivery technologies, including bicycles and electric vehicles.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Joint Statement on Mosquito Control in the United StatesL

“All insecticides used in the U.S. for public health use have been approved and registered by the EPA following the review of many scientific studies. The EPA has assessed these chemicals and found that, when used according to label directions, they do not pose unreasonable risk to public health and the environment.”

Residents who have questions or would like to receive a phone call when there will be spraying for mosquitoes can call the Clarke Mosquito Hotline at 800-942-2555.

Photo courtesy of Florida International University