Mosquito spraying to begin Monday

Published 12:00 pm Sunday, May 22, 2022

Weather permitting, Public Works will start mosquito spraying routes on Monday, May 23.

Brad Gee, who oversees the program, said the routes and schedules are the same as last year: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. That schedule is subject to change because of weather. Gee said the trucks cannot fog in the rain or when wind speeds exceed 10 mph.

“If there is a holiday or a day skipped by weather we will make adjustments to the day of the route,” Gee said.

The route map is online at: https://www.athensalabama.us/DocumentCenter/View/114/Vector-Control-Districts-Map-PDF

Beekeepers who have hives inside the city limits can contact Gee to notify him of hive locations.

“The times we spray shouldn’t affect them at all, but we like to know the locations to make sure,” he said.

Gee will keep a list of hive locations and avoid spraying when bees are foraging. Please call (256)-262-1415. You can leave a message if no one answers. You can also email him at bgee@athensal.us.

Gee said the city uses a product called Kontrol 30-30 made by Masterline. It consists of:

30 percent Permethrin

30 percent Piperonyl Butoxide

40 percent Inert Ingredients

Permethrin is the active ingredient pesticide, and Piperonyl Butoxide is a synthetic pesticide that works with the Permethrin while the inert ingredients are there to act as a bonding agent and to keep the chemical from evaporating so quickly once it’s sprayed into the air. The chemical is mixed with mineral oil and distributed through an Ultra Low Volume sprayer.