Grand Prairie will spray for mosquitoes after a recent sample tested positive for West Nile virus, city officials say.
The spraying will start at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Spraying will be rescheduled in the event of rain or high wind speeds.
The area that will be sprayed is surrounded by Beatty Drive and Kirby Creek Drive on the north, Corn Valley Road on the east, South Carrier Parkway and Corn Valley Road on the south and South Carrier Parkway on the west.
It is recommended that residents in this area stay indoors, keep pets inside and cover fish ponds during those times.
The City of Grand Prairie conducts regular tests on mosquito samples as a part of its West Nile virus surveillance program. Every week mosquito traps are set throughout the city and are sent to labs for species identification and disease testing. When a sample of mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus, the Environmental Quality Division spray the surrounding site where the positive sample was found.
- Dress in long sleeves, pants when outside: For extra protection, spray thin clothing with repellent.
- DEET: Make sure this ingredient is in your insect repellent.
- Drain standing water in your yard and neighborhood: Mosquitoes can develop in any water stagnant for more than three days.
It has been recommended in the past that to avoid mosquito bites you should avoid being outdoors during Dusk and Dawn (the 4 Ds). While this is true for mosquitoes that commonly carry the West Nile virus, other types of mosquitoes that are more likely to carry Zika, dengue and chikungunya are active during the day. When outdoors, no matter what time of day, adjust your dress accordingly and wear insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus as your first line of defense against insect bites.
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Residents of Grand Prairie can sign up to receive emergency notifications, such as West Nile spraying at www.gptx.org/AlertGP.
