Application to be Confined to Residential Area in the Southern Part of the City
DENTON, TX, Sept. 4, 2020 – In accordance with the City of Denton Mosquito Surveillance and Response Plan, the City will conduct a ground spray application of Merus 3.0, an organic, ultra-low volume (ULV) ground spray for killing adult mosquitoes, in a confined residential area of Denton in the late evening hours of Tuesday, Sept. 8. While not harmful to humans or pets, the late evening application allows residents to more easily avoid contact with these pesticides when they are applied.
The application area for this ground spray event is bordered on the north side by I-35E; on the east side by Lillian Miller Parkway; on the south side by Teasley Lane; and on the west side by Teasley Lane. A map of the designated spray area is included with this press release and can be found online at www.cityofdenton.com/fightthebite. To minimize exposure, the ground spraying will take place between the evening/overnight hours of 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, and 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when most residents are indoors.
The possibility of a ground spray event was triggered on Aug. 26 when the City of Denton entered into Risk Level 5 – Public Health Alert of the Mosquito Surveillance and Response Plan. Under the Plan, Risk Level 5 indicates that the probability of a person contracting a mosquito-borne disease like West Nile Virus is high. Risk Level 5 was triggered because multiple human cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed within the city of Denton. Denton County Public Health has confirmed two human cases of West Nile Virus in the city of Denton at this time.
Detailed information, including a map of the treatment area, frequently asked questions about the Merus 3.0 pesticide and ground spraying, and the steps residents can take to reduce the mosquito population and increase their protection against West Nile virus can be found at www.cityofdenton.com/fightthebite. Other resources include the Texas Department of Health Services website at www.dshs.state.tx.us and the Denton County Health Department website at www.dentoncounty.com/wnv.
Contact: Deborah Viera, (940) 349-7162, Deborah.Viera@cityofdenton.com