If you’ve heard a familiar buzzing in the evenings lately, it may be because mosquito trucks began spraying in Brookhaven April 1.

With warmer weather coming, so are the mosquitoes. The contract the city has with Vector Disease Control renewed at the beginning of this month.

The city is divided into five zones, and a different zone is sprayed each night. The spraying begins at 7:30 p.m. and ends anywhere from 10 p.m. to midnight.

With concerns of COVID-19 being transmittable from animals to humans, the question of whether mosquitoes can be carriers has been asked. According to contract supervisor Brandon Cobb, it’s not something to worry about.

“It isn’t possible because of the nature of the virus,” Cobb said. “It will not replicate inside a mosquito’s body. This virus will not multiply inside a mosquito.”

Since the virus is unable to replicate inside the mosquito’s body, then it would be unable to transmit from someone with COVID-19, to a mosquito and then to someone who doesn’t have COVID-19.

Just because COVID-19 is non-transferable from mosquito to human doesn’t mean other diseases can’t be shared, however. Regular precautions should be taken as temperatures begin to rise.

“There are plenty of diseases that mosquitoes transfer,” Cobb said.

Cobb said no more precautions than usual need to be taken in order to protect yourself from mosquitoes. Precautions include using mosquito sprays, wearing black or dark clothes, covering up and getting rid of standing water.

Cobb said removing standing water from your property is especially important. This includes anything that isn’t meant to hold water, such as tires or trash cans.

“Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” Cobb said.

 

Story by Gracie Byrne