CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Spring is here, and that means mosquitoes soon will be here, too.
Mosquitoes are annoying, and they can interfere with outdoor work and spoil our leisure time. More seriously, some mosquitoes are capable of transmitting diseases to humans, livestock and pets.
To fight these seasonal pests, the City of Clarksville contracts with a company to provide an annual mosquito control program designed to reduce the biting insects throughout the city, but especially in public areas such as parks, ball fields and near schools.
McGee Pest Control, which serves Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, has provided mosquito control for the City of Clarksville since 2000. McGee’s contract with the City spells out the control program’s time frame – April 1 to Sept. 30 each year – and the scope of services. These include:
• Placing larvicide in standing water to prevent mosquito breeding.
• Spraying insecticide to kill adult mosquitoes. This process is known as “street fogging.”
The City’s contract with McGee focuses on public areas and on control or reduction of mosquitoes across the City. It’s not designed to provide specialized services to individual properties.
McGee technicians are state certified and the company uses chemicals that are EPA approved and not harmful to people or pets.
The company’s street fogging program divides the city into eight service areas, and each area is fogged weekly. Fogging usually occurs at dusk, and the company’s trucks have identifying logos and emergency lights.
If City residents have any questions about the mosquito control program, they should call McGee Pest Control at 1-800-420-2847.
Residents also are encouraged to join in the control effort and to avoid bites by taking these steps:
• Try to eliminate potential breeding habitats for mosquitoes — such as getting rid of standing water around the home.
• Make sure window screens and screen doors are in good repair.
• Wear long sleeve shirts and pants outdoors during peak mosquito activity periods.
• Use mosquito repellents when necessary, and always follow label instructions.
