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Washoe health district postpones helicopter mosquito abatement for 2025 season


A tray of Aedes dorsalis and Culex tarsalis mosquitos are shown collected at the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District Tuesday, July 19, 2016, near Salt Lake City. Health authorities in Utah are investigating a unique case of Zika found in a person who had been caring for a relative who had an unusually high level of the virus in his blood. Exactly how the disease was transmitted is still a mystery, though the person has since recovered. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
A tray of Aedes dorsalis and Culex tarsalis mosquitos are shown collected at the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District Tuesday, July 19, 2016, near Salt Lake City. Health authorities in Utah are investigating a unique case of Zika found in a person who had been caring for a relative who had an unusually high level of the virus in his blood. Exactly how the disease was transmitted is still a mystery, though the person has since recovered. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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The District Board of Health, which oversees Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH), has decided to postpone the helicopter mosquito abatement program for the 2025 season.

The decision, made during a meeting on April 24, was prompted by the increasing costs associated with managing the program, which typically costs about $2,000 per hour, excluding larvicide and fuel. This move is expected to save approximately $260,000 during Fiscal Year 2025.

Despite the postponement of helicopter abatement, NNPH will continue to monitor mosquito populations and test for diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV). The health department will also treat small breeding areas as needed and use drones for emergency spot treatments, although these have limited range and duration.

Since 2020, there has been one human case of WNV reported in Washoe County. Residents are encouraged to protect themselves by using EPA-registered repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk, and ensuring window and door screens are intact. To protect homes, residents should remove standing water, keep pools and ponds clean, and add mosquito fish to ornamental ponds or troughs.

Residents can report mosquito activity by calling Washoe 311, and staff will follow up if resources allow.

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