Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Brazoria County Mosquito Control briefs council on West Nile activity, 26,000 spray requests so far
Summary
Brazoria County Mosquito Control District staff told Manvel council that the district has recorded ongoing West Nile activity, handled roughly 26,000 spray requests this year and deploys 16 trucks plus contracted aerial spraying when thresholds are met.
Manvel — Brazoria County Mosquito Control District representatives told council the district is monitoring West Nile activity and responding to tens of thousands of resident spray requests while aiming to limit impacts on pollinators.
"Only the females bite," operations manager Tiffany Walker told council as she introduced the district's work. Walker said the district has a staff of 18, 16 trucks with spray units, three marsh trucks, and contracts for aerial spray when outbreaks exceed thresholds. Lead surveillance technician Jose Marquez walked council through traps and laboratory testing protocols used to detect Culex (West Nile vector) mosquitoes and explained that samples are also sent to Austin for more advanced testing.
Walker said the district has already recorded about 26,000 spray requests for the year and has covered more than 1,400,000 acres. She explained the district posts daily spray maps by 4:00 p.m. and can add no‑spray polygons to its routing so truck operators will turn their sprayers off in designated areas. On bee risks, Walker said research shown to the district indicates night spraying and buffer practices minimize harms; she urged beekeepers to contact Texas A&M AgriLife for testing if they suspect a kill in their area.
Council members raised practical questions about adjacent property requests, aerial coverage (each flight can cover roughly 46,000 acres), and how the city can help identify sewer/drainage problems that create breeding habitat. Walker encouraged residents to remove standing water and reported larvicide briquette distribution totals for Manvel city limits of 5,476 briquettes since spring.
