Starting Thursday, June 12 the City of Great Bend will be spraying for mosquitoes from 8 p.m. until midnight. Residents are advised to keep their doors and windows closed during that time. Spraying will continue each Thursday from 8 p.m. to midnight through July 3, weather permitting.
During this effort, it’s recommended that people, especially those with breathing problems, stay indoors and keep their windows closed.
The chemicals are dispersed via a “fogger” that is attached to the back of a city truck and it will make passes throughout the city, which is why there is a four-hour window for each spraying.
According to a news release from the City of Great Bend, there is no risk to those people who are susceptible to the chemical, after the fogger has passed, because the chemicals used today have no residual effect. That means that they won’t pose a risk to children or pets who go out after the spraying.
But it also means that the spray has to come into direct contact with a mosquito to kill it, as opposed to the chemical that was used years ago that left a killing dose behind on grass and bushes. The fogger operator will judge the wind direction and cover every other block, allowing the fog to drift for one block.