Mosquito Spraying Underway Around Town

If you're up and about sometime between 3 am and 7 am over the summer, you might catch a glimpse of the town's mosquito control truck in action.

The Public Works Department has begun spraying in the early morning hours using an insecticide synthesized from the chrysanthemum flower that is safe for humans but deadly for mosquitos, gnats and biting flies.

The Department also treats standing water with a larvicide and growth regulator to prevent young mosquitos from reaching adulthood.

"Thus far the program has produced good results; however, the ultimate success of the program will depend on citizens working with the Town to eliminate sources of standing water around their house," said Director Tim Simpson. "Common sources of standing water include wheelbarrows, tires, sandboxes, buckets, flower pots, and the like. Mosquitoes will infest standing water with eggs that hatch within just a few of days, so everyone should be diligent about eliminating mosquitos at the source."

The control program has helped improve the summertime quality of life in Clayton for the last four years.