Many Moorhead residents say that aerial spraying for mosquitoes is desperately needed

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — Moorhead residents are taking to social media to share their complaints about the city’s lack of aerial spraying. As the mosquito’s population continues to grow, the people’s patience is wearing thin.

“It’s not just a West Nile thing. Some of us just get eaten alive no matter what we do, and it’s hard. It’s hard to be out in the summer, it’s hard to be out with our families and our friends at these events, and everything that happens in the city, it’s hard to be at those, because we’re getting eaten alive.”

The city of Moorhead had scheduled an aerial spraying on August 7th, but it was further delayed. The last time the city conducted aerial spraying was in 2020.

“I had my first mosquito bite ten days ago, and within two days, I was on antibiotics, I had two visits to the doctor, and now I’ve got several more just from walking out the door of the house. So after spending winter indoors, I’m a prisoner of mosquitoes.”

The most recent data collected by Cass County Vector Control shows the numbers of mosquitoes going up. Ben Prather, the director at Vector Control, says these numbers are the worst he has seen in the past 10 to 15 years.

“Folks should expect to have nuisance conditions regardless of where you’re at in your listening area here. Clear into almost October, given the trajectory of where we’re seeing things, and that’s if we don’t have a whole lot of rain. So things can get somehow worse, but it’s possible. But folks definitely need to take the personal precautions that we always spoke about.”

Moorhead held a meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the policy on aerial spraying. A decision will be voted on at the city council meeting on Monday.