Mosquito Aerial Spraying Delayed until Friday Night

Weather permitting, the City of Southlake will participate in the Denton County aerial spraying program starting tomorrow night (8/31) at 9:00 p.m. The spraying will take place Friday night,  8/31 and Saturday night, 9/1 from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am.  Plans to start spraying on Thursday 8/29 were called off due to high winds.

The entire City must be sprayed on consecutive nights for maximum effect.  The Denton County Health Department has provided the City with a map of the flight area.  The exact times that the planes will fly over Southlake cannot be determined since the planes will be following a flight path that will be worked out in the hours just before the flights.

Over the last several days the City has been working with Denton County, Southlake residents, businesses, Carroll ISD, Keller ISD to get the word out about the program’s dates and times.

Carroll ISD has been communicating with parents and students through their e-blast system regarding evening athletic practices and games.  Carroll’s first varsity football game of the season will take place in Allen away from the spraying.

In a press release, the Denton County Health Department gave out tips to help people minimize exposure to the spray:

• Avoid being outside during spraying; close windows and keep pets inside.
• If skin or clothes are exposed, wash them with soap and water.
• Rinse homegrown fruits and vegetables with water as a general precautionary measure.
• Cover small ornamental fish ponds.
• Because the chemical breaks down quickly in sunlight and water, no special precautions are suggested for outdoor swimming areas.

All City parks, fields and open spaces will close at 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday night due to the City’s participation in the program.  The Denton County Health Department is also recommending that restaurants with patio seating close their patios on both evenings.

Please visit the City’s West Nile Virus website www.CityofSouthlake.com/WestNileVirus  or call the West Nile virus hotline (940-349-2907) for more details about symptoms, prevention tips, county-wide contacts, and how to reduce mosquitoes around your home.