Flower Mound Takes on West Nile Virus

Town begins its campaign earlier this year

Two Denton County communities are beginning their fights against West Nile virus sooner and more aggressively than last year.

Flower Mound started ground spraying for mosquitoes on Tuesday night. It will also spray on Wednesday and Thursday nights from 10 p.m. through 4 a.m.

"We all kind of got caught by surprise last year, the way it ramped up last year," said Chuck Dumas, environmental health manager for Flower Mound. "We really want to take steps and work with citizens."

Lewisville also sprayed Tuesday night and will have more spraying Wednesday night.

Mosquito caught in traps in both cities have tested positive for West Nile virus.

Flower Mound will also be set out more traps sooner to keep better surveillance of the virus. Last year, it put out two traps per week every week in June and ramped up from there. This year, Flower Mound set out two traps per week in April and will have four traps per week in May.

The town is also offering free mosquito larvae dunks to drop in bird baths or pools of standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Flower Mound had 28 human cases of West Nile virus in last year's outbreak.

No cases have been reported in the town so far this year.

Highland Park and Richardson sprayed for mosquitoes last month.

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