Woodridge will conduct a full town mosquito spray through Clarke Environmental on Thursday, August 31st. The Village has experienced a rise in mosquito counts over the past few weeks due to mosquito brood hatches following the rain events in early to mid-August. Additionally, late summer and fall is also the the time of year the region tends to see an increase in the mosquito counts of the species of mosquito that may carry West Nile Virus (WNV). Again, the spray in Woodridge will occur on Thursday, August 31st beginning after dusk near 10:00 p.m. (weather permitting).
The Village has an aggressive and comprehensive mosquito abatement program. The Village and its contractor, Clarke Environmental, undertake the following monitoring and treatment activities throughout the year:
- Ongoing trap counts and monitoring of standing bodies of water throughout the season.
- Larviciding activities to kill mosquito larvae before they become adults. This includes chemical applications in standing bodies of water, stocking retention ponds with over 22,000 mosquito eating fish (when available), and putting Altosid briquettes into storm water catch basins.
- Finally, there is targeted adulticiding through the use of back-pack and truck spray applications. Clarke monitors information on mosquitoes from across the region, coupled with their computerized models to predict new broods being hatched, and coordination between spraying in different communities, to try and determine the appropriate time to utilize a truck spray. Unfortunately the truck spray application is the most ineffective method of control as the spray droplets need to touch the mosquitoes in order to kill them.
You can assist in controlling the mosquito population, and protect yourself, your children and your pets, by taking some simple steps:
- When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, as well as light colored long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that includes DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants. Keep pets out of wet areas and check with your veterinarian before using products.
- Keep your yard cut short and bushes trimmed so adult mosquitoes will not hide there.
- While entertaining on patios or decks, running a strong fan can also effectively deter mosquitoes.
- Discard old tires, tin cans, buckets, bottles, and other water-holding containers.
- Keep gutters and drains clean so that water will drain properly. Repair leaky pipes and faucets.
- Cover trash containers to keep out rainwater.
- Empty plastic wading pools at least once a week and store indoors when not in use.
- Change the water in birdbaths and plant pots at least once a week and stock ornamental ponds with mosquito eating fish or use mosquito larvae control products.
- Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens and keep them shut, especially at night.
Phone: Residents can call Clarke Environmental at 1-800-942-2555. The hotline is answered by an auto-attendant that delivers resident requests to shared email folders monitored by customer care associates.
Online: Visit the Clark Customer Care Hotline website to report standing water issues or high mosquito population levels using a computer or mobile device. If you would like Clarke Environmental to notify you of nighttime adult mosquito spraying, you may sign up for notifications by visiting the Clarke Hotline website and click "Register for Service Notifications" at the bottom. Complete the information and create your own password, then click "submit." Clarke Environmental will verify your location to see if you live along an application route.
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