Moorhead City Council votes to lift pause on policy on aerial spraying for mosquitoes

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — Moorhead is unpausing its pause on its policy for aerial spraying for mosquitoes.

The vote was unanimous.

The policy allows aerial spraying if West Nile virus is detected.

It has been in Cass County but not in Clay County.

If aerial spraying is approved, it also requires a lower concentration of the pesticide used to kill mosquitoes.

Mosquito trap counts are three times higher in Moorhead than Fargo which has seen aerial spraying.

Moorhead has only done targeted ground spraying of hot spots.

Moorhead has not aerial sprayed for the bugs since 2020 when streets and lawns were littered with dying or dead monarch butterflies after an aerial application over Fargo during their migration season.

City staff will research additional non-toxic options to deal with the pesky insect.

Any movement on those options wouldn’t happen until 2026.

Mayor Shelly Carlson says the mosquito issue is the most community engagement she has seen in her seven years on the council.