The city of Athens will be spraying mosquitoes in the coming weeks, but it has nothing to do with the new coronavirus. It’s just that time of year again.

Each year, the city’s mosquito-spraying crews scour neighborhoods looking for the blood-sucking littles beasts. But before they can spray them, they have to determine whether there is a high enough concentration of the insects.

Years ago, Athens and many other cities in Alabama sprayed mosquitoes without regard to their concentration n an area. They simply responded to problem areas and complaints from residents. Concerns about pesticide exposure changed that, and now the city doesn’t spray mosquitoes unless the count reaches a certain number.

While mosquitoes can transmit viruses like Zika and West Nile, there is no evidence to suggest mosquitos can transmit the new coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, said Dr. Charles Ray, research fellow at Auburn University.

Ray, an entomologist, said that while he cannot promise new coronavirus could not be transmitted by mosquito, for that to happen, the mosquito would have to become infected with the virus, multiply the virus in its body and inject the virus back into the body of a person. “No one has looked at it, but no one is expecting it, he said. “I don’t think it’s happening, but because I’m not a virologist and I don’t work much with mosquitoes, I can’t promise you. There has never been any evidence that you can find (of such transmission). I can say this is the least of our worries right now (as far as transmission goes).”

The World Health Organization, one of the lead sources on novel coronavirus and COVID-19, has said essentially the same.

“To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes. The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus, which spreads primarily through droplets generated when someone coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Also avoid close contact with anyone who is coughing and sneezing.”

Good year for skeeters

A record-breaking amount of rain fell on the Tennessee Valley during the first quarter of the year, a perfect recipe for lots of mosquitoes. Athens Public Works Director James Rich has said mosquitoes need water in some form to multiply, so dry weather tends to reduce their numbers and wet weather tends to increase them. The Valley Tennessee received more rain in January, February and March than in the previous 131 years of record keeping, according to TVA.

Before they spray, the city’s mosquito crews count insects to determine whether their four or five routes need spraying.

“They have to meet certain count requirements — ‘X’ number of bites in 10 minutes — in order to spray in that area,” Rich has said.

This process starts in mid-April or mid-May and continues until the end of September or mid-October, or about five months, he has said.