Mosquito Treatment Notice
The City of Osawatomie Public Works Department has issued notice of upcoming mosquito fogging treatment. This notice is being delivered via our City website, social media, and the TextMyGov General Alert notification system. As a reminder, mosquito treatment cannot be scheduled in advance. Like we've done in previous years, the City will treat on an as-needed basis as weather conditions and demand requires.
Public Works staff plan to begin treatment Thursday, May 25th, 2023 beginning in the late evening (8:00pm).
Commonly Asked Questions
Why only "as-needed"?
In an effort to not waste resources, the City instead has been using more larvacides (which treat the water and help prevent mosquitoes from emerging as biting adults), but will continue treating with the fogging adulticide to help eradicate the biting adults.
How dangerous are these chemicals?
We recommend keeping pets and children out of the yard for at least an hour after treatment just as a precaution, and we ask that you close your windows before treatment begins. We only treat in the late evening, usually between the hours of 8:00pm and 12:00am after most other desirables (like butterflies and bees) have "gone home" for the night. The dosage of adulticide used in treatment is specially formulated to target those ultra-lightweight mosquitoes, and they are 100x more susceptible to it than the average weight honey bee.
What can I do to help my neighborhood?
The most impactful thing you can do is to locate and address sources of standing water on your property by either emptying the container regularly or using bacterial insecticide, which is safe, inexpensive and available at many hardware stores. Common sources of standing water include:
- Rain gutters
- Wading pools
- Bird bath
- Old tires
- Wheelbarrows
- Boats
- Garbage can lids
- Pet and livestock dishes
- Water holding low areas
If you have questions about our mosquito treatment procedure, please call our Public Works Department at 913-755-4525.