The City of Muskogee and Muskogee County Health Department want you to know about Mosquito control, awareness, and prevention of West Nile Virus. The City of Muskogee currently sprays inside the city limits three times a week on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday's if weather permits.

The city is split into three sections:
1st Section: City limits North to Peak Blvd from City limits West to 10th Street
2nd Section: City limits North to the Meadows and Orchard Park Way and from 10th St to E.S. Blvd
3rd Section: City limits North to Peak Blvd from E.S. Blvd to City limits East.

Spray time is from 8:00am to Noon, while the weather is cool. The heat causes the chemical to evaporate. The mosquito has two seasons: 1st season is late April til mid July 2nd season is mid September to the end of November. The City of Muskogee uses Aqualuer 20-20 or Aqua-Reslin that is sprayed from an aerosol fogger, mounted in the back of a truck. It sprays at 10 mph with a swath width of 300 ft. It is sprayed at 4oz. per minute. It can be sprayed as often as once a day. Altosid Briquettes are also used in stagnated water or bar ditches with standing water that is less than 2 ft. deep. This is done to kill any mosquito larva and works only in water, it is good for 30 days. Aqualuer 20-20, Aqua-Reslin and the Altosid briquettes are safe for humans and pets according to Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Simple steps to prevent mosquito breeding:
1. Drain any standing water
2. Dispose of all old tires and debris
3. Keep pools and bird baths clean
4. Clear away all brush and clutter

There are a some steps to follow to reduce the risk of becoming infected with West Nile Virus: stay indoors at dawn, dusk and in the early evening, wear long sleeved shirts and pants outdoors, apply insect repellent to any exposed skin, spray clothing with repellent containing DEET or permethrin, make sure window and door screens are tight-fitting and in good repair.

For more information contact the following:
City of Muskogee Environmental Control 684-6326
Muskogee County Health Department 683-0321
National Pesticide Information Center 1-800-858-7378