City of Hampton anticipates large number of mosquitoes

The City of Hampton is expecting a large number of mosquitoes in the area this summer.

Because of the very mild and rainy winter, the city is already seeing mosquito larvae and is treating roadside ditches and woodland pools with an environmentally safe larvicide to try to curb the mosquito population.

"Preventive measures are a huge part of our mosquito management effort in Hampton," Chris DeHart, environmental services manager, said in the press release. "Targeting mosquito breeding grounds means less mosquitoes that we'll have to deal with in the coming months."

City staff will monitor the mosquito populations and determine the appropriate treatment based on the amount of mosquitoes that test positive for diseases, with truck spraying as the next step, if necessary.

Residents are asked to help reduce the mosquito population by disposing of standing water around their homes and businesses, and by setting up bat boxes or purple martin houses. Common mosquito breeding areas include clogged gutters, empty flower pots, standing water on tarps or plastic covers, wading pools, bird feeders and used tires.

Residents can request spraying for an area by calling 311, 757-727-8311 from a cell phone or online at www.hampton.gov/publicworks/mosquito.

For more information, visit www.hampton.gov/media/media_releases/mosquitoes.html

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